Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: Consumerism

What is TikTok’s obsession with the Stanley Cup?
Opinion

What is TikTok’s obsession with the Stanley Cup?

The toxicity of overconsumption and trends on TikTok. Starbucks and Stanley have released a limited edition Valentines Day Cup that has people lining up outside of Targets from one in the morning to receive it. If you have not been on TikTok and seen the Stanley cup, then lucky you. But what is TikTok’s obsession with this cup and what does it say about the consumption of products in the rise of the social media age? Stanley was founded in 1913 by Willian Stanley Jr, who created the vacuum flask that was used for more than keeping influencers' Dr Pepper cold all day. Its early uses included being used by pilots in WWII, used on deep sea explorations and used in the cattle industry to transport bull semen. The Quencher bottle (that TikTok has come to refer more commonly as The Stanle...
Which? Report Criticises Universities for Unfair Changes
News

Which? Report Criticises Universities for Unfair Changes

The consumer group Which? has published a report revealing that students are routinely subjected to unfair changes to their university courses. These changes can occur after enrolment or even between years during a student’s degree. Which? found that 6 in 10 students have experienced course modifications such as changes to modules, location of teaching, or even their degree titles. Even more worryingly, 12% of us students are said to have experienced an increase in tuition fees either part-way through an academic year or between years. As students can now be charged up to £9,000 per year, this has led to claims that the higher education system is turning into a consumer market. Which? asserts that many of the London universities are guilty of unfair course changes (thankfully the report...