TikTok star Charli D’Amelio collaborated with Dunkin’ Donuts to launch “The Charli” drink in September 2020. Charli, notorious for sipping on Dunkin’ while dancing on TikTok, promoted its release to her 85.8 million followers. Charli’s Gen Z fans were eager to try her favorite drink. Within a month Charli’s promotional videos collectively garnered over 294 million… Read more →
Category: Undergraduate Writing Series
Diversity in Children’s TV for Better Children’s Mental Health
I have a vivid memory of being in kindergarten and being called Dora, the name of the titular character from the children’s show Dora the Explorer. I was a chubby Mexican child, and those comparisons increased when I cut my hair to shoulder length, which only made me look even more like her. I couldn’t tell… Read more →
The Sixteen Year Gap: Women in Medical Trials and the Side Effects Today
Historically, women have been excluded from clinical trials creating a gender gap in pharmacology. This means that medication is geared towards men, benefiting men’s health more than women’s. After the thalidomide crisis, US laws excluded many women from drug trials for medications that were ostensibly for all adults until 1993. Despite legal changes, the issue… Read more →
Guilt-Free: Naturopathy and the Moralization of Food
While attempting to sustain the newest fad diet, appearance-conscious American consumers often attempt to satisfy their deprivation-induced cravings by turning to protein bars, sugar-free cookies, and low-carb breads. As they scan through the health food aisle at their supermarket, they notice an array of brownies, chips, and other products that would normally be off-limits to… Read more →
Caring for the Past and Present Patient: The Need for Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Adolescents
COVID-19 has produced fear, social strain, and mental health deterioration across the globe. The indelible marks left by the pandemic on society will furthermore impact younger generations long after this pandemic is deemed “over.” The long-term impact of the pandemic has led researchers to assess its traumatic effects. Trauma in a broader sense can be… Read more →
The Rise of ADHD
Are you easily distracted? Forget where you left your phone or your keys? Do you struggle with time management or organization? Not really as “detail-oriented” as your resume suggests? Do your friends tell you that it doesn’t really seem like you’re listening to them when they’re speaking? Has this been going on longer than six… Read more →
Bonding the Racial Gap in Oral Health and Care
The American healthcare system has long impacted people of color disproportionately, providing them with second-rate care that, in itself, is difficult to access. An area of healthcare that is often neglected where these disparities have existed for decades is dental care. This has contributed to prominent racial disparities in oral health that can begin early… Read more →
A Year of Personal Growth: My First Year with Hearing Loss
Growth is not always linear. My onset of unilateral idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss (also known as sudden, one-sided inner-ear hearing loss) has reminded me constantly about this. At times, this condition has forced me to pause and take a break. I have gained a disability, but I have also acquired a new identity – one… Read more →
15 Seconds to Illness: How TikTok is Contributing to an Eating Disorder Epidemic
Today, the idea that social media has a great effect on mental health is hardly a revelation. As more individuals join these social networks and harmful content becomes easier and easier to disguise, the number of affected children and teens continues to grow. In particular, new social media networks such as TikTok have contributed to… Read more →
The Case for Full Bodily Autonomy in Adolescent Reproductive Health Care
Are adolescents mature enough to make their own decisions when it comes to their medical care? If so, should those decisions be kept confidential from the adolescent’s parents or guardians? When it comes to answering this question, the lines are blurred. Thus far, public policy in the United States says both yes and no, with… Read more →