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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

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 detecting...

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...

Gen Z’s reliance on social media for news reflects a growing trend of their subpar media literacy. With information constantly being fed to us with infinite scrolling, many of us do not feel the need to actively go out and search for valid news sources.

Generation Z struggles with media literacy

by Suhani Gupta, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor October 23, 2024

As many teenagers do, I spend a lot of time scrolling on my devices. The other day, I was perusing my Quora feed, and I came across a post that claimed elephants think humans are cute in the same way humans...

Awareness over the dopamine-hooking features of social media platforms like Instagram to retain user engagement has also grown in recent years.Teen Accounts contains a feature that turns off notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., provide reminders for a screen time break and a set a time limit that can only be modified by parents. 

Meta announces Teen Accounts, emphasizes social media safety

by Hima Thota, Aquila Managing Editor October 21, 2024

Meta’s recent announcement of Instagram Teen Accounts, its latest addition to Instagram, comes following a rise in concern over child safety online. In their announcement, Meta detailed changes that...

Connecting with friends and being present are just some of the many benefits. According to a study from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, advantages of digital detox also include improved sleep, less stress and better productivity. 

Digital detox lifestyle allows for reflection

by Ella Guo and Leah Krupnik October 9, 2024

From nonstop notifications to algorithms designed to keep users scrolling, technology increasingly dominates our free time. In response, people have decided to unplug and try what is known as a digital...

Social media anonymity creates toxic comment sections through deindividuation, which explains how individuals perceive themselves as one among the masses and tend to exhibit behaviors they might never engage in otherwise. The internet amplifies this effect.

A digital abyss

by Vika Gautham and Emma Li February 8, 2024

In the electric embrace of the 21st century, where every scroll is part of a journey and every click is a portal to another world, social media is woven into everyday life. Yet, beneath the glossy filters...

An illustration of Meta, the largest social media corporation in the world, and its advertising and data collection practices. From discriminatory personalized ads to illegally acquiring children’s data, Meta’s business model has suffered intense scrutiny.

Meta malfeasance: A history of addictive advertising

by Jonathan Xue, Humans of Harker Profiler February 28, 2023

Devastated by a slew of lay-offs and financial losses, tech companies across the U.S. have struggled to stay afloat during the past year. Even Meta, the largest social media corporation in the world, dropped...

Parasocial relationships can be fulfilling, and involving ourselves with our favorite celebrities and characters is a normal part of our lives. We can admire the people on the screen, aspire to be them and connect with them parasocially.

Halting the spiral of parasocial relationships

by Yifan Li, TALON Reporter February 5, 2023

The bright glaring screen illuminates my drowsy face as I scroll past the umpteenth video and press on a smiling face, ready to launch myself into endless hours of video consumption. Over quarantine, I...

Rise of micro-trends: Social media’s harmful grasp on fast fashion

by Ariana Goetting, Selina Xu, and Claire Zhao November 14, 2022

Chunky jewelry. Hawaiian print dresses. Patchwork jeans. Cow print. These trends once reigned over fashion social media. Now, they gather in the aisles of Goodwill, collect dust in the depths of closets...

The facade of the perfect life on social media has never been more common or easier to create. Although we’re all aware of these unrealistic standards, seeing other peoples’ ‘perfect’ lives on our feeds still takes a toll on our mental health. Apps such as TikTok and Instagram only worsen the problem with filters and growing concerns over likes and followers.

Editorial: Collectively escaping the social media trap

by Editorial Board October 19, 2022

An app that calls itself authentic, original and unique. An app that captures the happenings of everyday life. An app that has no likes or filters. This is BeReal, a social media platform which has skyrocketed...

As Gen-Z trends towards normalizing casual and authentic posting on social media, apps such as BeReal gain traction, fostering a more intimate view into people’s lives. Whether the app will continue its success or fade away remains unclear, but sustaining the app’s mission could be a step towards a healthier approach to social media.

What does it mean to Be Real?

by Selina Xu and Medha Yarlagadda September 27, 2022

“It’s Time to BeReal.” The notification appears on millions of phones once a day. Whether walking around the hallways, waiting in the lunch line or sitting on their couch at home, students flock...

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