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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Athlete-influencers build inspiration, community, connection through creative content

by Chelsea Xie, A&E/Lifestyle Editor October 10, 2025

Heavy breathing, squeaks of shoes and witty banter echoes through an empty gym as two basketball players match up in an intense one-on-one game. One of them is FlightReacts, a basketball influencer...

Doomscrolling traps social media users in constant stress

Doomscrolling traps social media users in constant stress

by Aileen Jang and Elizabeth Zhang October 10, 2025

Doomscrolling, the compulsive consumption of negative online content, has become a hallmark of digital age anxiety. With news of crisis and conflict dominating screens, this habit exposes people to a constant...

Social media trends have turned AI frustration into insults, with videos and memes spreading the slur across platforms.

“Clanker” stems from growing fatigue with AI technology

by Suhani Gupta and Claire Tian October 10, 2025

Influencer Stanzi Potenza posted a YouTube Short on Aug. 20 captioned “POV: You’re a clanker in 2050.” In this video, she portrays a waitress belittling a “clanker” which arrives at her restaurant,...

An American Eagle ad featuring Sydney Sweeney sparked controversy about 
political bias in advertising. Some brands aim to stir strong reactions rather than convey a clear message. (Illustration by Emma Li)

American Eagle uses “outrage farming” to drive engagement

by Suhani Gupta and Janam Chahal August 29, 2025

Clothing brand American Eagle released an ad on July 23 where actress Sydney Sweeney crossed out the word “genes” in a billboard saying “Sydney Sweeney has great genes” and replaced it with “jeans.” Many...

People treat crime cases like they’re episodes of a drama series, desensitizing themselves from the very real violence that lies within them.

True crime breeds toxicity

by Aryana Bharali, Humans of Harker Managing Editor March 25, 2025

1.4 million likes. The screen flickers, replaying a slow-motion edit of Gypsy Rose Blanchard shortly after her release. A Nicki Minaj song pulses in the background, the beat synchronized to the rate of...

Claudia Chee poses with a cart inside Costco. Chee has over 215K followers on Instagram, where she posts product recommendations.

So you wanna be a Costco influencer?

by Chelsea Xie, Assistant News Editor February 7, 2025

When Claudia Chee walks into her local Costco, she’s not just shopping—she’s creating content. She selects a cardigan, props her phone on a shelf, hits record and models the item, showcasing the...

Calorie-tracking apps and fitness trackers often feed into unhealthy habits related to eating. Teens who are already vulnerable to body image issues may become obsessed with counting every calorie.

Shattering the silence around eating disorders

by Disha Gupta and Suhani Gupta February 6, 2025

This article discusses topics related to eating disorders, including extreme dieting and unhealthy weight loss methods. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please seek support...

Short form content is captivating but can be harmful. A narrative that goes viral is usually simple, short and compelling: it tells you what to know and exactly how to feel about it, no further nuance acknowledged, which erodes the critical thinking skills and media literacy habits of users who consume hours of short form media on a regular basis.

It’s time to ‘X’ out short form media

by Claire Tian, Assistant STEM Editor December 6, 2024

Short form content has surged in popularity for its convenience and attention-grabbing appeal. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and X, attract millions—and in TikTok’s case, one billion—users.  Microblogging...

Navigating political engagement in age of algorithms

Navigating political engagement in age of algorithms

by Jessica Wang and Lily Shi November 22, 2024

America is no stranger to political strife, but today’s divisions are more personal than ever. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 63% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans view members...

Character.AI simulates connection by offering affirmations and remembering details from past conversations. Users start relying on chatbots instead of real people, and that level of dependency can be very risky.

Character AI exploits vulnerability, endangers users with false companionship

by Ashley Mo, STEM Editor November 22, 2024

Trigger warning for topics of suicide, self-harm and sexual language. When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), I’ve seen its benefits firsthand, from explaining calculus questions to...

Junior Spencer Chang records one of his comedy dad-joke videos for his Instagram account “spencerbfunny.” His first viral reel blew up on March 15, recieving milllions of views and now having around 253,000 likes.

Community members gain popularity on social media

by Mendy Mao and Cynthia Xie November 21, 2024

After a long day at school, a student slumps into bed. The weight of their backpack is an unforgiving reminder of the amount of work they have left. Yet within two minutes, all is forgotten as they sit...

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