#ever after high vsco icons

[hirotosstuff]

◜᭝🖇️✦ soft icons 🌾﹆ ꒰ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ꒱ ㅋㅋ ໑ ➫。🌱 ໑ ☆ ⧺like or reblog if u save. ㅊ ♥ ᠀◞ don't respost✧:ㅁㅅㅁ💢៵ ≻ ㅠ ㅠ ‹⚠໑➭️@hirotosstuff⬯📡᭝ 사탕 ﹆ 💭 ໑᠉ 천사

[the196thbattalion]

star wars human! high school! au

i’ve seen so many headcanons circling throughout the star wars tumblr about high school au’s, so i wanted to share my bit with all of you :D

anakin skywalker

five words: REBEL CHILD ON A MOTORCYCLE.

he doesn’t like riding the school bus because it makes him feel extremely claustrophobic, so he scrapped and scavenged up parts to make his own customized motorcycle, which he lovingly dubbed artoo.

the blue and silver detailing was the joint effort of ahsoka and obi-wan, because anakin doesn’t know how to paint.

if he can catch up to the bus, he’ll ride alongside it and flip off the students on it before revving on ahead of them. (the freshmen think it’s the funniest thing in the universe)

probably one of the most well-known juniors in the entirety of temple high school (mostly because of his shenanigans but partly because he’s dating padme fuckiNG AMIDALA, PRETTIEST GIRL IN THE DAMN SCHOOL)

he always wears this worn-down leather jacket his mom gave to him before she passed away, and refuses to take it off, even though it’s somehow “a violation of the dress code and should be outlawed.”

his hair alone has seduced eight different students (boys and girls)

sometimes during study hall, ahsoka or padme will get a hold of his hair and style it into little braids or make a super rad ponytail.

he really likes iced coffee with milk and sugar. he puts in the milk to make it nice and light (it’s aesthetically pleasing, obi-wan!), and then like eight tablespoons of sugar to make it actually taste good.

his favorite class is mechanics, taught by kit fisto.

anakin spent months on a mechanical arm project to replace his clunky plastic prosthetic, and he was so freaking happy when it was finished; he almost cried. (he did cry and ahsoka got it on video)

obi-wan kenobi

a mixture of the soft™, pretty™, hippie™, grunge™, vsco™ and nerd™ tropes.

he really likes peppermint tea with lots of honey but takes his coffee black.

he has had too much tea.

someone needs to stop him.

almost all of his classes are ap courses, and if cody hadn’t been watching when obi-wan was making his schedule, all of them would be.

him, cody and padme have ap english with mace windu, and cody knows how much his classes stress him out, so he lets obi-wan sleep during class and sends him the notes

the only ap class obi-wan doesn’t take is mechanics, and he shares that class with anakin.

anakin and obi-wan are super close with each other. kenobi was there when ahsoka was adopted, and anakin was there when kenobi got his cat. (they were like 5 okay)

“NAME IT C3PO OBI-WAN, OR I SWEAR TO FUCK-” “what kind of name is that, and why would i - anAKIN PUT HIM DOWN!?”.

mr. fisto constantly has to split them up for disrupting the class, but it’s almost like they can communicate telepathically, and the teachers have a running bet

mace windu literally bet $50 on these fucking nerds so you know it’s for realsies

in reality, they’ve just gotten super creative with passing notes.

kind of off topic, but he has these brown harry potter glasses that he uses (kinda for reading???? but mostly so he can do that anime pushing up glasses thing)

cody thinks it’s the funniest shit ever

whenever cody is feeling stressed, obi-wan just does the thing™ and BOOM! happiness.

people think he’s a goodie two shoes, and honestly, it’s really easy to think that. if the iconics are trying to do something stupid, he’s usually the voice of reason.

but parties?

…

you know what, just ask anakin for the video footage.

ahsoka tano

this hs!au ahsoka tano turned me bisexual confirmed ✔

okay before i go into her style, which is mainly what made me drool over my computer, can i just put skatergirl!ahsoka out there?

spray painting of the rebellion symbol all over the bottom of her board and on items in a couple of the places where she skates the most (like the back of an abandoned car yard)

her instagram is filled with these super cool vhs-tape recorded skate videos (u know)

lots crackhead 3am visits (starring anakin, rex, kenobi and barris) to a gas station to get slushies and grind the shit out of the curb connecting the store to the parking lot

trying to teach anakin how to skateboard but he just can’t figure it out? uh yes

“try to balance skyguy!” “HOW DO I MOVE? DO I SCOOT? SNIPS THIS ISN’T FUNNY AND I WANT TO GET OFF – GUYS, STOP LAUGHING!”

okay okay okay i’m done

for now

anyway, her style???? is so???? fucking????? cool!!!!!

her genetics gave her a 80% of having vitiligo, so it really wasn’t a surprise when patches of her skin got lighter, but it still freaked her out a little bit.

basically, went like this: “DAD, I’M TURNING WHITE!” “???? oh my gosh ‘soka, no.”

she has long braided dreadlocks she dyed a super bright orange with various colored beads woven into them with the help of anakin and padme. she usually styles them into little space buns atop her head.

her entire clothing wardrobe consists of fishnets, neon bomber jackets, at least 11 bisexual beanies™, handmade patchy jeans, white tank tops, and light-up platform shoes.

she doesn’t give two flying fucks about the dress code, and – IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOST BUSY HALLWAY - punched principal sidious over whether or not she “could wear shorts that short” (anakin may or may not have cheered when she broke his nose).

the fetts (chuck have mercy)

*cracks le knuckles* i’ve put it off long enough

we have: fox (24), wolffe (19), cody (17), rex (17), echo (16), fives (16), boil (15), waxer (14), hardcase (13), jesse (12), longshot (8), kix (6), tup (3), gree (2) and boba (9mo)

wolffe is off at college - fox already graduated and moved out, that cheeky little fucking shit - but both still keep in good contact with the fam, and it’s a constant clamor between eleven of the siblings of who gets to talk to them first

fox majored in government/politics, bly is majoring in space/astronomy, and wolffe is majoring in police/law enforcement shit (i don’t know how college works, so sue me)

cody and rex are juniors, and despite their similar looks, the amount of schoolwork each of them completes drastically varies

cody is the honor roll student, valedictorian, whatever you want to call it

rex kinda just either does the work really well or 9/10 times gets distracted by anakin or ahsoka sending him some nice spicy memes

cody tried to tutor rex but it ended up almost landing tup in the hospital

“that’s really simple, actually. if you – vod? rex, are you okay? what are you oH NO TUP DON’T PUT THAT IN YOUR MOUTH-”

fetts on the varsity football team is like a right of passage in the family

right now, only the juniors of the fett family are on the team, but the coach has eyes on fives and echo for next years team

SPEAKING OF

echo, fives and boil are the infamous sophomore trio that pulled the milk bucket prank on the gym teacher, pong krell.

they had to help the janitor (99) clean up afterwards, but they genuinely enjoyed 99’s company, because he’s rad as shit and knows all the secret school passageways.

to be honest, not one person (except maybe sidious) was complaining

that motherfucker makes everyone run like eight laps during gym class

even mr. windu gives them a small smile in the hallways after that

boil says he was blackmailed into it

waxer is a freshman (the poor dude, i’m so sorry), and he always looks out for the nervous freshies

if someone is having a bad day, he’ll give them a lollipop (he carries around a whole bag), a place to sit during lunch, and a shoulder to cry on

all you need to do to find waxer is to locate this long ass line of children

the school counselor, plo koon, sometimes brings his niece numa into school during the day because he can’t find a babysitter, and waxer. fucking. loves. her. PERIOD.

w+n pull these tiny little pranks on teachers, and the staff pretends not to notice, but numa always giggles and gives them away.

boil has a soft spot for numa too, and sneaks her rice krispies.

bonus shit i want to add in but can’t figure out where to put it (or i’m just gonna add it on and shit)

plo koon adopted anakin after his mother died (him and anakin’s mother were good friends), and found ahsoka on the side of the street, shivering like a maniac.

he doesn’t know where ahsoka came from, but he loves her so gOD DAMN MUCH.

he’s the school counselor, and still keeps in touch with a lot of students even after the graduated (he thinks that majoring in law enforcement/police is a bit dangerous for wolffe but he still supports his unofficial but basically son 100%)

yoda is the super old but radically rad english teacher.

his entire point of existence in my mind fic is to troll the shit out of palpatine.

a recent conversation starring yoda and palps: “did you give the students the mountain of extra work i assigned them?” “for the students, that was?” i’m sorry. my bad, that is.” “this is the seventh time, yoda.”

okay but for real

mace windu violently roots for the school football team.

“BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM, CODY! YOU TOO...OTHER CODY!”

“THAT’S A HOLDING! THAT’S A HOLDING!”

“REF IF YOU DON’T COUNT THAT TOUCHDOWN THEN I SWEAR TO SAMUEL L. JACKSON I WILL COME DOWN THERE AND BEAT YOUR SORRY PINSTRIPED ASS!”

[7-wonders]

All the Time In the World

Summary: Life has thrown you a few curveballs lately. Between absolute chaos wreaking havoc at your job, being too busy to sleep and your schedule not meshing with Duncan’s, you’re stressed beyond measure. So stressed, in fact, that you don’t notice you miss your period until you’re two weeks late. 

Word Count: 2285

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this oneshot I cooked up for you! This is tied into the Kiss Me Through the Phone universe, which you can read at my MASTERLIST. Feedback is always appreciated; leave a comment or note in my inbox about what you thought. If you liked this, please like and reblog!

Warnings: Talks of possible pregnancy, mentions of periods/mensuration. 

The past few weeks have been extremely hectic and stressful for both you and Duncan. President Hale-Underwood had announced her extremely late bid for re-election, sending your workplace into a scramble as everyone attempted to reshape the political landscape now that the current powerhouse was back in the race. It’s been many long nights at the office for you as you research and formulate new statistics, work on creating new graphics for the various media outlets, and interview other candidates from both parties as they react to the incumbent President joining the election race. You’ve been so busy that it’s often easier to just sleep at your apartment lately, that is, if you can even make it back home before falling asleep at your desk. It’s closer to where you work than Duncan’s place, but it’s still difficult sleeping without Duncan.

Life hasn’t been too easy for Duncan, either. Since the Shepherds and the Underwoods have been feuding for years, this announcement has only fueled Annette’s need to ruin Claire. She’s been incredibly tense and, from what Duncan’s told you, five lower-level employees have been fired just this week. When Duncan’s not working on a new app (one that doesn’t involve stealing people’s information, thankfully), he’s being ordered to try and find dirt on the President. It’s a trying time for both of you, and not having Duncan around is really starting to take its toll on you. He’s the same way, so when he persuades you into not giving into your boss’s pleas to work this weekend, you do the same for him.

It’s the first time you’ve slept more than five hours for at least two weeks, not waking up until breakfast was more like brunch. Duncan, having been up first, ordered food from a nearby cafe to be delivered to the apartment. It was an extremely welcome surprise, and sitting at the table, holding hands with your love and just enjoying each other’s presence is much-needed. You sip at your coffee, pulling up the news on your phone when Duncan stands to go and wash the dishes left over from your meal.

Being so entrenched in the news already, there’s not much to read that you haven’t experienced first-hand by now. A politician said something controversial, war in the Middle East, hurricanes in the South: it’s all dated to you. Exiting out of that app, you swipe through your phone to see what else you can check up on. Instagram doesn’t seem too appealing, since you’d rather not see all of your classmates from high school and what they’re doing. Your Twitter timeline is dead this morning, and you get bored within thirty seconds of opening the app. Your eyes dart from each of the little icons on the screen. VSCO, Snapchat, Period Tracker, YouTube-wait, Period Tracker?

Your body tenses while you try to remember the last time you opened the app. Normally you’re very good about tracking your period, a habit stemming back to when you were a teenager and your periods were extremely irregular. While they’re more normal now, you do still have some off-months. Clicking the app, you wait impatiently for it to load. Duncan’s humming sounds almost too cheerful for a situation like this, but how is he to know that you might have made a giant mistake? When the screen finally loads, your heart nearly stops.

You were supposed to start your period two weeks ago. You haven’t been this late in years; normally when you are late, it’s by a day or two. You’re wracking your brain, trying to think of how this could possibly happen. You take your birth control daily, so that’s not an issue. You and Duncan use condoms, and you haven’t been lazy enough to go without a condom since--

“Oh fuck.” You curse, head falling in your hands.

“What’s wrong?” Duncan looks up from the sink, a dish towel slung over his shoulder.

“I’m late.” Your words are muffled by your hands, so Duncan asks you to repeat yourself. “I’m late.” You enunciate.

“Late for what? It’s Saturday, we don’t-”

“Duncan!” You snap. “I was supposed to start my period two weeks ago.”

The dish he’s washing clatters to the bottom of the sink, and you glance at him to see his jaw clenched while his face is devoid of color.

“But...how did you forget?”

“I’ve forgotten to eat regular meals for the past three weeks, my period was the least of my concerns.”

“Fuck.” He concurs with your earlier statement. “What do we do?”

“I mean, I need to go and buy a pregnancy test, I guess.”

“My assistant’s working today, I can text him and have him pick it-”

“No! God, please do not do that.” You know that you shouldn’t be snapping at him, he’s just trying to help, but you’re on the verge of a full-on panic attack and he’s not making it better. Duncan can tell that you’re freaking out, falling on his knees in front of you and grabbing your face in his hands.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together. Do you want me to go and buy the test? Or I can come with you, whatever you want.” You take one of his hands in both of yours, moving it to your lips and kissing his palm.

“I’ll just run to the store down the street and be right back.”

“You sure?” You smile slightly, nodding.

“I’m sure.”

The trip to the corner store and back, although most likely under twenty minutes, feels like it takes hours. You grabbed three different tests, two electronic and one with the plus/minus sign so there was a variety in the tests. Of course, the day you need to get out of the store quickly is also the first time you’ve ever seen a line in this store, causing you to have the most impatient wait of your life before making it to the front. The cashier, a woman in her mid-50s, shot you a look when ringing you up.

“Do you need the bathroom key, too?” She had asked.

“Oh, uh, these are for my-my friend…” You don’t know why you lied to a total stranger, but there was no going back once the words were out. She had looked at you, obviously unconvinced, but you just smiled awkwardly before taking the bag and rushing out of the store.

After taking the tests at home, the only thing left to do is wait. Duncan sits on the bed, shaking his leg nervously while he watches you pace back and forth across the bedroom.

“(Y/N), you need to calm down.” He says carefully, not wanting to aggravate you further.

“I am calm, I just don’t think I can physically sit down right now.” Duncan sighs but remains quiet, knowing you’ll talk about what’s bothering you soon enough. “It could be stress making me so late this month but...what if I am pregnant? We never planned for this. I just got a promotion at work, and you’re so busy with the Foundation.”

“What did I tell you earlier? Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together. If you are...pregnant, then we’ll carefully go over our options. No matter what, though, I won’t leave you.”

“I’m too young to be a mom.” Unexpected tears well up in your eyes. “Sure, loads of people I went to high school and college with have kids, but they’re good at being parents. I can barely take care of a plant, how could I take care of a tiny human?”

“You’re just overthinking, (Y/N).” Duncan soothes, grabbing your arms and tugging you against him. The hug immediately has a calming effect on you, reducing the shakiness you’re feeling and helping to level your breathing.

“How are you so calm about this?” Duncan shrugs.

“We can’t really change what happened last month.” Damn both of you for being too lazy to slip on a condom when you had morning sex. “Right now, we just have to focus on the present.”

“I hate when you’re right.” You mutter, feeling Duncan chuckle against you.

The alarm on your phone has both of you jumping from the sudden loud noise. Grabbing the device from your back pocket, you quickly silence it before looking back to Duncan. He’s patient with you, holding your hand while you work up the nerve to move towards the bathroom.

“We’ve gotta look sometime, babe.” You nod, finally walking in with him.

Your eyes keep flicking back and forth from each of the three tests, your brain trying to comprehend that what you’re seeing is real. Duncan’s obviously confused, picking up the boxes to try and decipher the symbols on each test. You don’t need a box, though, the signs being as clear as day.

“Oh, thank God!” You let out a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding, leaning back against Duncan for support. “I’ve never been so happy to see the word ‘no’ before.”

Duncan rubs his hands on your shoulders, but remains oddly quiet. After you slide each of the three tests back in their boxes and toss them in the trash, you turn around. He’s looking at the trash can instead of you, and you pout slightly at his indifference towards this.

“You okay? I thought me not being pregnant would be a cause for celebration.” Duncan finally looks at you, just barely smiling.

“No, it is! I just...well...uh, why haven’t you gotten your period, then?” It’s a question that’s very uncharacteristic for him, causing you to raise your eyebrows at him.

“Probably just because of how stressed out I am. I don’t know, if I still haven’t gotten it by next week then I’ll make an appointment with my gynecologist, it could be a cyst or something like that.” You know that it’s most likely stress, and now that pregnancy has been ruled out you can focus on not being stressed out in the hopes to get your period to show up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” It’s the most unconvincing sentence you’ve ever heard, and he knows you’ve caught on when you fold your arms across your chest.

Before he can even make a move, you’ve wrapped your arms around him and stumble out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, using your strength and the fact that you caught him off-balance to help you. You land on the bed above Duncan, quickly straddling his torso and pinning his arms above his head. He obviously didn’t expect you to tackle him, eyes wide while he tries to figure out what you’re doing.

“I’m not letting you go until you tell me what’s wrong.” Duncan rolls his eyes and sighs, but you only tighten your grip on his wrists. “I’m serious, Dunc!”

“(Y/N), nothing’s wrong.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it. I’m fine with doing this all day until you finally give in.” You glare at him, refusing to let him move no matter how much he squirms.

“Fine! You’re such a stubborn woman.” You stick your tongue out at him, but wait for him to continue. “I...this is so embarrassing.”

“Hey, no it’s not. I promise that whatever you say won’t be embarrassing.” You reassure him, watching as a pink blush paints his face.

“I-uh, I didn’t know how much I wanted a baby until those tests came back negative.” Your hands go limp, releasing Duncan from your grasp, but he doesn’t make any effort to move out from under you.

“You’ve never talked about wanting kids before.” You say quietly.

“I haven’t wanted kids with anyone until I met you.”

“You’d want me to have your kids?” You’re oddly flattered by this sentiment.

“I couldn’t imagine starting a family with anybody but you. I just--while you were at the store, my mind kind of ran away with the idea of you being pregnant. You, having to wear my shirts because your baby bump makes your shirts too tight.” Duncan’s hands drift to your stomach almost against his will. “Getting to design a nursery and pick out names for our little baby. I want all of it; I want to hold your hair back when you get morning sickness and go and get you whatever food you’re craving at three in the morning. I want to be sleep-deprived, but so happy that the cause of it is this tiny human that we created. Before I met you, I assumed I would just be some perpetual bachelor. I never saw a reason to change the way I acted. You make me want to change, (Y/N). That life, which I once saw as the only possible life for me, suddenly isn’t appealing anymore.”

“Really?” Your voice comes out as a squeak, causing Duncan to chuckle.

“I’m not asking you to have a baby with me right now, but...I plan on being with you for the rest of my life, and I hope you do too.” You nod eagerly, taking his face in both of your hands and kissing him deeply.

“Of course I do.”

“Yeah?” Duncan sits up, face to face with you now while you nod again.

“Probably no babies until after our lives calm down.”

“Definitely.”

“And we’ll plan for it, instead of having a scare like we did today.”

“Oh trust me, the first time we try, I’m putting a baby in you.” Your heart flutters at the dark look of determination in his eyes.

“You’ll be okay with putting the baby plan on hold until then?” Duncan smiles before kissing you again.

“I can wait.”

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[anna-is-angel]

cyborgs for sale: the emerging instagram market and the profitable self - essay

Her geotag reads “Welcome to My World.” It’s a recognizable landscape adorned with rocky cliffs, the sea below, and a clear sky. Her body conveys all of the marks of the typical Instagram influencer-- a trendy hairstyle, a knit, print sweater and high waisted pants, and an intentional pose selected from a repertoire of prescribed contortions. Her post delivers every element of the modern Instagram girl, so why is this picture so unfamiliar, so uncomfortable? Lil Miquela, followed by nearly 3 million Instagram users, is an animated persona-- a CGI-ed avatar that emotes, poses, and inhabits the “real,” natural world and the Instagram interface. Captured in her 956 posts, composed of still photos and video clips, Lil Miquela expands and contorts our conception of the “digital self,” rendering the boundaries between the cyberworld and the “real” world even more ambiguous.

In the advent of Instagram in 2010, the platform emerged as a localized, virtual meeting-ground to build integrative cyber-communities across the boundaries of geography and culture. A recent episode of the podcast “The Daily” explores the expansion of Facebook and the social media world, tracking the evolution of Instagram as an app to Instagram as a verb and a crystallized product of pop culture. While it was still a place to produce a novel, elevated version of the self and reality, the methods in which to create this personalized profile were limited and relatively streamline. The app emerged when I was in middle school, and my iPod touch quickly morphed into a device with one purpose: to Instagram. I remember my first couple posts, tailored by my twelve-year-old taste and aesthetic-- a post of the local highway taken as my mom drove me to the mall, a post of my friends and I before a dance, a post of my new bikini-- all colored by a limited selection of Instagram’s preset filters named after foreign cities.

The online simulacrum of the self is mediated by a multitude of factors and platforms, and for many, one’s online presence has taken on a significant resonance that rivals the legitimacy of real, embodied presence and interaction. The implications of the personal profile have transcended the original circuit of photograph, filter, post. New layers of editing and marketing have encroached upon and overtaken the conceived simplicity of the conveyance of the “real” self in the digital world. The Instagram posting process is an inherently gendered experience, as the pressures for the disciplined female body to conform to patriarchal standards of desire in “real” life are enhanced through the implications and possibilities of digitized mediums. Jia Tolentino explores the plastic surgery industry in Los Angeles in her article “The Age of Instagram Face,” an industry producing amorphous, similar bodies of our favorite influencers. However, the modern woman does not need any capital or resources past the purchase of the iPhone, some makeup, and a couple of $1 apps to construct an idealized body. Apps like Facetune and VSCO, filters, and a selection of instagram “Effects” mediate an attempt for deliberate personalization and an all-too-recognizable air-brushed homogeneity. Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Emma Chamberlain, and Petra Collins refine their selfies with air-brushed filters, freckles, large eyes, butterfly wings, and even elvish ears. With a single tap, a user with zero followers can look like that too.

It is only logical that CGI and animation would be the next phenomenon to enter the Instagram sphere. While filters and Facetune maintain an illusioned distinction between the “real” self and online self, users like Lil Miquela obscure that distinction entirely. Perhaps the most disquieting aspect of Lil Miquela’s persona is the unintelligible nature of her digitized body. Is she a live person edited to look animated or is she entirely digitally generated? Instagram users are shrouded in the deluded notion that they maintain some air of authenticity, and Lil Miquela too explicitly displays the extremities and realities of the manufactured self. Within a platform of overt aesthetic manipulations created by Instagram itself (like Effects), there is still an overwhelming desire and demand for “naturalness” and “authenticity,” which never existed in the first place. Countless accounts are dedicated to individual influencers’ “Facetune fails,” exposing side by side comparisons of unflattering paparazzi photos and photoshopped pictures that influencers posted of themselves. Mostly featuring female Instagram users, such accounts have thousands of followers who comment vomiting emojis and degrading judgements on these celebrity “fails.”

The call for authenticity and “making Instagram casual again” masks the ever invading neoliberal notions of the personalized, profitable self, where an individual’s online profile is inextricable from and trumped by capital. Instagram is no longer just a verb, it is a career.  As time has passed, the usage of Instagram has evolved from a cathartic method of over-sharing frothy lattes to a method of self-optimization, branding, and profitability. Much more is at stake now, as Instagram, which started as one of the first significant social networking apps for the smartphone, now serves as an interpersonal meeting-ground, job market, and shopping interface. Through the rise of the influencer, the brand deal, and new shopping capabilities on the app itself, Instagram, with increasingly less subtlety, has transformed into a veritable marketplace. The underlying philosophy and infrastructure remains relatively intact-- the personal profile continues to mediate and localize all in-app interactions. However, popular users now not only tag other users on their posts, but also can tag products. Calls to “make Instagram casual again” are drowned out by opportunities for brand deals-- free products or generous checks promised to those with the most followers and post engagements. One’s personal aesthetic and, by extension, their quantified following dictate a monetary value that fuels the manufacturing of a profitable self.

This past fall, Instagram reformatted its icons, replacing the longstanding “Activity” symbol with the “Shop” symbol. While habitually attempting to check on my new followers and likes, I found ads for algorithmically selected makeup products and my-style clothes that I could purchase in-app. Now, the “Activity” feature is sequestered in a small, counterintuitive corner of my home page, a visible representation of interpersonal engagement replaced by capitalistic enterprise.

Modern culture has come to a juncture where the notion of the malleable, constructable self, simultaneously displayed and masked by social media, is inseparable from the market. Perhaps Lil Miquela serves as the ultimate product of this relationship-- a persona constructed for and through new links between technology and capitalism. However, she also presents a novel commentary on the female body: an opportunity for a cyborgian recreation. She reveals the extreme, pre-existing reality of the porousness of the self and the fluidity between the “real” world and the digital world.

[aheadfullofdreamsx]

Welcome back!

It's been a long time since the last blog I've made and it's my honor to publish another blog because I unexpectedly stop posting blogs for many years. (because I need to focus on my studies)

Our educator on Empowerment Technology, Ms. Claudene Bautista, instructed us to compose and publish a vlog or a blog about how Information and Communication Technology affects our life. Of course, I will choose blogging as a medium instead of vlogging because we knew that there are standards in order for you to do vlogging plus I am shy (sometimes) in front of the camera and I promise to myself that once I have my "starter packs" such as camera, tripod, monopod, good editing skills, and money to travel, I will start my first ever vlog. (I want travel vlogs by the way hahaha) So for the mean time, blogging is my best way to express myself (aside from twitter). Why? Because there are no rules, I am writing to express, not to impress. One of the reasons why I also want to publish some blogs because it enhances my comprehension, spelling, and grammatical skills because I am a Grade Twelve Student and a STEM student, (Science, Engineering, and Mathematics) my brain was focused on solving problems and equations and it makes my brain tired hahahaha! And when there's an activity like essays and poems, I am confused with my grammars and spellings because since I entered Senior High School, my everyday companies were Mathematics and Science. It's like information overload. The language and literature was left behind.

According to techterms.com, ICT refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. Wireless networks, cellphones, internet, and other communication medium are included in ICT.

As the time goes by, our world was developing little by little in all aspects. Technically and economically. (really? economically?! HAHAHA) since my eyes begun to open, I was included in the era of "Generation Z" (Some called it millennial era) where the technology was not fully developed by that time. Where the Nokia and Motorolla was the only brand when it comes to mobile and cellular phones. I remembered when I was a cute little girl, I'm always playing Space Impact in my cousin's phone. The screen of the phone was color yellow and there are keypads which you can press to type messages and numbers. But Motorolla was more advanced than Nokia 3210, Motorolla has more features than Nokia 3210, Motorolla has white screen and it's easy to bring wherever you go because it's like a make-up kit, because you can flip the phone easily.

As a teenager, I can confidently say that technology is necessary in our lives. In my everyday living, technology has a part on my daily routine. When I am too lazy to enter my mobile passcode, I just double tap my phone and then I will look to my phone screen and voila! It will be unlocked instantly through the help of Artificial Intelligence. I also used my mobile phone to inform my Mom where am I and who I am with. And if I have leisure time (around 8 in the evening to 10 in the evening) I used Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I'm just scrolling on Facebook and read memes and it makes me laugh, then when I got tired in scrolling on Facebook, I immediately open my Instagram account and view the IG stories of my followings. Right after, I look at their stories. After that, I will open my twitter account to tweet something like what happened to me, what was the highlight of my day and for expressing my feelings toward something. I am also using Spotify to create a playlist and stream my favorite musics. (You should try to listen to the songs of Coldplay, Kodaline, and Panic! at the Disco). When it comes to YouTube, I am not using it often like FB, Twitter, and IG. I only use YouTube to watch some vlogs and many more.

In educational purposes, ICT probably affects my life when I used Facebook Messenger to connect with my family, friends, groupmates, and loved ones. Especially when there's a project or group activity like Practical Research, Entrepreneurship and anything that is related in school like announcements and reminders, we are connecting through Facebook messenger because it's accessible. Of course, the well-known and friendly Google, where I can search everything I want to know about my lessons and gather many information about a certain topic or issue. And sometimes when I'm using Google, I chose and read the website that is reliable and credible to avoid hoax or "fake news". In addition, Google also helps me in finding the results of the College Entrance Exams like UPCAT, USTET, AtBulSU, and Adamson Entrance Examination. Aside from Google, I am also using Gmail to send an email to my colleagues. Gmail also helps me to keep updated to the universities about their examination schedule. Without Gmail, I can't use my social accounts because Gmail was required in order for you to use those social accounts. Aside from Gmail, I can also use Google Drive to store my important files and images.

When I want to wander in different places, my reliable friend, Waze is always there to guide me when where I should turn left or turn right! I can also sell and buy online (things and stuffs or concert tickets!!) and it makes less hassle because I am a student. I am selling iconic socks and through the help of ICT, I can post what I'm selling and I'm using Facebook as a medium. When there's a photographer vibe in me, I take shots by using my phone's camera and edit those photos I took on VSCO, Lightroom CC or PicsArt.

ICT also affects my health because I always sleep late at night and woke up late in the morning and it makes me feel unproductive.

BUT —

ICT affects me in a way that it nurtures me as a person. It’s like the ICT was preventing the flower to die because of thirst — thirst in the knowledge and technological skills. ICT is an instrument not only in helping an indivual but also for the whole nation because ICT helps to reconnect and unite people around the world and that’s a good thing because people don't mind the language barrier and no man is an island.

Information and Communication Technology affects our daily life without even noticing it. In a simple things like texting, chatting, online gaming and etc. But as a member of growing society, we should be wise, careful, and responsible in using technology because every action we made is equivalent to a consequence. Be wise in choosing a medium, be careful in using a medium and be a responsible user of ICT. Always remember, “What goes around, comes around.”

These are how ICT affects my daily life.

In a world that is full of technology, be

Competent in order to be a

Triumph. — Cruz, 2019

Thanks for reading! Until my next blog! :)

Ps: sorry for the grammatical errors. Credits are given to the rightful owners of the photos that were used in this blog.

[bentonpena]

A glimpse into the subculture of e-girls and e-boys, the teen gamers who are the radical antithesis of the Instagram influencer

A glimpse into the subculture of e-girls and e-boys, the teen gamers who are the radical antithesis of the Instagram influencer http://bit.ly/2ouaCgE

TikTok has produced a number of viral trends and memes over the past year, and that includes the rise of the e-girl and e-boy.

E-girls and e-boys are the newest community emerging from the ever-online Gen Z: Teens who shirk the mainstream, manicured Instagram aesthetic for a grungy vibe and a love of video games.

Here's what you should know about the subculture of e-girls and e-boys that have emerged on social media in the wake of the era of influencers.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The perfected Instagrammable influencer has met her match: the TikTok e-girl.

The e-girl's emergence this year has corresponded with the rise of TikTok, the short-form video app Generation Z turns to for its latest viral memes and internet entertainment. Thousands of TikTok videos tagged with #egirl show girls with thick eyeliner and dyed hair and guys in beanies wearing belt chains — teens who have embraced an aesthetic separate from the VSCO girls and hipsters sporting Supreme and streetwear.

The e-girl (and e-boy) are just the latest iteration of mainstream counterculture, similar to the emo and scene kids who posted grainy pictures on Tumblr in the 1990s and early 2000s. These e-teens live on the internet and are fluent in the latest video games, and their goal is to push the boundaries, in spite of what parents and older generations may think.

Here's everything you need to know about the e-girl, Gen Z's radical antithesis of the Instagram influencer:

SEE ALSO: Caroline Calloway's story is a Fyre Festival-like drama playing out in real time, and we can't stop paying attention to see how far it goes

The e-girl is, simply, the modern-day scene girl: Both were created as a counterculture to the mainstream aesthetic and standards of beauty. They are tuned into video games, as well as in internet slang on Discord and YouTube.

The basic look of the e-girl and e-boy can be broken down with this starter pack, a group of typical items these teens are frequently found with or associated with.

An e-girl or e-boy is commonly sporting:

Dyed hair: Frequently, hair is dyed 50-50 between two colors. Sometimes, in pigtails.

Heavy black eyeliner: Dark, thick, winged eyeliner, and sometimes also applied right below each eye to make tiny shapes or icons.

Pink blush on nose and cheeks, and maybe some intense highlighter.

Jewelry: Septum or another facial piercing, and an O-ring collar or chain necklace.

Part anime-, part goth-inspired clothing: Long layered shirts (perhaps a band t-shirt over a striped long sleeve) or a crop top, belt-loop chains, and A-line skirts or high-waisted cargo pants.

Sad, moody music: Think Billie Eilish, or Twenty One Pilots

The term "e-girl" started off as a derogatory term, used by men to objectify women who they saw as simply looking for male attention online. The first entry of "egirl" on slang-tracking website Urban Dictionary is from June 2009, and it paints a stark picture compared to what e-girl has come to mean in 2019.

Another Urban Dictionary user-submitted definition of e-girl from 2014 referred to her as an "internet slut" who flirts with guys online for attention. Some may point toward notable Instagram stars like Belle Delphine — who capitalized on the "thirsty gamer boys" willing to pay $30 for a bottle of her bathwater — as a symbol of the first wave of the e-girl.

However, a new type and definition of e-girl has risen just this year.

E-girls got a lot more attention this summer after the murder of Bianca Devins, a 17-year-old teen who was allegedly killed by a man she knew from Instagram and Discord. Much attention was put on Devins' online life as part of the e-girl community, where other teens have shared that they're regularly harassed, threatened, and scared they could be stalked or doxxed in real life.

Source: Vice

E-girls have risen into the mainstream in 2019 thanks to TikTok, the short-form video app known as a launching pad for Gen Z's favorite memes and viral trends. On TikTok, videos tagged with #egirl have more than 1.4 billion views. E-girls and e-boys have established themselves with hundreds of thousands of followers, while others have capitalized solely on parodying the e-girl aesthetic.

Some have attributed the roots of the e-girl to Tumblr, where a sad and moody aesthetic for the sad and moody teens reigned supreme in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Both eras are defined by teens spending time alone in their rooms, from which a lot of their content is created.

Source: Vox

The e-girl aesthetic draws from characteristics of anime, where female characters are often skimpily dressed and fetishized as innocent, helpless victims. One TikToker referred to this as the "I'm Baby" quality in a story for Vox.

If you're not familiar with the "I'm Baby" phrase, it's a popular line used in memes across the internet to be used by someone who's incapable or in need of help, or a reason for being unable to get something done. 

Source: Vox

The terms e-girl and e-boy aren't necessarily used as gender-specific terms. Instead, they're used to refer to two different type of aesthetics: While the e-boy is a vulnerable"softboi" and embraces skate culture, the e-girl is cute and seemingly innocent.

Source: Vice

Accordingly, the e-girl concept has spurred its own parodies and memes. You'll find teens in TikToks entering "e-girl factories" or drinking "e-girl juice," which magically transforms them into a stereotypical e-girl.

Ultimately, the e-girl and the e-boy are the anti-influencers. "Scene girls and emo girls were a counter to the preppy, Juicy Couture look of the era (see: Paris Hilton) the way egirls may be a counter to the polished, Facetuned Instagram influencer," BuzzFeed wrote about e-girls in February.

Source: BuzzFeed News

There's probably no coincidence that e-girls have risen in popularity hand-in-hand with the VSCO girl, the ultra-hipster, ocean-loving teen who found her home on a photo-editing, aesthetic-building app. Where the VSCO girl may be bright and bubbly, the e-girl is quiet and moody.

Tech via SAI http://bit.ly/2ZZpEbV October 1, 2019 at 03:52PM