Instagram on the other hand has always been a specially curated blend of my favourite things: illustrated art (mostly cats), activism and people with great style sense promoting independent stores I cannot afford. Each has served their purpose in creating a break from my relatively ordinary life, but the recent and growing blend of my three favourite contents has caused personal scepticism.
Read MoreIn my experience, being beside the sea is an ‘unfenced existence.’ It is quiet, it is blinding, and it most importantly offers us on its shores something unobtainable in a world where we can get anything. It is, as part of the meditation and innate calmness, stretching your eye out as far as you can see, to that flat, dark line of the horizon.
Read MoreOnline content is designed to be addictive. Everything on offer is based upon what you've previously shown an interest in, swiftly dragging you into the proverbial rabbit hole. I have a job now, as well as an incredibly developed sense of guilt, which means that I am not exactly comfortable with my tendency to spend hours on Youtube.
Read MoreAs there are many alternatives to alcohol, is alcohol as important to us, with the rise of these low and alcohol-free drinks? Let me start by asking the drinkers among you a question… why do you drink?
Read MoreObviously, with so much going on right now, Valentine’s Day is probably so far down the list of priorities but regardless of how you feel about the day of looooove, for many couples, I think it was earmarked for a bit of normality.
Read MoreI had my last drink four and a half months ago. It was nothing eventful or remarkable. There was no drama, not even an unbearable hangover. I had planned to go with a bang, to make it count. Instead, I went camping on the beach with my family, drank my normal bottle of red wine and drained my plastic cup under the stars.
Read MoreThe first thing they asked me...was he a Christian? I stammered that no, he wasn’t but I didn’t see an issue and it shouldn’t matter. But, they didn’t want to know anything else. They didn’t speak to me for a week, I’d get the cold shoulder at breakfast and ignored at the dinner table.
Read MoreIt’s a feeling. It’s a quote many have heard often, so often in fact that it sounds like a crappy cliche. But it’s a reality many of us face when we move away from home, whether it’s completely abroad or just a few houses down. Living away from family brings many good and bad situations for each person, but it is never a super easy decision of just taking all our stuff and moving away.
Read MoreIt was like everything that had unfolded in the park earlier that day hadn’t happened. For the next week, we, Orwell and I, stayed in a blissful bubble of cuddles, catnaps, and the less-than-occasional crying session (you can’t block out reality completely).
Read MoreThere have been countless occasions in which the Millennial and Gen Z generations have come at a head-on collision in recent years. Many articles, vlogs, and Twitter threads outline contention points between the two generations. However, there is one thing that we do have in common: our propensity to job hop. That is, when the going gets tough (or inconvenient, or boring, or no longer interesting), we get going.
Read MoreBefore I am a “journalist”, a student, or anything really, I am a Muslim British Pakistani woman. This is my identity, and something I am proud of. So why, for the first time in my life, did I feel that this was something I should not try to flag up? Why did I think I would miss out on opportunities if I mentioned this, or if people were to discover this I would not be considered for that position?
Read MoreThe geology of the Earth is equally mind-blowing. Billions of years of history and creation sit within layers and layers of rock, some piercing the sky, others submerged underneath our oceans. In fact, some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring creations can’t even be seen above the ground.
Read MoreAt eighteen, my friends excitedly shared how the Facetune app could completely alter your entire figure, and face, in just a few taps. I was shocked my peers had access to this technology throughout our teen years – smoothing away acne, whitening their teeth, taking inches off their waistline. And who could blame them?
Read MoreWhat do you think, when you think about fire? ...the flicker of a candle; the warmth of an open hearth, paired with the comfort of an oversized armchair and a good book; embers dancing above a campfire, and marshmallows; or, for the netflix junkies, the party that never happened...
Read MoreGrowing up by the coast meant you couldn’t get away from the sea. If you couldn’t see it, you could smell it; that distinct fresh, clean salty air that hits your nostrils and fills your lungs. It’s the smell of holidays and health. Water has been the backdrop to my life before I moved inland to the big city and I didn’t understand how much I missed it until I wasn’t near it.
Read MoreMy name is Gemma, I am 35 years old, nearly 36 actually and I am still renting. It almost sounds like a confession. Something to be ashamed of. But, I just never had the money for it. Or maybe I did, I just didn’t start saving early enough in life. Of all the friends I have who have successfully managed to get a foot on the property ladder, very few have done it on their own.
Read MoreDo you want to become a game writer? So, do I! Unfortunately, it is no easy task. However, my recommendation is this: if you love gaming and you love writing, then I would urge you to write stories inspired by your gaming passions if that is a desire that enthrals you.
Read MoreBoris does not quite fit the same stereotypical populist profile as Bolsonaro and Trump, but he shares some characteristics. Boris does not have so much of a cult of personality around him. However, he did use narratives around leadership and Brexit to curry favour in those that feel left behind by globalisation.
Read MoreBut before you sign up to your first challenge, or buy that yearly discounted gym membership, consider this? ‘Health is for life, not just for Christmas’. We are all too often sold the quick, one dimensional approach to fitness and exercise. After X weeks we are left floating in a small boat emblazoned ‘life after diet’ wandering what the hell to do now!
Read MoreIn the US, and many other countries, being transgender is a death sentence. Looking at the main surveys, half of the responders have been verbally and physically harassed. Nearly half has been sexually assaulted. The United States is the third country with the highest number of violent reported deaths of transgender people.
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