Very demure word of the year 2024
The last week of November always tends to be chaotic. With Black Friday at the end of it, people celebrate Thanksgiving already rushing their thoughts towards the start of December. The busiest shopping period in the whole year begins now. If you are only figuring out what to buy for Christmas gifts now, you are already late.
To wrap up the year 2024, Dictionary.com chose the official word of the year. Not very unexpectedly, it turned out to be “demure”. By definition, demure means reserved, modest. The term has taken over TikTok due to the popularity of the trend initiated by Jools Lebron. She posted a video about looking respectful and presentable at her workplace, describing her makeup as “very demure, very mindful”.
The sound was reposted by the users of TikTok, Instagram, and X so often that demure eventually found its way into our daily conversations. Other celebrities and influencers also became victims of this trend – Jennifer Lopez or RuPaul used “very demure, very mindful” in their Instagram post captions to advertise their newest initiatives.
Jools Lebron, a transgender influencer, admitted that the fame that came from her videos helped her fund the rest of the transition.
Social media banned in Australia
On the other side of the world, in Australia, new regulations has been approved. Named “the world’s strictest laws” by BBC, the parliament banned children under 16 from using social media. It is said to be protecting kids from using apps such as Instagram, TikTok or X (although not confirmed yet) and the dangers that come from their use. The fact that social media can harm our perceptions of reality, be a platform for bullying, or create unhealthy standards is known for long. However, is banning people from using the platforms the right way to cope?
Australian parliament agreed on allowing the use of messaging and gaming platforms, and any sites accessible without an account. Despite possibility to avoid the ban by, for instance, logging though VPN – a tool that changes the location of the user, parents seem to be content with this new regulations. The question remains: will teens abide by the new rules, or will the new law force teens to bypass the obstacles in accessing their favorite media? The government will enforce first trails in January. The fines for breaking the new law are said to be implemented within a year.
Europe has also taken care of the youth’s usage of social media by creating similar rules. In Germany, France, or Italy, parental consent is needed for teens to use certain platforms.
A short feast of Thanksgiving thoughts
The annual holiday celebrated on the forth Thursday of November brings people together in moments of gratitude. Established and held in the United States since 1863, Thanksgiving Day not only invites us to share the turkey meal together, or our thoughts and thanks for the ending year, but also neglects the oppression and destruction of the indigenous people who lived in North America before the European settlement.
In order to switch the narrative around this celebration, some states introduced the American Indian Heritage Day. It falls around this time of the year in many states - for example, Maryland recognizes it as a state holiday and closes schools, libraries, and other state agencies on 29 Nov. This encourages people to educate themselves and their children about the history, traditions, and cultures of Native Americans.
Despite the controversy surrounding Thanksgiving Day, let’s not forget the main spirit of this holiday and keep finding things that we are thankful for, even the smallest ones. Whether you celebrated with your friends and family, or not, it is important to remind ourselves of our small and big successes.
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