EDITORIAL PLAYLIST

the themes that the concept-EP tries to explore.

“[The project] is about the dissonance between your real life and what your fans view, like the perception they have on the internet… Most of our fanbase is on the internet.”

The band has seen great international success, landing top spots on coveted Spotify playlists such as “Fresh finds”,

“Hyperpop” and “Lorem.” With a majority of their fanbase residing in the United States, the band is still finding their feet among local audiences, explained the band’s producer/ DJ mastermind, Neese.

“Hundreds of thousands of people fuck with us online, but in real life there wasn’t that [same] feeling.”

Griggs, the band’s lead guitarist explained what type of music listeners can expect from the band in the future.

“I think the attitude that hip hop music sort of has… we want to bring that attitude to the songs that we make in the future rather than a very clean, poppy vibe.”

Not many South African artists are doing it like Internet Girl. With their cuttingedge music production and ability to deliver a stellar live performance, it truly seems as though this local band is on the forefront of the ever-changing music landscape. Follow Internet Girl on Instagram @internetgirlmusic and stream their new EP using the Spotify QR code below.

MOUTON & TIAAN BOOYENS

Hendrik Visser, a fourth year BEng (Mechanical Engineering) student and avid nature lover, doesn’t carry around a smartphone. In fact, he doesn’t have one. Other than answering WhatsApp messages on his laptop occasionally, neither does he have any social media profiles.

“I feel like I want to live a quality life without a smartphone,” said Visser explaining how it can feel more rewarding experiencing life without being dependent on your phone.

“I appreciate it so much more,” he said about navigating life on his own.

Visser, with his “doodgewone Nokia”, forms part of a globally-felt phenomenon where young people are deciding to ditch their phones to be more present. The New York Times recently reported on the Brooklyn based Luddite Club, a group of teens “promoting a lifestyle of self-liberation from social media and technology”. It’s proof that young people, like

Maties students, are growing more aware of, and averse to screen fatigue.

Hours of scrolling, whether it’s on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter or Reddit, has been proven to be not only detrimental to the mental health of social media users, but also impacts their attention span and information retention. Simply put, being chronically online is unnatural and distorts our perception of reality. The vicious virtual cycle begins and ends with “hot takes” stitched to “hot takes” and offensive comments hurled into the abyss of comment sections populated by bots. There’s Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling” to explain this seemingly inescapable brainrot.

Colloquially referred to as “doom scrolling”, which also includes spending hours consuming news content, this modern phenomenon of being plugged in and online

24/7 is certainly a sign of the times. Users online often comment “touch grass” or “go outside” in response to content creators or other users who come across as out of touch, caught in an echo chamber or a false, self-imposed narrative.

“I’d say definitely give it a try, even if it is only for a week,” said Visser when asked if he would suggest going sans smartphone. “Make your own decision, but I would definitely recommend it.”