FOMO, or ‘Fear of Missing Out’, is very much a prevalent phenomenon within our social, digitalised, high-schooler age group, and is defined as the ‘anxiety felt by an individual when it seems that others are having rewarding experiences without us’. It’s becoming more and more challenging to be able to be autonomous in your activities, without being influenced, directly or indirectly, by peer pressure, our environment, and the media; however, is this socially orientated lifestyle forcing us into the wrong kinds of habits and putting our health (physical and mental) at risk?

I think everyone who attended Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock’s talk at WHS on Wednesday can agree that it was extremely informative and inspiring… so let’s delve a bit deeper into the key components and messages of the night. In an interview by The Royal Society, Maggie describes how people often ask her: “You’re a black dyslexic kid from a broken home in London. How come you’re so interested in space?” Maggie’s response to this was, “although dyslexia makes reading and writing quite hard, now I see it as my superpower because dyslexia makes me think of things differently”.

Since the 1960s, Angela Davis has been a prominent figure in black liberation movements. She has focused specifically on the intersectional oppression certain sectors of society face under the white heteronormative patriarchy we continue to exist under. Her 1981 book ‘Women, Race & Class’ highlights how black women have been marginalised in history between the black emancipation and suffrage and women’s suffrage movements. Davis has remained a hugely eminent presence when considering current socio-political environments, being included on the Time’s 100 Most Influential People list 2020. This demonstrates that her initial ideas and grievances are as relevant now as when they were first written.

Girls’ schools often pride themselves on being a progressive, innovative hub for the empowerment and education of girls across the UK. You need not look further than our very own GDST. Founded in 1872 by four pioneering women, it has stood the test of time and continues to expand and change lives. The GDST also prides itself on being ‘Girls First’, aiming to uplift girls and young women academically, emotionally, and socially. This role is more essential than ever in creating a society of young women who are instilled with the idea that they can succeed because of their gender, not in spite of it.

In the modern day and age, we are bombarded by advertising and influenced by marketing in everything we do. From watching a YouTube video, to visiting your local corner store, brands are constantly trying to sell you their products, and outcompete other potential businesses for your attention, through the positioning of items, their packaging, and the ways those are promoted in the media. Overwhelming, right?