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picking a STEM major instead of a liberal arts major. Despite the growing numbers of STEM graduates and jobs, they remain the highest-paying majors.
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Because of the rise of AI and technological advancements, the demand for tech workers continues to surge. Jobs such as cybersecurity analysts and software developers are projected to increase by at least 25% between 2021 and 2031, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both earn an average salary of at least $100,000.
“I think a lot of people are choosing STEM majors because they make more [money],” senior Breanna Pettway-Mobley said. “It’s a good field to go into since so many jobs related [to STEM] are opening up.”
Asset, occupations involving architecture and engineering are the second fastestgrowing STEM jobs, being that occupations involving computer and mathematics are the fastest-growing within the STEM workforce.
“Since everything is technology-based now, it’s not hard to find a job based in STEM,” UNF student Emily Truong said. “And because of that, I think lots of people want to major in [a] STEM [field]. Plus, the pay is good.”
Those earning more than $80,000 tend to have STEM degrees, according to Inside Higher Ed. Furthermore, the increase in STEM jobs is expected to outgrow nonSTEM jobs in the upcoming years making those in the STEM field more likely to find a job with a high-paying salary.
With over 9,000 entries nationwide, and only 151 winners with distinction, this year’s Young Arts Week award program was as competitive as ever. This didn’t stop IB senior Noel Etheridge, however, from earning recognition as one of only two students in the state of Florida to win an award with distinction, surpassing her competition with her passion and talent as a rising young creative designer.
Although she can rest easy in her recognition as one of the extremely talented and dedicated individuals to receive an award for distinction in design, the designer was initially nervous about entering a portfolio
“Entering into this competition, I knew that the number of portfolios I had to compete with would be dense. In 2023 alone, there were over 7,000 entries with only around 130 winners with distinction idge said. “I still wanted to give the competition a shot.”
Etheridge’s confidence was well rewarded, as an entry for photography earned the artist a $250 cash prize. The most notable achievement for Etheridge, however, was her recognition for design with distinction, which
included an all-expenses paid trip to Miami, Florida for a week, during which Etheridge was able to experience life-changing interactions with peers ranging in talent from multiple artistic disciplines. For the discipline “design”, in which she was awarded, Etheridge worked closely with members of the panel that ultimately decided to accept participants in the YoungArts Week program based on their submitted portfolios.
rative practice 'Yeju and Chat', and Yvonne Lin, a product designer who worked for numerous major companies like Nike, Gatorade, and Harley Davidson.
In addition to working with the panelists at the weeklong experience, Etheridge was also introduced to multiple guest artists and experts in a variety of design aspects in workshops, some of which introduced unconventional tools and methods used by designers with which she and her peers experimented.
various arts disciplines when outside of
I got to attend the nightly performances of my peers who were in performing arts and connect with many different people during scheduled eating Etheridge comments. “The connections I made during this experience were nothing I've ever encountered before, such incredibly talented individuals that I got to interact and become friends with. I am truly honored to call myself a YoungArts alum, such an incredible place to be, I really couldn't have asked
After such a monumental achievement for a young artist, one can’t help but wonder what the next steps look like as a young arts alum. For Etheridge, the Savannah College of Art and Design awaits as the
“Prior to [one] workshop, I was extremely skeptical of AI's place in the art community, and though I still have my concerns on the matter, I enjoyed working closely with this artist to gain a new perspective that I had never thought of before”, Etheridge recalls after a workshop using AI to generate collages.
Etheridge was also able to gain insight into how inclusivity can be applied to design in workshops that aimed to expand the boundaries of accessible fashionwear to consumers, particularly plus-sized clothing. “The workshop was both difficult yet an amazing learning experience for me as a designer.”
As for her experience outside of the more production-focused periods of the YoungArts Week, Etheridge was also able to collaborate with like-minded artists from
creator looks to draw on her own views of representation and artistry into her craft as she enters the next stage of her life and career as a soon-to-be high school graduate. As for the future, Etheridge wishes to impart some wisdom and words of encouragement to other aspiring artists.
“YoungArts was one of the most profound, eye-opening artistic experiences I’ve ever got to participate in. I am so thankful that I was invited to experience a week that I will truly never forget. The clarity I’ve gotten from that week was truly eye-opening, and it gave me the confidence I needed to claim my art as a part of myself. If anyone is truly passionate and serious about art, I highly encourage them to apply for YoungArts, I honestly couldn’t say it enough.”
In an unprecedented victory, the Paxon girls basketball team clinched the Gateway Conference Championship title this year, marking a defining moment in school history with a 68 Atlantic Coast Stingrays.
Senior athletes Ansley Hicks and Kennedy Waymer stood out as the evening's high scorers, each securing 18 points.
“It feels good knowing that we were able to make a difference on how people view girls' basketball at Paxon, expressed, highlighting the game's impact on the school's sports culture.
The team's journey to the top was fueled by consistent effort and guidance from coaches Rod Carter, Anthony Rogers, and Gail Wiley.
“When I first came over here, I always felt like I was going to do it, reflecting on the season's successful outcome.
The victory was a collective effort with notable performances from players across different years. Freshman Caelyn Carter added 8 points, and sophomore Reese Holman contributed 10 points to
Coach Rod Carter, leading Paxon to its first significant title in only his fourth season, has been a driving force behind the team's relentless
I was keeping the end goal in mind because me and Kennedy really wanted a Gateway Conference championship,” Hicks said, encapsulating the ambition and determination that led to their success.
With this win, the Golden Eagles have not only made school history but have also set a new standard for future teams to aspire to. The season may be over, but the echoes of this triumph will inspire Paxon athletes for years to come.
Many people go to the mall to replenish their cosmetics, whether that is to purchase low-end products or high ones, many of which influencers on social media claim they cannot live without. However, buying what is seen on the Internet may be more difficult than ever nowadays. After a surge of influenced children began raiding makeup stores, people started asking if parenting styles are responsible for their children’s actions? The primary focus of these children’s purchases are brands that revolve around skincare and luxury, which are not at all products that are necessary for a 10-year-old’s routine. Instead, they should cherish their childhood. What will it take to “de-influence” children who are glued to and getting influenced by their electronic devices?
Recently, there have been several reports from users on apps, such as TikTok and Instagram, complaining about how children are making up most of the customers at stores like Sephora and Ulta. This concerns viewers, who reminisce on their experiences being kids. Memories of playing with toys and going outside come to mind, but this new generation seems to be growing up way too fast, mentally at least.
This is not the only issue though. These children are also reported to display vulgar manners and physical behavior towards other customers and employees when they are not successful in retrieving a specific product.
Should these kids be held accountable for their untamed actions? It should also be considered that parents are a major contributor to their children’s behavior. Certain parenting styles may work better than others, but an interest in “gentle parenting” has increased. Gentle parenting is a parenting style that is based on empathy, understanding, and respect.
“The idea is to be more like a coach for your kid rather than a punisher,” pediatrician Karen Estrella, MD claimed.
The main goal of using gentle parenting to raise children is to develop independence, confidence, and happiness, so their future will hopefully be bright and successful. It is heavily emphasized that parents should have an encouraging, yet firm tone when communicating with their children. However, parents can be more lenient when their kids are misbehaving.
"There's the potential for parents to be too permissive and not set appropriate boundaries and expectations for behavior. Additional potential problems include indulging a child’s emotions and behavior without guiding and teaching," psychologist and the Parent Footprint podcast host Dan Peters, PhD said.
The technique of gentle parenting has also become considerably widespread, especially on TikTok, where #gentleparenting has about 2.8 billion views. It is often seen that millennials prefer this parenting style over others, with 3 in 4 parents practicing gentle parenting. It is more likely that their children make up the majority of Generation Alpha or Gen Alpha.
As a result of gentle parenting being used on mainly Gen Alpha children, the consequences of negative actions may not be apparent to the child, and not properly established by the parent.
Perhaps this can explain the phenomenon seen at makeup stores.
"It's not the fact that they're little girls in Sephora because makeup is subjective, there's no age limit to it,” Sephora employee Sequoia Cothran told Fox News Digital. “It's more about what these girls are reaching for when they're in these stores. It's also the way that they're treating the workers within it. You see these kind of mean girl antics from these 10year-olds."
The products these children are reaching for include popular brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe, which are primarily skincare, and Rare Beauty, which is Selena Gomez’s makeup line. These high-end products are costly, yet some parents continue to enable their children to purchase them. Concerning the skincare products children are somehow accessing, they are not ideal for people their age, especially considering their ingredients.
The use of retinol, exfoliating acids, and multistep regimens are considered to be "way too harsh for their normal healthy skin,” dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy said.
"Social media filters have created unrealistic expectations of perfect poreless skin fueling sales of makeup to kids. Add to that a fear of aging modeled by influencers, parents and friends, and the desire for anti-aging skincare is born,” Jeffy added.
Ultimately, parents must teach their children proper manners, so they speak to strangers politely and do not resort to throwing a fit when left unsatisfied. Generation Alpha children have been conditioned to rely on electronic devices at way younger ages compared to previous generations of people, so instead of blaming them, hold the parents accountable. Remember who the authority figure is and provide appropriate guidance for the young people. It is okay to say no sometimes.
With changing perspectives about how younger generations are coming of age, the question of whether this generation is maturing too fast is becoming more and more common. And the answer to that is an resounding ‘yes’. The combination of exposure to the internet at a young age, marketing campaigns, and a world where technology is influencing parenting styles all seem to be incredibly common contributors to this accelerated maturity.
“The average parent allows their child a smartphone at age 10, opening up a world inaccessible to previous generations, with unlimited access to news, social media and other privileges previously reserved for adults, forcing them into emotional maturity before they reach adulthood,” BBC writer Katie Bishop said.
And this digitally fostered premature emotional maturity leads children into a process called “shaping”. When kids try to be more like the people older than them, they will mirror their older idols. And while these older people can be their parents, most likely this consistent stream of mature content will lead them to form obsessions over other adults, which could be based solely on aesthetics.
Technology is not the only thing leading many children to premature aging. Many online advertisers and marketers are increasingly targeting a new demographic: children. Children are naturally drawn to the stimulating, neon colors on many packages, which in an average grocery store have found a recent uptick.
Bright colors are a big reason a lot of kids want something, especially on TV,” sophomore William Lyle said.
Especially concerning is the advertising of certain items that contain substances only available to those 18 and older. These substances, while incredibly addictive, increase stress response. And when people live consistently with stress, wrinkles become more prominent. This leads many under 18 to have smile marks, forehead lines, and lip lines, visibly aging them.
“I see a lot of parenting YouTubers talking about their children needing to be mature,” sophomore Ava Mairs said. “A lot of the parent blogs look like they are disciplining their children as a display.”
On par with the rise of technology, many parents are taking advice from parenting vloggers on the internet. These content creators seem to know everything relating to children’s success, from academic discipline to how parents should be preparing their five-year-olds for early college. But one thing remains clear with these creators: children need to optimize their lives for the adult world. The punishments parents can take for temper tantrums are in the millions, but sometimes it is good to understand it is a normal part of childhood development. And when a lot of these parents take advice from bloggers, they end up applying practices that are not individual to their child. While so many parents might search for the right parenting style, the only one that will work is the one subjective to their children and their personality.
“I think that even though children look like they are growing up faster, all it comes down to [is] having to adapt a parenting style to the modern world,” Lyle said.
Kids of younger generations are not growing up any faster than others. Although it may seem that way due to their social media presence, other generations did not get to experience it. When investigating facts instead of opinions, it is easy to quickly see this is false.
Many socially acceptable events mark growing up. For example, finishing your education, getting your driver's license, and even romantic relationships. These are common events that parents and scientists look for to make sure you are advancing at a healthy rate, but as this age gets pushed back it raises questions. Is this generation growing slower?
“What we’re witnessing in popular media and on young people's social media profiles may better reflect their desires to grow up faster, than the material reality of growing up fast,” blogger Madison Huizinga said. “It’s clear that kids are growing up slower than they once did, pushing many of these “first” experiences into young adulthood.”
The new generation is growing up with technology and because of this, they are going to be more tech-savvy at a younger age than the previous generation. This results in them being viewed as if they are growing up faster.
“Technology may be exposing kids to more, making them intellectually savvier. Yet whether they are actually growing up more quickly may be a matter of perspective,” according to BBC writer Katie Bishop. “It may also be time to update what we think of as the milestones of maturation, and what it really means to grow up fast.”
Many young adults look up to their parents and try everything to mimic what they are doing. Kids are doing the same thing, but they have access to more role models. But isn't it the parent's responsibility to monitor who they idolize?
“As such, young girls’ obsessions with womanhood and young women’s obsessions with girlhood, while stark at present, aren’t so dissimilar to behaviors that past generations have exemplified,” Huizinga added. “All in all, what’s clearest to me is that girls are better off accepting the learning and support that comes with embracing the temporary state of girlhood, while women are better off wholly accepting the responsibility and independence that comes with being adults.
BySyrahRamrekarsingh
