Storytime

Most people are familiar with the saying, “It’s not goodbye. It's ‘see you later’.” Although I may have utilized that angle while parting from my college friends, I had a much more contrasting reaction when saying goodbye to the physical location of Old Town Orange. I lived in the heart of Orange for the past four years. What brought me there was my enrollment in Chapman University, a school that is a hidden gem. I distinctly remember the first time I flew out to tour the campus. Although I was invested in absorbing information about the school and admissions, and all that jazz, what sold me on wanting to move there was the simply adorable, humble, and subtle town that Chapman calls home.

In no way is this an attempt to gain attention or virtue signal. I just have some strong convictions about social media (Instagram in particular) that I want to document. I’m sure many would agree that a lot of growth occurs in your teens and early 20s. And us Gen-Z-ers have been given the involuntary responsibility to define social norms on these brand-new websites. As early adopters, we may not have thought ahead about certain aspects to prevent negative repercussions. Many trends are now so ingrained that they may be nearly impossible to reverse.

It’s been roughly ten years since I had my own library card. But I did, for a short time. I vividly remember going to the Scottsdale Public Library with my mom and brother after school to get new SSR books. Although I routinely darted to the section that housed the “Diary of A Wimpy Kid” books, I loved the library as a whole. There was something pleasant about going from the loud, chaotic playground at recess to one of the quietest and serene places we know of, which is intended for maximizing focus. Libraries have always been underrated, and now they’re virtually extinct due to online bookstores and e-book popularity.

Let me tell you a story about how someone stole my $2,500 Macbook Pro last year. This was my first run-in with a digital cyberthreat. A year later, I’ve still been unable to retrieve it, and the FBI Internet Crime sector has failed to assist the case. To start from the beginning, I grew up selling a lot of electronic devices on eBay. I got really good at it, and my friends/family always sought to me for selling their used goods. Due to this semi-proficiency, I continued to utilize the platform because I had never encountered any game-changing issues. Well, clearly, I jinxed myself...