By Isabella Zhu and Srihita Madiraju Apr. 5, 2026 A TikTok video begins with soft, ASMR-type music and an anime-style background. In the comments below, viewers insert before and after photos of their progress, claiming their skin tone has lightened and their eyes have changed shape after listening to the video for a night. This social media trend, known as RCTA (Race Change to Another), features young adults who claim to transition to another race. Often, they are d

By Sarah Perez Apr. 5, 2026 Helen Ruan ARt Beginning in the mid-2010s, the “Digital Age” of instantly accessible streaming platforms and ebooks has gravitated consumers away from physical media. Despite this, the largest American retail bookseller, Barnes & Noble, expands its footprint, with almost 70 stores newly opened in 2025 and 60 more planned for this year. With a 300% increase in vinyl purchases since 2016, consumer patterns mark a shift in the popularity

By Chelsea Lu Feb. 11, 2026 Every New Year starts with the same things: a countdown, a promise for self-improvement and an unspoken understanding that at least one New Year’s resolution will not survive past the first month. Still, the tradition endures, with over a third of Americans making resolutions every year, according to the Pew Research Center. Helen Ruan Art The habit of making resolutions can be partly attributed to the period of time at the be

By James Yu Feb. 11, 2026 Exhausting commutes. Soul-crushing assignments. Debilitating meetings. While many may feel that work is isolating, for some pet owners emotional support is on the way. Across the country, workplaces are adopting pet-friendly policies, allowing employees to bring their pets to the office. Companies are opening up the traditionally hairless and two-legged workplace to employees’ furry four-legged friends, primarily dogs and cats, in or

By Brandon Koo Dec. 10, 2025 “I have never felt pressured to start dating or act differently because of the dating lives of others. Women are often judged by the morality of their actions towards their boyfriend. On the contrary, I notice that men are often praised no matter what they do in a relationship. Still, I believe that high

By Chelsea Lu Dec. 10, 2025 At 28 years old, Canadian beauty influencer Emily Cipryk underwent a face lift, lip lift and rhinoplasty, all in the hopes of enhancing her features and maintaining her youth. Yet, Emily’s case is not rare; in fact, she is part of the quickly growing group of patients under the age of 30 undergoing a

The number of adults who drink alcohol in the U.S. has dropped to a new low, continuing a decades-long decline in consumption. According to Gallup, as of July 2025, 54% of adults report drinking alcohol, down from a previous low of 55% in 1958. While adults had an average of...