Many colleges today have students who are social media influencers that are creating and participating in online culture, trends, and consumer behavior. WashU is no exception.

The first thing you reach for when you wake up, the last thing you put down before bed: Smartphone usage is nearly ubiquitous among adults.

As the spring semester kicked off, WashU students found themselves juggling the usual stressors: starting new classes, joining clubs and organizations, and securing that elusive summer internship. However, this year brought an unexpected source of anxiety — the impending TikTok ban, which was set to take effect on Jan. 19, just one day before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

On Oct. 23, WashU’s Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging came together for their first-ever intergenerational conversation with the goal of fostering meaningful conversation between age groups in the midst of a tense election season, growing political polarization, and widespread social-media misinformation. Students sat in groups of three and four in round tables across the classroom, directly across elderly residents of St. Louis and WashU teaching faculty.

The tendency for popular comments to form an individual’s opinion in this manner is largely rooted in generational insecurity. They can be accredited to the social frameworks that permit unmitigated opinions and standards, ultimately leading to groupthink.

Maybe people aren’t planning to vote for Kamala in November just because Charli XCX mentioned her once, but at what point could someone’s political world become so saturated with celebrity culture, Instagram posts, and TikTok trends that it’s hardly based on the actual campaign anymore?

By choosing this lifestyle on their own terms, some ‘trad wives’ serve as valuable examples of young women freely selecting a profession that aligns with their chosen way of life.

As a WashU student likely flooded with work, you deserve a show (or a StudLife article) that takes no brain energy to understand.

The “trad wife” trend brings our society backward in time and dismisses today’s cultural strides. The way this power dynamic can resurface long after feminist legislation and protests worked to dismantle female inferiority showcases how male desires and patriarchal practices continue to oppress those with less power.

As long as our bodies continue to be subject to trending beauty standards, eating disorders will continue to be a deadly issue. The solution should be simple, right? Stop treating our bodies as a fad, as something that can be changed as easily as the shift to low-rise jeans.