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

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...

STEM Scene showcases briefs to update our community on the STEM world.

STEM Scene: Oct. 8

by Mark Hu, Winged Post Managing Editor October 8, 2021

Whistle-Blower accuses Facebook of prioritizing profits over safety amid major server outage Frances Haugen, a former product manager at Facebook, revealed that the company knew that Instagram,...

“[Computer science] is analytical in its foundation. But it’s artistic in its execution. There is so much nuance and craft that goes into solving a problem and that goes into designing a model and writing code and building a system at scale, Rengarajan said.

Blooming from the STEM: Exploration in engineering

by Sabrina Zhu, STEM editor September 4, 2021

Have you ever wondered how the recommendation feeds on social media platforms are so accurate? They always seem to discover your interests, whether those are pet videos, style recommendations, or sports...

Ysabel Chen (11) works on her digital application Lucky Paw, which she designed to centralize the pet adoption process. She is currently enrolled in Harkers Incubator 1 class where students ideate and execute their own businesses.

From an idea to reality: Student entrepreneurs continue to help their community during the pandemic

by Arely Sun, Winged Post Lifestyle Editor February 23, 2021

In the hustle and bustle of a Spanish National Honor Society meeting, an idea was born. Seniors Shreya Srinivasan and Julia Biswas decided to create Luna Y Sol, a bracelet-making nonprofit that raises...

Protestors at a pro-choice rally hold signs defending their rights to make decisions about their bodies. Organizers have begun planning rallies in Alabama, with a large social media movement encouraging women to share their stories of abortion in order to de-stigmatize the issue.

States across the country pass restrictive anti-abortion legislation

by Arushi Saxena, Global Editor May 17, 2019

Following a wave of anti-abortion legislation that has recently risen up to challenge federal law, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the nation’s most controversial abortion bill into law last Tuesday...

A conservation of conversation

A conservation of conversation

by Arya Maheshwari, STEM Editor October 17, 2018

"Welcome to Medium. A place where words matter." The bold black text appears as I open one of the internet’s most popular forums for writing feature articles, and at first, the sentence seems like a...

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