TAG 2021

TAG2021 DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY STUDENTS AT EAST SUSSEX COLLEGE, EASTBOURNE - UAL EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY

LIVE LOUNGE BULLYING SO YOU WANT TO CREATE A PODCAST?

ASK AUNTIE

BLACK LIVES MATTER

SELF WORTH

RAG'N'

BONE

MAN INTERVIEW

CONSENT CLIMATE COUNTDOWN

CULTURE

COLLISION

WISHFUL THINKING

LOCKED DOWN, LOCKED OUT B

TAG20 2

WISHFUL THINKING

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FASHION AND ANDROGYNY

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LOCK DOWN, LOCKED OUT

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HELP YOURSELF

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CLOSET LIFE

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HOOKUP CULTURE

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NEXT GEN GAMERS

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ASK AUNTIE

9 TIKTOK

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CLIMATE COUNTDOWN

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COUNT TO FIVE...

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LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT

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HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

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SEXTING: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

14 CONSENT

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BLACK LIVES MATTER

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YOUR FIRST TIME

35 CATFISHING

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LISTEN UP!

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CULTURE COLLISION

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EVERYDAY SEXISM

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BACK TO NORMALITY

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LIVE LOUNGE

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MOOD MUSIC

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NOVEL IDEAS: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

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I’M ONLY HUMAN, AFTER ALL

38 BULLYING

Do you want your business to be seen by 20,000 young people across Sussex?

Advertise in Tag 2022, contact: saffron.swansborough@escg.ac.uk

Team Tag Design: Holly Martin, Damien Fox Photography: Oscar Tarbrox

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T

he Tag design and production team has faced a few more challenges than usual to

bring you our current issue. At the start of the project last autumn we rose to the occasion, overcoming the constraints of remote working in lockdown, organising socially distanced photoshoots to keep our families and colleagues safe and finally getting together as a team at the end of this summer term to get it ready for publication.

We hope you will enjoy this year’s edition of Tag as much as we enjoyed creating it.

JOURNALISM

MEET THE TEAM

OSCAR TARBOX Photography

DAMIEN FOX Lead – design

LUKE HEARNE-BROWN Lead – project management

LIV KELLY Journalism

Sky April Jessica Burchell Georgina Byrne Faye Cole Amy Critchfield Jacob Cullip Jenny Entwistle Harry Ewart Hewa Jafar Liv Kelly Megan Kenward Miguel Nobrega Caelin Pearson Jack Rumsey Shazzida Siddika Lewis Simpson Elliot Tompsett

DESIGN

Sky April Jessica Browne Joao Fernandes Damien Fox Luke Hearne-Brown Curtis Kenwright Declan Knevett Holly Martin Jessica Scrivener William Shadwell

ELLIS BURGESS Marketing

CURTIS KENWRIGHT Graphic design

DECLAN KNEVETT Graphic design

JACOB CULLIP Journalism

MARKETING

Lilly Britten Ellis Burgess William Cann Jack Crick Tyler Hurdle Adrian Kosobucki Jack Rumsey Adam Sandalls James Shilling Dylan Wild Jay Wissam

PHOTOGRAPHY HOLLY MARTIN Graphic design

JESS SCRIVENER Graphic design

SKYE ALKSARIS Journalism

JAY WISSAM Marketing

Cody Bradley Zachary Jensen Emily Shen Oscar Tarbox

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WISHFUL THINKING

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anifestation is bringing something into your life - from motivation and drive, to money and other objects - through your own willpower and belief. A lot of people have heard of the term manifesting but they don’t actually know what it is and how to do it. Tag ‘21 is here to tell you how to get into it!

A few steps need to take place to enable you to manifest something.

Firstly, you need to understand exactly what it is you want and then focus on it.

Secondly, you have to ask the Universe. This is commonly done by speaking aloud what you want over a period of time, once a day. Thirdly, and this is important, you do still need to work

towards your goal. The Universe can only help you if you help yourself and you need to show willingness to get what you desire. Trusting the process is a huge part of manifestation!

You need to believe wholeheartedly that it will work and even if it takes a while, do not doubt it. Finally, receive and be grateful for what you are given, even if it is just a small step in the right direction.

In 2020, BBC Three talked about the impact manifesting has had on social media.

On the popular app TikTok, #manifesting has had an astounding 334 million views and #manifestation was seen by an incredible 4.3 billion people. They also talked about a user called Alanis who made a video on manifesting.

Alanis talked about some of the things you can

manifest about, for example, “You’re going to be rich” and “Your ex will never get over you”. Her video received hundreds of comments and 259K likes. This shows that manifesting is moving into the public consciousness and is particularly popular among TikTok users.

Although it seems unbelievable, a lot of well-respected successful people do believe in this process, such as Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. In an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Jim Carrey talks about how he used manifestation and the law of attraction to jump-start his acting career and earn $20 million per movie.

Tag ’21 has been speaking to students at East Sussex Coast College students, Declan Knevett and Curtis Kenwright, about their knowledge of manifesting. Declan (18) said, “No, I haven’t heard of manifesting before. It is something I have not

investigated.

I am not sure if I would ever do it in the future as I would not know what I would choose to manifest.”

Curtis (17) also told us, “I have not come across manifesting before but I would like to do it in the future, and I would like to manifest future adventures for my life.”

However, there is no scientific proof that manifesting really works.

You might be hoping to pass your exams with flying colours, waiting for the perfect partner to spend the rest of your life with, or imagining your boss giving you that pay rise. Setting yourself goals and working towards them is always a good idea. It is actually down to you to make progress. Remember “it’s all about you” as McFly told us.

WHAT YOU THINK IS WHAT YOU CAN BECOME Jess Burchell Design: Damien Fox Photography: Oscar Tarbrox 2

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LOCKED DOWN, LOCKED OUT MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

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his has without doubt been one of the most challenging years in everyone’s lives, across the whole world. The Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted our education, social lives and in many cases our mental health.

Why have mental health issues had such a significant impact among our age group? We will explore this as we look back at the impact of the pandemic.

Over the three Lockdowns, the charity Place2be said many of our age group suffered with mental health issues during the pandemic. Place2be conducted research and found out that

HOW WE LIVED DURING THE LOCKDOWNS: • COULD ONLY GO OUT ONCE A DAY • ONE FORM OF EXERCISE A DAY • NO MEETING FAMILY MEMBERS OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD • PUBS AND RESTAURANTS CLOSED • ONLY MAJOR STORES LIKE SUPERMARKETS OPEN • NO PUBLIC GATHERINGS • YOU COULD ONLY MEET WITH YOUR FAMILY BUBBLE • WORK AT HOME (UNLESS YOU CAN’T, OR YOU WERE A KEY WORKER) • STUDENTS MUST WORK FROM HOME (UNLESS THEIR PARENT WAS A KEY WORKER)

most teenagers suffered with loneliness (55%), worries about school work (48%) and family issues (42%). This could have a significant impact on our generation and potentially could make us the worst affected group of people after the pandemic has ended.

Here at Tag ‘21, we conducted our own research to see how you coped during the pandemic. We found out that over half of you said your Lockdown was good while others said you didn’t cope well with the restrictions.

We also asked what helped you. The results came back overwhelmingly positive about listening to music, but you were split when we asked you about exercise as the results came back 50-50.

We asked East Sussex Coast College students how they felt and how they coped with the restrictions. Emily Browne (18) told Tag ‘21, “During Lockdown my mental health wasn’t that great; at the beginning I was very anxious. The way I coped with Lockdown was finding things to do in the house so I [wouldn’t] get bored so my mental state [stayed] positive.”

Brendon Cooper (17) told us, “My mental health has taken a huge dip over the past year as I have not been able to see any of my friends [or] do the dayto-day activities I enjoyed doing before the pandemic. It has been mentally challenging.”

ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO FOR A GREAT MINDSET Tag ‘21 are going to talk through some ideas we have to stay motivated and remain positive during these difficult times.

The first thing we suggest is starting a new hobby, by doing so will help with motivation and keeping yourself busy. This could include learning a new instrument such as a keyboard or guitar, or learning new editing skills on a computer to make fun videos on Adobe Premiere Pro. Another idea is some physical activities, such as going out for a run or other forms of exercise. Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but benefits your mental health as well. Many of us at Tag ‘21 listen to music to keep ourselves motivated when exercising or doing work. Reading is another idea, it will improve your writing and vocabulary, as well as keeping your brain busy. By reading books you can use your imagination and build an emotional connection to the characters and story. A number of book series that we suggest are: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and The Lord Of The Rings.

Overall, it seems that the pandemic has not helped our generation, 14 and 15 year-olds have not seen their friends so they can’t meet up and engage in indoor or outdoor activities.

While 18 and 19 year olds can’t visit the pub and clubs with their friends to socialise. If you are feeling down and need someone to talk to about your mental health, try speaking to a trusted familly member or friend. We have provided links to charities below where you can talk about your struggles with your mental health.

Names have been changed.

• MUST WEAR FACEMASKS IN SHOPS • ONLY LEAVE YOUR HOME IF IT WAS VITAL

Jacob Cullip Design: Curtis Kenwright Photography: Oscar Tarbox

GET HELP HERE

www.samaritans.org www.mind.org.uk 5

CLOSET LIFE

DEBUNKING SOME ASSUMPTIONS

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ot everyone’s coming out experience is the same: just because something works for one person, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Tag ‘21 spoke to a 19-year-old to find out his advice on coming out.

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE READY TO COME OUT? ‘I don’t really know, to be fair. I knew that I was gay for a long time, probably since I was in primary school, so it wasn’t a big surprise. I guess I was in Year 9, I wanna say? So middle-of-secondary-school kind of time. That’s when I was like ‘Ok’. You’ve got to wait until you’re comfortable yourself in your own sexuality before telling anyone else, so you always want to make sure you know what you know, and that your feeling is valid and everything.

There are a lot of other outside forces, that were kind of...not pressuring me, but people constantly saying ‘Oh, you’re gay!

You’re gay!’ put a lot of pressure on me. I was like ‘Hmm...no’ but then I thought ‘you know what? Life would just be easier.’ So I was like ‘Yes’.

It was around about the same time that I came out to my parents. I never technically came out to my dad, he just kind of knew, and we just kind of [spoke] about it, but it wasn’t like ‘Oh hi Dad, yes, I’m gay by the way’, it just got brought up in conversation.

And that’s how it really is now. I can’t genuinely remember the last time I came out to someone, and was like ‘Oh yes, by

'DON'T FEEL PRESSURED

BY ANYONE' the way I’m gay’. I just bring it up like ‘Oh yeah, I was with this guy the other night’ and they’re like ‘ok cool so you’re gay’ and I’m like ‘yes’. So I don’t really come out as such anymore, because I don’t really give a **** what people think.’

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON YOU CHOSE TO COME OUT AS OPPOSE TO STAYING CLOSETED? ‘Yeah, so, I think it just makes life a bit easier, like when you are kind of open with your sexuality, people are still going to bully you and be hateful. That’s just human nature unfortunately, but I think it’s easier to deal with that when you are openly and 100% yourself.

I think that probably what aggravates people more than most things is people guessing and talking about it behind your back, because obviously you know what you know, but no one else really does, and so it’s people constantly talking about

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who they think you are, and I think that’s what annoys me and I think probably quite a few other people.

I think it’s just easier to deal with the hate when you are unashamably yourself, and you’re open with it, and then they’re like, ‘Omg you’re gay’ and you’re like ‘Yes? Everyone kind of knew that?’ It’s not a big issue, so yeah, I think that definitely spurred it on.

I mean, for me, it’s just so much easier being open and out rather than being closeted. Obviously I understand 100% the reasons why people stay closeted for such a long time, but I genuinely could not imagine still having to be closeted because it’s just like you’re putting on a show 24/7, obviously trying to be someone you’re not.

I know people say ‘Don’t make your sexuality your personality’, but I think if I wasn’t unashamedly gay, I don’t think I would be as funny, because a lot of my personality stems from gay culture. I also wouldn’t be able to have the same kind of personality that I do right now, because I wouldn’t be able to be openly expressing stuff from gay culture because it wouldn’t be ‘straight’ for me to do that. So I think it just lets you be 100% yourself, which is so much better, I couldn’t imagine trying to keep the act up like for as long as some people do, that’s just mental to me.’

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS OR ADVICE FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO COME OUT? ‘I would definitely say don’t rush into anything and don’t feel pressured by anyone; you’ve got to come out when you are ready to do it. There’s nothing wrong with waiting years to do it, if you’re not ready and comfortable, then don’t do it. My advice is, surround yourself with people that love you no matter what. You can definitely tell with certain people, if you’re with the kind of friends that make really homophobic jokes, same with racist jokes, they’re probably not the best people to be hanging out with.

If you’re thinking of coming out as gay, bi, pan, whatever, you need to surround yourself with people that are 100% supportive because then you know that they’re not gonna judge you for being you.

Luckily we now live in a day and age where

PHOTO: JAMES GOURLEY

so many more people are already out and others have the confidence to just come out and not have anybody judge them, and everyone’s just like ‘Ok’.

No one really cares anymore, and it’s definitely much more of an older generation kind of thing, because LGBTQ+ people weren’t as open as they are now.

You see LGBTQ+ storylines in TV, film, books a lot more than you ever did before, it’s a lot more mainstream, which is a brilliant step forward. Obviously you’ve just got to give it in your own time and never feel pressured or rushed to do it, you’ve got to only do it when you are 100% ready.

Don’t let anyone force you into [coming out], don’t do anything like that because you’re just gonna make yourself more miserable and then you’re gonna resent coming out. With family and parents, certain family members probably don’t need to know. Like, perhaps just your parents, and you can come out to them however you want, in your own time, but like, grandparents, you don’t need to be sitting down with them, having a full-on convo about it if you don’t want to, in my personal opinion. I’ve never really spoken to my grandparents about it, I never really had to, because, at the end of the day, my grandparents don’t need to know about my sexuality, like, it doesn’t affect them. When

you’ve been out for a long time, I don’t think you’re gonna care anymore.

Peronally, I couldn’t care what people think. I’ll just be like ‘Yes, ok, I’m gay. If you’ve got a problem with it, it’s your problem’. I’m not gonna be like ‘Omg ok, I’ll act straight around you’ I really couldn’t care, I’m gonna be who I am and if you don’t like it, then p*** off, quite frankly. I think that’s probably the best mindset to have: that you cannot expect everyone to be 100% accepting, because people won’t. But, you can’t get too hung up about it. If that’s the case, you just have to remove those negative people from your life, and then it’ll just make you a lot more comfortable, and make your life a lot easier.’

if those people are your own family, always remember that you have other ‘family’ who aren’t related. Friends are family, and the bonds are often just as strong with people you’ve just met.

OUT & PROUD If you’ve already come out, congratulations!

Your bravery, honesty and ability to put yourself in a potentially scary and vulnerable situation is admired and respected. While some people have very good coming out experiences, others aren’t so lucky. Even if you didn’t have a good experience, either through a lack of acceptance, or doing so before you were ready, it’s not the end of the world. While it hurts if people don’t accept you, especially

Jess Browne

Design: Jess Browne, Damien Fox Photography: Oscar Tarbox

LGBTQ+ SUPPORT WEBSITES

www.theproudtrust.org www.stonewall.org.uk www.comingout.space

24/7 LGBTQ+ HELPLINE

03003300630 7

NEXT GEN GAMERS ARE YOU KEEPING UP? With new games being released constantly and the next-gen consoles on the shelves for millions of customers around the world, we here at Tag ‘21 are going to show you the games you should be looking out for right now whether you have a console or device. We will also take a look at the two Next Generation consoles (The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X) and explore the benefits of both machines. So, sit back on your gaming chairs, get your controllers in hand and join us for the latest games to watch out for as well as reading about the upgrading of the console war.

Nintendo announced that one of the most popular games on the previous Nintendo console, the Wii U, is remastered and coming to the Nintendo Switch in early spring 2021. This is Super Mario World 3D. It is a platform family game featuring Nintendo’s stand out characters, Mario and Luigi.

It’s up to the four heroes to save the Sprixie Kingdom as Mario’s evil nemesis Bowser has

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Jacob Cullip Design: Declan Knevett, Luke Hearne-Brown

kidnapped the Sprixie Princess.

The aim of the game is to save the kingdom and the princess while going through obstacles and unique levels. This is a four player game so you can play with your friends and family on your Switch console or with friends on Nintendo Switch online. We highly recommend this game as a must-pay of 2021.

Another game you should watch out for is Forza Motorsport. This is the newest instalment in the Motorsport franchise. For fans, this game will be simulation heavy and feature a dynamic track evolution system that will affect the grip of the race. So be prepared for the unexpected on that racetrack, racers! There will of course be many cars and tracks to race on as well. This game will be on PC and the new Xbox Series X only, and is expected to be release in late 2021.

WHICH CONSOLE SHOULD YOU BUY? The new Next Generation consoles are here: the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. With the release of these consoles, the age old question has re-emerged: which one is better? Let’s have a look at both of them and we

will tell you the advantages and disadvantages of each, so you don’t have to play them both yourself. Let’s start with PlayStation 5. With the PlayStation 5 you receive exclusive games such as the latest SpiderMan game, Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank and Grand Turismo 7. However, with the Xbox you receive games such as Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport and Football Manager 2021. Both consoles offer great game packages.

PlayStation offer great open world and adventure games, while Xbox provide great simulation sports games such as Forza and Football Manager.

These are great game packages but we suggest pick the one that will enhance and make your experience fun on that console.

Finally, let’s look at the all important prices between the two. Unbelievably, the consoles are in the same price range of £449 so there is no major difference.

YOUR VIEWS We conducted a survey here at Tag ‘21 and asked students which console they prefer and why they would choose it.

We also asked which console design looks better. Which console would you buy? The

results came back saying 80% would purchase the PS5 over the Xbox Series X. It looks like a lot of people prefer the PlayStation to the Xbox, which is similar to the battle between the PS4 and Xbox One. We asked, is it the games that are exclusive influencing you to buy that console? The response to this question was a unanimous 100% yes. Finally we asked, which console design looks better? This was a very close result as 60% said the Xbox has a better design while 40% prefer the PS5.

Remember, no matter what information we give you about consoles, it is up to you which one you should buy and enjoy your experience.

If you want more information about this article, follow Tag ‘21 on Instagram @tagmag21 and TikTok @ tagmag2021.

TIKTOK

IS IT RUINING SONGS AND ARTISTS' NAMES?

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ver the past year, TikTok has become a huge part of our lives. Many young individuals aged 14–19 were left unoccupied and lonely at home due to lockdown. With little to nothing to do countless of us turned to TikTok and it became extremely popular worldwide. It’s the most downloaded app this year with the age range between 13 and 25. From dances to POVs, we have been expressing our feelings to millions of viewers on TikTok. The Guardian released an article for those who may be unaware of the app to help those gain an understanding of it.

“At its core, TikTok is a video-sharing app. Users film themselves in 15-second clips, typically set to music, and upload them to be viewed by followers and strangers alike.”

However, a great number of us believe that TikTok is one of the main reasons why songs die so quickly. When a song gets popular on the worldwide app it usually means that it is going to top the charts alongside it’s growing notability on TikTok. This then amounts to the top of the charts being filled with songs that people have popularised on TikTok. Therefore, the original and meaningful songs are being knocked down on the charts list. When a TikTok song tops

the charts it means that radio stations are going to air the song due to its popularity. This means that the song is going to be greatly overplayed due to all platforms (such as TikTok) taking advantage of the song for its replayability. Having said that, before TikTok, songs were only ever overplayed on the radio so they didn’t get tedious as quickly.

Based on research sources here are the top 10 songs ‘ruined’ by TikTok (in no particular order): • Orange Soda – Baby Keem • Good Morning Tokyo! – Tokyo’s Revenge • Blueberry Faygo – Lil Mosey • Sugar – Brockhampton • Roxanne – Arizona Zervas • Outwest – Jackboys & Travis Scott • Walk – Comethazine • Say So – Doja Cat • YU Gotta B Like That – Audrey MiKa • Relationship – Young Thug DO YOU AGREE? In contrast, we may argue that TikTok does not ruin songs, it increases their recognition.

Songs do not need to be unique and remarkable to make it on TikTok and resulting in reaching the charts, as long as the song is catchy it’s guaranteed to get attention on the app.

Tag 21’ conducted an interview to see if any other users of the app felt the same way. We interviewed Curtis, aged 17 from Eastbourne and asked whether he agreed or disagreed.

“I can see how it may ruin some songs for certain people but personally I enjoy Tiktok and I believe it creates excitement for the songs.

Many people tend to like gatekeeping underground artists and I know that numerous have grown their fame on Tiktok sounds.

I would be ecstatic if any underground artist that I happened to support went mainstream .”

We at Tag think that TikTok allows songs to get popular but it also causes the songs own demise.

This is because the song gets admiration on TikTok fairly easily and gets overplayed, then it tops the charts and makes its way over to radio where it gets excessively overplayed and eventually dies quicker than if it got big without TikTok!

Dylan Wild, Megan Kenward Design: Damien Fox Photography: Oscar Tarbox 99

COUNT TO FIVE...

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE ARGUING WITH YOUR PARENTS

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arents just love to tell us what to do and what not to do, and it’s ok when you’re 10 and you don’t know what you want, but when you get to 14 you just want your own freedom. You may even get mad that your parents are still trying to control you and your life! At this point, however mad you feel, it is important not to say the wrong thing. This article is here to help!

When you get into an argument with your parents, it can be hard to control what you say because you may think they are in the wrong. However, you need to remember that they have more authority and they can issue punishments by grounding you or stopping your allowance.

So take a deep breath, count to five, and don’t say the wrong thing in the heat of the moment. Your anger could inflame a bad situation and make it worse.

HOW WE FEEL Some of us may feel our parents are like police controlling everything we do. When they are nagging about us staying out late or not answering their calls every time, it might help to remember they are just doing that to protect us and keep us safe, which is a good thing! Who do we turn to when we are frightened? Our parents!

They are not just trying to be mean or go on a power trip, even though it might feel like it.

HOW TO SAY THE RIGHT THING Here comes the hard part, saying the best thing when your parents are mad at you. Parents don’t like it when you tell 10

them that you know better than they do.

Listen to what they are saying by trying to tune the emotion out of their voices.

Then take the intensity out of your own responses. It is OK to agree with them and say sorry, even if you feel like you did nothing wrong, or your behaviour wasn’t as bad as they are making out. This can diffuse the situation and may even earn you more respect, which means they leave you alone!

WHAT NOT TO SAY A bad thing to say to your parents is that they “always” do this. This is like a red rag to a bull. Parents don’t like being told what they always do, even if it’s true. When arguing with your parents, try to show them that you are listening. Remember that your parents have probably been through what you have, and they may know what it can lead to.

THE TRUTH Fact: teens argue with their parents.

Families spend an average of 49 minutes a day arguing with each other. The truth is you just have to know what to say to not ruin your relationship with them. So, we know that we shouldn’t say “no” and that they “always do that” but there’s something else that you should know not to say to your parents and that’s that they are clueless! Obviously we sometimes say this to our parents because we think they don’t know what it’s like to be a teenager.

Deep down, we know that parents do know because they were young once too.

AFRAID TO SPEAK TO THEM? Many of us find it really hard to talk to our parents about things that are worrying us because we are afraid they will take it in the wrong way. We need to try and build a strong relationship with our parents so we are able to talk to them. We and our parents need to be on the same team even though we might not always be on the same page.

So now that we have gone through what not to say to your parents, we hope that you are able to diffuse and resolve arguments and not escalate them.

Sky April

Design: Luke-Hearne Brown, Sky April Photography: Oscar Tarbox 11

HOW ARE YOU FINDING WAYS TO OVERCOME LOW SELF-WORTH

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elf-worth is the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person, self-esteem and self-respect.

For some of us, it takes a while to truly discover our personal values and strengths. Self-worth keeps us going everyday and helps us enjoy the best parts of life, whether you’re meeting up with friends or going on a date. Unfortunately, many teens tell themselves they are nothing and have not as much to bring to the table as everyone else. Throughout this article Tag ‘21 discusses problems with having low self-esteem, remedies to help boost your confidence and ultimately we will help you believe in yourself more by taking a few steps.

THE FACTS Having low self-esteem can be very harmful towards both your physical and mental health.

It can lead to many issues such as not trying your best in class or not being as dedicated to achieving your goals and ambitions. In extreme

cases, low self-worth could lead to selfharm. In many cases, they are rooted in bullying during childhood. According to Self-Esteem-School.com, “a study was carried out among some female students, 80% of them claimed that their negative body image was linked to the negative remarks made by friends and family”. This is a very tough problem to tackle and in a school or home environment can be drastically difficult to control.

Also, sometimes you have challenges such as high school crushes and relationships that aren’t always guaranteed to go the way you want. Although difficult to experience, rejections are completely normal at times and you might need to accept the fact that you have your life ahead of you to find the one for which you’re destined. According to Luvze.com, “some studies have found a correlation between chronic rejection and low selfesteem over time.”

On top of schooling and crushes, let’s talk about the impact of Covid-19. It has been and still is a major influence on self-worth. This unexpected pandemic has been shocking for not just some people’s physical but mental health. The fact that some of us haven’t being as productive or active due to multiple lockdowns has had a heavy toll on motivation levels. This can become an uphill struggle mentally. Some have started new hobbies and focused on them to get through this tough time but that hasn’t worked for all.

If you or a friend are experiencing these issues, we have some helpful links at the end of this article.

EXPERIENCES & SOLUTIONS There are many effective and reliable methods to boost your self-worth such as creating new pastimes or getting into specific routines.

Tag ‘21 asked our team how they have dealt with some of their low self-worth moments.

We spoke to Rachel Carter, aged 17 from Bexhill. She wanted to give some advice on low self-worth after breaking up with somebody.

She started with, “Don’t worry, everyone gets rejected and it’s not the end of the world, just remember you are loved by your friends and family.” Rachel continued,

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U FEELING? “You’re still young and have loads of time to find the one for you. It sometimes happens when you least expect it.” This message clearly sums up that even though you may feel upset, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I STRUGGLE A LOT WITH SELF CONFIDENCE AND FEELING FINE.”

RAISING SELF-ESTEEM

www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxietydepression/raising-low-self-esteem/

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

www.positivepsychology.com/self-worth/ Curtis Kenwright Design: Curtis Kenwright Photography: Oscar Tarbox

We also interviewed Jack Sheppard, aged 17 from Eastbourne. Here is what he had to say about his low self-confidence due to body image and how this overall impacted his life. “Personally I struggle a lot with self-confidence and feeling fine. I see me comparing myself to other people a lot.

Somehow I’ve become obsessed with this, making me feel even worse, becoming fixated with a goal that’s impossible to achieve just sent me to an endless spiral of sadness. Trying to fix this is a little difficult as there’s no instruction, and everyone who tells you just says, “be yourself“ which is a bit useless. Personally, I’m trying to first get comfortable with my looks so I try new clothes until I find my style; once I get that, I’ll try other things.”

This article has looked at what selfworth is, how having a low amount can affect you and what methods you could use to get you through tough times like these. If you are experiencing any of the issues we talked about in this article please don’t be shy, use the links below to get more methods and information to help you feel better.

Names have been changed.

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CONSENT HOW TO KNOW WHEN YES MEANS YES AND NO MEANS NO

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onsent is something that we’ve all heard mentioned enough times, but how much do we actually know when it comes to our own experiences? The first time we hear about consent is likely to be during Sex Ed at secondary school. Not a great deal is said about it in detail and in many scenarios nowhere near enough information has been given to us in the context of real-life situations that actually made us feel prepared once we’ve reached the age where consent really matters.

“I was never taught about consent in school or college - the way I learnt was through articles on the internet or videos online through my own research when I was interested about sex and what surrounded it!” Paddy Stewart (20) from Eastbourne told us.

Ask anybody you know where they got their sex education from and they’ll likely tell you most of it was through their own research online. While some sections of the internet are genuinely full of brilliant advice and information, there are some bits that just can’t be relied upon. For example, porn can be extremely harmful to ideas about what safe and consensual sex is. Big Talk Education did a survey of 1000 people between ages 11–15 and found that 34% hadn’t learnt about consent, which is a staggering statistic when you compare that to the age at which most of us are having sex for the first time.

“I think there need to be additions to the curriculum, and earlier on. Many

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people had already started [having sex] by the time we were taught about consent; everyone should be made aware of the consequences of non-consensual sexual activity. I also think that there should be a service, in or out of school, that is anonymous and allows anyone to ask any sex-related questions. Additionally, more needs to be taught about STIs; most of what I know about AIDS is from a TV show, and that isn’t right.” Liam Johnson (17) told Tag ‘21.

You should be asking for consent at every step and each time you engage in sexual activity. If someone doesn’t consent or withdraws it at any time, this must be respected and all activity must stop. Remember, consent is both verbal and physical. If your partner isn’t exactly saying no, but is physically closed off, this is probably a sign that something is wrong or they aren’t enjoying what is happening.

Also keep in mind that just because someone hasn’t explicitly said the word no, doesn’t mean they are happy with what is happening. No is also, “I’ve changed my mind”, “Not now”, “I’m uncomfortable”, “I’m unsure” and “I’m not enjoying this”. No does not mean “Convince me.”

What is sometimes hard with consent is making it an ongoing conversation. Try out some of these examples of how to ask for consent and how to keep it going during sex: “Establishing boundaries beforehand is better as you won’t feel pressured or meet any surprises along the way; you are

both on the same wavelength, which is so vital.”

Maddie Richardson (17) told us. Do you ever end up in a situation where you feel aroused, but your body has other ideas? Arousal non-concordance is when you’re aroused but your vagina isn’t getting wet or your penis won’t become erect. It can also be when these things do happen, despite not being aroused or liking what’s happening to you.

It’s completely normal to feel that these two things aren’t aligned. Many people experience this and according to author Emily Nagoski, it has happened to 90% of cis-women and 50% of cis-men. Linking this to consent; it is so important to remember that just because someone is physically aroused does not mean they have given consent. Similarly, just because your body may not be responding the way you want it to, does not mean that anything is wrong with you. All that matters is that you have both given verbal consent. If you tend to be subjectively but not physically aroused, start listening to your body. Masturbation is a good place to begin, pay attention to what makes you feel good. Lubricant

CAN I KISS YOU? DO YOU WANT TO SLOW DOWN? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? CAN YOU TAKE THAT OFF? SHOULD I KEEP GOING? HOW DOES THAT FEEL?

is your best friend, integrate it into your sexual repertoire.

By definition, giving consent states that you are agreeing by choice to sexual activity when you have the freedom and capacity to do so. The law states that 16 is the legal age for consent. This changes under certain circumstances, for example when the relationship is between a person and someone in a position of power over you such as a teacher or doctor. The age of consent then changes to 18. This is to protect you from any scenario that may mean you are being taken advantage of.

The law is never there to make you feel bad about what may or may not have happened, it is there simply to protect us.

The NHS says that anywhere between a 33–50% people in the UK have had sex before they turn 16, so it’s not uncommon, but the main thing is that you are safe.

The law also changes when we look at the internet. When it comes to sexting or

sending nude photos, doing so under 18 is legally considered part of the distribution of child pornography. Also, people who are drunk, high or unconscious cannot legally consent to sex. The charity Brook did a survey, where only 52% said they understood that someone couldn’t give consent if they were drunk. Approach sex much more carefully when drink or drugs are involved. When you’re in the moment you’re probably having a great time, but waking up the next morning and feeling fuzzy about what actually happened, and whether or not you’re OK with it, is a different story.

“I didn’t really want to but they (my partner) were more forceful. When it came to the morning after they tried to blame things on me – consent can be a messy affair when it comes to drinking” a Tag ‘21 contributor told us.

Make sure you know your rights when it comes to consent, and that the person you’re with is aware of what you want, and that the communication between the two of you is clear and ongoing.

"

Jay Wissam, Olivia Kelly Design: Damien Fox, Jess Scrivener

Photography: Oscar Tarbox

FOR SOME GREAT CONTENT ON CONSENT AND SEX IN GENERAL FOLLOW: @healthyfeminism @thespeakupspace @sayitloudspace 15

YOUR FIRST TIME HOW WILL IT BE FOR YOU?

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aving sex for the first time is a pretty big deal – and while losing your virginity can be the subject of a lot of excitement, it can also carry feelings of fear or anxiety. Mostly, though, it’s hard to imagine what sex will be like when it happens beyond what you learned in sex education classes. Growing up in such a media-focused generation, it’s easy to get wrapped up in worry over sex and the acts surrounding it, especially because the topic is often portrayed negatively through porn, pressure from friends, poor sex education, nudes and sexting culture.

Trying to navigate sex in a world of harmful media, peer shaming and the heedful eyes of parents can be difficult; take comfort in the fact that everyone else feels the same way too!

WHAT IS VIRGINITY? Virginity is technically defined as never having had sex, but this poses the question: what is sex? It means something different to everyone. Very much stuck in a non-inclusive, heteronormative box, it doesn’t leave room for those that fall outside of gender binaries or other conventional forms of sexuality. Often, instead of deciding for ourselves what sex means, we let society tell us whether or not our experiences ‘count’, depending on who they’re with and how they happen.

We cannot stress to you enough how important it is to remember that above anything else, whether or not you feel happy and safe is the only thing that matters when making your mind up about having sex for the first time. No matter who it’s with, how it works for you, at what time in your life it occurs, it’s paramount that you practise safe, consensual sex and that you can trust and talk to the person you are with.

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SOME OF TAG’S TOP TIPS Get comfortable with yourself first. Take some time on your own to find out what feels good! Knowing yourself is the best way to help someone else get to know you too. Protection and contraception. Safe sex is so important. Practise using condoms or dental dams together! If either of you is already using some form of contraception, discuss that and talk about what works best for you both so that everyone is reassured and feels happy. Regarding same-sex couples, getting pregnant may not be a possibility but STIs still can be!

Practise sex that will mean neither of you ends up uncomfortable or unwell.

Foreplay. The more aroused you are, the better the sex is likely to feel. Now, the majority of women do not orgasm every time they have sex. It’s especially unlikely to happen if it’s your first time.

At this stage, you’re only exploring. Don’t set any other goals, let the experience be whatever it’s going to be. Spend as long as is necessary on the lead up to sex.

Foreplay relaxes you, gets you ready both physically and mentally, and also it’s fun!

Get to know your partner’s body and what makes them feel good too. As one teen Tag ‘21 interviewed said, “Mutual enjoyment is genuinely all that matters!”

Consent. Perhaps the most important thing of all. Making sure that you and your partner have consented to everything happening is a number one priority – it’s a matter not only of trust between you and your partner but also of legality. Feeling safe and listened to – not only during sex but in all aspects of your relationship – is a sign of a strong and healthy partnership.

The truth is, nobody can ever give you enough advice (right or wrong) that makes you feel ‘ready’ for your first time. In the majority of situations, experienced teens tell Tag ‘21 that their first time happened when they felt ready, but they were surprised at the normality of it; clearly (and rightly so) nowhere near the idealised version that you see in the movies. We can promise you that nobody looks the way movie stars look after sex! Remember: your adrenaline is going nuts at this point.

You’ll be nervous, excited, thinking and feeling at a million miles per hour. Your hair won’t be perfect, you’ll probably be a little red and sweaty and you might not walk around ‘glowing’ for the rest of the day.

It’s important to remember these things going into your first sexual experience, as sex for the first time will probably feel awkward, however, awkward is normal.

Part of the delight is finding out how to move together in a way that feels comfortable and exciting for you both. It is only truly awkward in a bad way if you are trying to play it cool and fake it. The best way to go into the first sexual experience is with no expectations, but more of a true desire to be closer to that person.

Keep yourself relaxed, maintain an open and honest dialogue, ensure that you both have consented and the proper protection is being used. As long as everyone feels safe, and is having fun, your first time will go as smoothly as it could go. Plus, you’ll normally find that once you get through the first giggle over what’s happening, you start to find a natural rhythm and ease into it in no time. However the vast majority of people find that their first time feels totally different to every time after that, so don’t worry too much if you leave the experience feeling different to how you might have imagined it.

"MAKING SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR PARTNER HAVE CONSENTED TO EVERYTHING HAPPENING IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY"

Olivia Kelly Design: Jess Scrivener

Contraception Choices What matters?

Which works best?

Which method is right?

Information you can trust

www.ContraceptionChoices.org

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LISTEN UP!

CREATING A PODCAST IN FIVE EASY STEPS

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ey! Have you ever wanted to create a podcast easily for you and friends to enjoy? Here at Tag ‘21 we will help you to start making your very own podcast and explore the benefits of producing one.

We will also be talking to Miles Rees who has successfully made podcasts, hearing his advice for getting started and sharing some useful tips.

Podcasts are in. Ofcom said that 7.1 million people listened to podcasts in each week of 2019. This was an increase of 24% from 2018. This rise shows that podcasts are rapidly becoming popular in the mainstream and audiences are interested in and engaged with them. Ofcom also researched the top genres among podcast listeners:

REASONS TO START A PODCAST A benefit of starting a podcast is that they are very easy to make. This is because of the technology we have, such as mobile phones, tablets and iPads. They have audio recording apps so files are easy to archive, you can easily update the audio and remove old sound files and replace them with new ones. There are apps such as Anchor that distribute your podcast for free. This app is accessible and reliable as you can make and edit your podcast on it and distribute it to audio apps such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts amongst others.

Another benefit of creating a podcast is it removes the cost of studio hire. Instead, you can record from home during a Facetime or Zoom call and record it from there. The app reduces the cost and need for studio equipment including printing scripts. It is free on the app and there is no fuss. It also gives a sense of normality if you do it in your house as it feels just like a normal conversation between you and Ofcom’s results show that the two most a friend, but with a microphone recording popular genres in 2019 were Entertainment what you’re saying. Also with the use of (57%) and Comedy. The two least popular conference calls, you can easily plan the genres of 2019 were TV & Film (35%) and podcast with your friend, again reducing Science & Technology (33%). the costs and time of meeting each other in person. This means you can even make The result for TV and Film is surprising as a podcast with a long distance or social films and television are hugely popular. media friend. Using remote meetings, Here at Tag ‘21 we recommend you choose you can plan your aims and your longwhichever genre of podcast you want and term ambition for the podcast, as well as be happy with what you create, because it is planning individual shows and series. your show and this is your self-expression.

POPULAR PODCAST GENRES

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You can discuss how to grow your audience. You can decide what you want to do using social media and how you’re going to spread the word about your podcast. Using Instagram and TikTok marketing reduces the costs of printing posters as you can access all of it from your phone. You can spread awareness of your podcast using Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat too.

INTERVIEW WITH A PODCASTER We spoke to Miles Rees (18) from Bexhill, who has experience of creating amateur podcasts. With a friend, he started and produced The Talking Football Podcast in early 2020. Tag ‘21 asked Miles what he enjoyed about making the podcast and his advice for anyone who wants to start doing them in the future. What is the best thing about making a podcast? Miles said, “My favourite part of doing the podcast was debating topics and trying to convince the other person and the audience [certain views] about a certain opinion or topic.” We also asked what was the most challenging aspect? “The hardest part of creating the podcast was planning what I was going to say for each section and also to consistently speak without stuttering or forgetting what to say.” The final question we asked him was what his advice was for anyone who wants to start a podcast in the future? “My advice is to do it about something you enjoy and make sure that having fun is more of a priority than getting views.” Good luck, have fun and thanks for listening!

STEP ONE To get started, you will need a phone, tablet/iPad or PC/Mac to record and edit your podcast. These are essential.

STEP TWO Download the Anchor app on android or IOS. From this, you can record, edit and distribute your podcast to other platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

STEP THREE On Anchor there are other functions such as recording with your friends on a call, receiving voice messages from the audience, transition sounds for editing plus importing pre-edited audio onto the app.

STEP FOUR You can now start the recording process of your podcast.

STEP FIVE Once you have finished recording and editing your podcast, you can now upload it to Anchor and distribute it to other streaming services.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED YOUR FIRST EPISODE OF YOUR PODCAST AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR LISTENERS ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Jacob Cullip Design: Luke Hearne-Brown, Declan Knevett Photography: Oscar Tarbox 19

CULTURE COLLISION LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE

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e all know what it’s like to live in a family: some are liberal and relaxed, some are a bit strict, but sadly some are what can only be described as authoritarian.

Some of us are living in a very strict culture which causes conflicts with our friends and families. This puts a lot of pressure on children as young as eight to conform physically and mentally to cultural expectations. Tag ‘21 explores some of the issues we are dealing with regarding having strict parents: what we hide and how we cope.

We have been speaking to students affected by this issue and found that many find it difficult to separate culture and religion, which can also have a big impact on day-to-day life as a student. This is because many students have to be wary of their choices and how they act or dress around others. Anina Ri told Tag ‘21, “I had to look smart and well-mannered [at events]. I couldn’t be too noisy or dance too much in case I made others feel unwanted.

It always seemed that I was the one who was unwanted at my own birthday party.”

Being brought up in a western country and having to abide by religious and cultural rules can be difficult as many of us inhabit a western culture too. This may make it hard to balance the western side of one’s daily life (without disobeying parents and upsetting them) with trying to enjoy a young teenage life. It’s a difficult one to crack and this is where lying and a sense of guilt can come in. “I feel guilty about lying to them just to live the life I want. I feel like I have two lives” Riba Begum (20) from London told us (not her real name). This could be related to the desire to be able to be honest with family with all aspects of life. We all want to know that our family is there for us no matter what. But as a teen, there is always a constant fear of messing up, “[There are] a lot of expectations on me to make them happy and to keep the community happy” Riba said. While focusing on keeping your parents happy there is always the constant thought of what the community will say or think about you. This can almost make us feel as if we must choose family or friends, yet no one should have to worry about this at a young age. “When they don’t like my friends, they tell me to choose” Riba adds.

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As young adults we are already going through many complex emotions by ourselves, yet we have so much to learn on our own when strict parents do not teach us some of the most important lessons in life. “I am the only one who can get me through what I am going through” Anina Ri told Tag ‘21. This extra burden can give rise to a negative impact on children’s mental health, including depression, social anxiety and being raised as an introvert who struggles to socialise with new people. 7% of teenagers run away from their homes every year although 70% came back home within 24 hours which could show how overwhelming it is to be young at times.

place, but their mind isn’t.” However, being brought up in such a strict way can make us headstrong independent people who hold a strong and unconditional love for our parents. Riba recognises, “We grew up differently in different countries with different traditions and mindsets.”

This shows a great understanding of generational differences. We need to understand that our parents should be learning too; how they were brought up was very different to life now. It can be harder to understand different times and environments, especially when someone has grown up in a different country.

"I HAVE ALWAYS FELT GUILTY TO BE A KID" Anina reflected on being told by a parent, “If you have emotions and you show them, people will use it against you. Emotions = weakness”. Making someone feel like they are unable to share feelings and that being upset is wrong is in itself wrong, unnatural and immoral in some sense. The parent thinks they are protecting the child, but instead they are slowly making them a stranger to the world and clueless of the big problems and issues that they will have to face and learn on their own. “Growing up in England didn’t give me the same life as my peers” TedEx Talker Jasvinda Sanghera said. This is because their relationship with their parents is toxic and it is hard for them to share feelings with their families. “My honour is their shame” Jasvinda Sanghera said, as part of her talk raising awareness about forced marriage.

Although many go through a hard time, it should be appreciated that generally parents want what is best for us, just sometimes go about it in the wrong way. At the same time, like all teens we can find it difficult to communicate with our parents.

Riba understood, “their heart is in the right

Shazzida Siddika Design: Curtis Kenwright

HELPLINES AND WEBSITES THAT ARE HELPFUL AND REASSURING:

www.childline.org.uk/ 0800 1111 karmanirvana.org.uk

runawayhelpline.org.uk/advice/freedombeing-controlled-and-restricted/

teenissues.co.uk/copingwithstrictparents. html

youtube.com/watch?v=0_ W0HFy9Et4&feature=youtu.be

EVERYDAY SEXISM SEXIST SITUATIONS WOMEN FACE EVERY DAY

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t’s hard to be a young woman in society today. Many people would rather see you as an object than a human. It’s embedded in us that girls are raised to be cautious and afraid. Meanwhile boys are brought up to be strong, independent and to have more freedoms than young women. Double standards stem from childhood. From a young age, girls are taught to accommodate men, dress conservatively, don’t be provocative, don’t get drunk or stay out too late. We are taught it’s our fault, it doesn’t matter what happened, there’s always something you shouldn’t have done. Society thinks it’s telling girls how to be safe but really it’s saying, make sure you’re not doing something that will get you attacked.

Maybe instead of teaching girls how not to be provocative, why don’t we raise boys against violence?

‘Man up’ is a phrase we have all heard.

Tag ‘21 interviewed several guys about their experiences with the concept of masculinity. They told us that being manly suggests you can’t be soft or emotional, you must be strong and predatory; that showing emotion makes you, weak, feminine or gay. They experienced that when guys express themselves, they are being “dramatic” or “extra,” invalidating their emotions. On the flip side, young women are told “don’t make a fuss”, to become smaller and to compensate for men. Girls must be ladylike while boys will

be boys. Sexism is everyone’s problem though.

Here are some startling facts. More than two women are killed every week by a current or ex-partner, according to the Office for National Statistics. 400K women are sexually assaulted annually claim END Violence Aagainst Women. One woman is raped every six minutes (source: The Guardian). A phone call is made about domestic violence every 60 seconds.

These are not random occurrences, they are daily. We need to recognise that abusers are not always a stranger in the dark but are often friends and family. 97% of women have been sexually harassed, according to openaccessgovernment.org - that is almost all of us. Sexism really is everyone’s problem.

A perception of the police is that they are far from helping. In 2021 Sarah Everard had been walking home from a friend’s in South London when she was attacked and killed. Public outrage kick-started the second women’s movement in the last four years. Women all over the world identified with Sarah, sick of the way we have to alter our behaviour to stay alive.

Before this, the Me Too movement had accelerated into action following sex abuse allegations against US film producer, Harvey Weinstein.

Many women do not trust the justice system. According to The Independent, only 1.7% of reported rapes are prosecuted.

Jess Scrivener Design: Damien Fox Photography: Oscar Tarbox And when women report abuse or assault, half felt no safer and many felt extremely afraid to raise the alarm again once the police are involved. But possibly the most shocking is that one in four women who called for help – due to sexual assault or partner abuse – were arrested or threatened with arrest themselves. These are the facts, yet talking about it makes you a crazy feminist. Equal pay is still a pipedream - 78% of companies still pay men more than women for doing the same job, ITV found. We live in a world where what you wear takes away your basic human rights. The media objectifies women while preaching about how we should look, which is full of contradictions: make your legs thinner, you’re eating too much, hey do you ever eat? Be a size zero, have sex, protect your virginity. Inequality is everywhere. We can keep ignoring these issues but they aren’t going away. What do you choose?

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN MAKING LIFE FAIRER FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, AND THEREFORE EVERYBODY, CHECK OUT THESE ORGANISATIONS: fawcettsociety.org.uk ukfeminista.org.uk avaproject.org.uk

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LIVE LOUNGE

MANIC MUSIC MAYHEM Are you a musician or performer? ESCG Live Lounge

is a new and exciting venture undertaken by staff and students at ESCG Eastbourne. Originally started as SDC Live Lounge in 2017, it’s now been re-branded to create the ultimate level of content production. Releasing content weekly, there is new talent coming out through our social networks while main videos are being released on ESCG’s Live Lounge YouTube channel along with sneak previews every Friday.

Have you ever wanted to perform and have the talent to do so, and would like to have a quality mix made of your latest original track or cover?

Then look no further than ESCG Live Lounge!

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Luke Hearne-Brown Design: Luke Hearne-Brown

HEAR FROM US “Our passion since we started was to bring live music videos to audiences recorded in professional studios using professional equipment. Part of the objective originally was to create a community of people that could collaborate and create new art in the heart of Eastbourne. We are constantly looking for new talent to get involved and join our joint effort in creating enjoyable and fulfilling content.” Luke Hearne-Brown, ESCG Live Lounge creative director.

“Being an artist on Live Lounge was both incredibly fun and rewarding. It felt great that I could have an opportunity to display my music in such a well produced series. I’m so excited to see my set make it out onto the channel and I think it’s one of the most fun things I’ve been involved in around the college.” Alfie Akers, (18), level 3 music production student.

Live Lounge is truly rewarding. As an artist it feels feel like the community spirit really helps and the fact that students and staff give their spare time to creating these free and near professional quality music videos for an individual musician is invaluable.

ESCG Live Lounge is an experience crafted by both students and staff at East Sussex College Eastbourne, focusing on showcasing musical acts from in and around the college. Live Lounge has been an incredible experience. Working with such talented people behind the scenes is, for me, almost as rewarding as being on the show as an artist. As an aspiring recording engineer, having the chance to work with such great musicians, and industrystandard equipment has been an invaluable experience.

NOVEL IDEAS: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF TOP SIX BOOKS TO READ THIS YEAR Welcome readers to Tag ’21’s fresh fiction recommendations! This is where we give you an overview and insight into worthwhile books recently released.

By reading this article, you will find inspirational and captivating reads suited to your tastes.

ADVENTURE THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES This is a newer spin-off novel by the author Suzanne Collins, who is known for writing the very well received and popular Hunger Games series, that became adapted into blockbuster movies.

Interestingly, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a virtual release due to the delays and intrusion of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

With reference to the original stories and new moral conflicts presented by this novel, it succeeds in the expansion of worldbuilding, narrative depth and casting light on more of the series backstory/lore. If you appreciated Suzanne Collin’s first Hunger Games books, then you shall probably be at home in this renewed dystopian world.

'LIVE LOUNGE IS BOTH FUN AND INCREDBLY REWARDING'

MY YEAR ABROAD This is the latest book from the awardwinning author who wrote Native Speaker and On Such A Full Sea, this is Chang-Rea Lee. His latest book is called My Year Abroad. The novel is about the characters, Pong Lou and Tiller. Pong is a Chinese-American entrepreneur who is very creative.

While Tiller, on the other hand, is an average American college student.

However Pong sees potential in Tiller and decides to make him his protege, taking Tiller on a thrilling adventure across Asia. Both characters take on extreme and eye opening experiences that could impact

on both of their lives. If you’re into eye opening stories and amazing adventures, this is definitely the book you should get your hands on this year.

WAR LORD - THE LAST KINGDOM SERIES The Last Kingdom series, written by Bernard Cornwell, are historical reads taking place in the warring ninth and 10th century in Britain in particular. War Lord is the finale of the series and serves as the conclusion. The Last Kingdom was adapted into a television series which followed the narrative of some of the novels.

This final 13th entry is an interesting read to those who enjoy history.

The themes of the overall series are both cultural and educational.

A series that is entertaining in this genre can be rare, so if this area of history is attractive to you, it will be a good read.

MURDER/MYSTERY MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY Murder in Old Bombay features an engaging exotic setting: the vibrancy of Colonial India during the 19th century.

The author, Nev March, has won awards for her debut book. With a wonderful historical location, this mysterious tale is enhanced by its atmosphere. It is no surprise that a story such as Murder in Old Bombay would be considered award-winning.

This story is about Captain Jim Angihotri who is recovering from serious injuries in a Bombay hospital.

While there, he learns two young women have fallen to their deaths at the university clock tower. It is up to Jim to uncover the mystery, but he has to go through a long and winding road to get there.

MOONFLOWER MURDERS A novel by the renowned master of the murder mystery genre, Anthony Horowitz, here is a tale taking place within the same story as his previous bestseller, Magpie Murders. A complex, intriguing murder thriller, Horowitz’s new offering is said to be clever, relentlessly suspenseful and full of twists.

The novel follows Susan, who is running a small hotel on a Greek island when she finds out about a murder that took place when her daughter got married. Susan is fascinated by the story but then learns that her daughter has now gone missing. She must return home to find out what really happened. If you like a dark take on crime fiction, you’ll enjoy this next classic by Anthony Horowitz.

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB Written by famous TV presenter and uncle to the nation, Richard Osman, this a story about four old friends investigating unsolved murders every Thursday at their retirement village. When a death has occurred right on their doorstep, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron have their first case. Can they catch the killer before it’s too late?

This story takes place in Kent, so should feel close to home! This is a great book if you want a sense of adventure and the feeling of suspense.

We hope you enjoy a happy summer of exciting reading!

Lewis Simpson Design: Declan Knevett 23

FASHION & ANDROGYNY A BOY DANCES IN A DRESS ON TIKTOK AND YUNGBLUD WEARS A SKIRT AT ONE OF HIS LATEST GIGS...

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ith the rise of social media, we have never had so much space to explore and express our views as much as we do now. With the rise of TikTok, we have a bigger platform than ever before when it come to making an impact. Many of us are using this app for self-expression, to ditch labels and gender stereotypes; here many of us feel safe to dress more androgynously without the fear of judgment we may face in everyday life.

Now that we can see many people of all sexualities able to express themselves more, there is no shortage of boys in dresses and maid outfits while girls are cutting their hair into mullets. One of the popular creators showcasing their more androgynous fashion sense is Benji Krol, who has 18.3m TikTok followers. He mostly uses the platform to showcase his very creative makeup looks yet a while ago he wore a dress, which had a huge, positive response from the TikTok community.

But it is not only the boys choosing to ditch the gender stereotypes and labels. Another popular creator playing with gender roles is Marth Wubbles, who has 907.3k followers. The majority of her TikToks are style videos. Showing her androgynous fashion sense, she makes almost daily style videos. Her content has been especially popular among the LGBTQ+ community.

Tag interviewed readers for your views on how TikTok has helped you to express yourselves and discover your own sense of fashion and style. Amber Wott (17) who lives in Brighton told us “I think TikTok is a brilliant platform to bring young people together in a community, where they can feel safe to express themselves and find out who they are without fear of judgment. Being somone who identifies as non-binary myself, I often felt lost and alone, coming from a small conservative town; but TikTok has really helped me to find myself, and to feel less alone, yes it has its negatives as well as postives, but for me it has really been helpful in feeling happy with who I am, and has really helped me to discover myself.”

Many of the ‘alternative’ androgynous fashion seen on social media has been inspired by previous generations, particularly by pop and art school culture. One person who inspired decades of young people was David Bowie, who was famous for breaking gender stereotypes, especially with his alternative alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust. Luca Pariot (18) from Lewes told Tag ‘21, “David Bowie was a big inspiration for me. I feel he really helped to pave the way for this generation when it comes to fashion and androgyny.” Bowie was open to questioning his gender and sexuality, for example, writing lyrics in Rebel, Rebel: “Not sure if you’re a boy or a girl.”

Current artists such as Harry Styles are also challenging gender stereotypes. The ex-One Direction band member, who went solo and in recent years gained popularity because of his androgynous style, is an openly pansexual male. In an interview he did for The Guardian, he stated that he doesn’t wear clothes to make him look like he identifies with a certain sexuality or gender but rather to ‘look cool’. Here at Tag ’21, we think this is how many people our age feel about gender and androgyny. One Tag reader told us, “Clothing doesn’t have to fit a certain gender or sexuality. I can identify as a female and still wear masculine clothing. Societal norms are a construct, and change and evolve over time.”

Actor Emma Watson is another current celebrity who chooses to dress more androgynously. Most of us know her as Hermione from the Harry Potter films, but she also does lots of work for women’s rights groups being a feminist herself, and she was a champion and ambassador of the United Nations women’s heforshe campaign.

Watson is an advocate for removing gender stereotypes and norms and has a very mixed fashion sense, sometimes dressing more femininely and at other times she is more masculine. Watson drew attention to her sense of style when she dressed in a blazer and shorts a couple of years ago for her Lancôme shoot in Paris. She continues to break gender stereotypes through her modelling career.

It’s inspiring to see how many older artists have paved the way for our generation, and how innovators are creating a more diverse landscape for future teens. We now have a bigger platform than ever before to explore new ideas and express ourselves, making a big difference for generations to come.

"SOCIAL NORMS ARE A CONSTRUCT, THEY CHANGE AND EVOLVE OVER TIME" 24

Skye Alksaris Design: Jess Scrivener

PAID-FOR CONTENT

HELP YOURSELF EVERYTHING A PUPIL OR STUDENT NEEDS TO KNOW IN ONE HANDY WEBSITE

Jacob Cullip Design: Curtis Kenwright

FIND THE SITE AT:

www.eastsussexchildren. nhs.uk

T

he East Sussex School Health and Children’s Integrated Therapy Services have recently launched a new website for young people and carers. The aim is to help 11–19 year-olds or their carers gain an understanding of all the many issues young people can experience, how they can approach them and where to find appropriate support. The site provides advice on a full range of issues from abuse and exams to spots and sexuality.

Tag ‘21 was recently provided with a preview of the website and reviewed it for this year’s edition and these are our first impressions.

One of the positives of the website was the excellent variety of content included in the photo links once you’ve gone to your age-appropriate section from a choice of three clear home page links.

In the ‘young people’ section for example, there is a comprehensive set of image links to take you to the information you need, such as how to text a school nurse and book a video call drop-in.

An important aspect of the effectiveness of the website is the accessibility. What Tag likes about this is that everything is easy to access as soon as you open a page. For example, if a pupil wants to access a page that is of interest to them, they can find a general topic link at the top of the page or they can scroll down to find out as well. Links are also not far down the page so there’s a choice of routes to access a subject.

What we also like is the photography used, the images chosen are very clear and give a message to the viewer on what the page content is about.

For example the schools page uses a picture of a

classroom showing school equipment.

Another effective piece of the website is the choice of typography on the pages. The reason this is effective is because they have used a sans serif font which makes it clear and understandable for the reader. The choice of colours is based on the NHS branding, and good use of the available secondary colours has been made in the upbeat logo and as accent colours on the pages. The logo on the website is also a big plus. What is good about it is that it is clear to the reader and resonates with them. In terms of its design aspect its simple, slightly chaotic geometric shapes imply a younger target audience and it works well.

The naming and logic of some of the links is sometimes a little vague, for example a section of different links relating to puberty could perhaps have been better listed under ‘Puberty’ not ‘Boys’ or ‘Girls’ as these are not informative captions.

The contraception section shows all the options well however it appears biased towards young women. Also it only talks about the contraceptive pill in relation to sex rather than also referring to its application for period relief.

The site makes very good use of links to the wider www.nhs.uk website which is used to provide detailed information on specific subjects within any section a user goes into.

Overall the way the website successfully reaches out to its target audience is clearly shown through the images used and text. Although some linking details might be awkward, this can be forgiven on a site covering such a wide content and the appropriate information can always be found. Tag sees this as a long-overdue and simple-to-access website to help pupils and carers.

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HOOKUP CULTURE WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR GENERATION Z WHEN IT COMES TO DATING?

E

verything we do now seems to be done online and that isn’t any different when it comes to dating and relationships. With the recent popularity of dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and OkCupid, there are now digital ways of meeting people from all across the country, or even from across the world. Many people are taking this opportunity to meet others online.

However not everyone is keen on the idea and some people like to stay clear of dating apps. Shannon, aged 21, who often uses dating apps herself stated that “it’s good for meeting people etc … but a lot of people only tend to use it for one thing”. She also mentioned that “people can be very different over text than in real life”

ARE DATING APPS REALLY THE BEST PLACE TO FIND ROMANCE? Many that Tag ‘21 interviewed said that they felt dating apps were not trustworthy, with many people on them being ‘catfishing’ (see page 35) and using fake pictures. The majority of the people we talked to seemed to feel the same way about dating apps, however Max, aged 18 felt differently about dating apps: “I like dating apps as I’ve read that overweight people have found love on them” and that they are “a good way of finding love quicker”. Sky, aged 18 also stated that “some people could meet someone they really like on there”.

Another way young people often meet people online is through games. One young person we interviewed explained how “many people who enjoy playing games can play games on duos, which can match you with someone else if you are playing alone”. Many people had positive experiences with this due to the fact that you can find people with similar interests to you. However the downside to this is the people you meet can often live far away.

When we were younger, how we imagined love and romance was very different to how we imagine love and romance now. We don’t expect any of us imagined finding love on a dating app.

Many of us probably remember fantasising about princes and princesses and about

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characters we had seen in movies and TV shows. A lot of girls and boys (more secretly) swooned over One Direction, hoping to find someone like their favourite band member one day. Apart from this many of us based our definitions of love and romance on our parents, or other adults in our lives, which could be bad or good depending on how you experienced them. You would also have seen films and imagined that was what love and romance must be like.

When we approached our teens we imagined other possibilities: watching sunsets and crazy imaginary situations which involved running away together and starting a new life in Cambodia, as well as other weird scenarios. Although of course a lot of these fictional romances were totally unrealistic, many of those Tag spoke to felt that it was sad we have lost our innocent curiosity about love and romance. Do we now often settle for less through dating apps, online dating and hook-up culture in general without searching what we really want? Others we asked disagreed with this, saying that now they are looking for different aspects compared to what they thought they would want to look for when they were younger.

Depending on what you’re looking for, Tag thinks dating apps can be bad or good. Some people will find lasting love and romance on them, however we think that at the moment the apps are used mostly for adult fun (you must be over 18 to use them). However there is a perceived problem with hook-up culture in general. There can be social pressures especially on girls to be into anything and say yes to everything to please boys – even if they don’t feel comfortable, and on boys to pick up a certain amount of partners

and have sex by a certain age. You should always check in with the person you’re with to ask if they’re ok with it, and make sure they know they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to do. You should not feel pressured to use dating apps and take part in anything you’re not comfortable with.

STAY SAFE ONLINE All dating apps are for over18s only. When meeting people online, everyone should be on the same page.

You should make sure you both want the same thing.

You should do what is best for you and what you want to do with your life and with your body. That is going to make you feel happy in the long run rather than feeling pressure to please someone.

SOME POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING APPS (YOU MUST BE OVER 18) BUMBLE

Bumble Inc. is an American social media company that operates the Bumble online dating application facilitating communication between interested users. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contact with matched male users, while in same-sex matches either person can send a message first.

GRINDR

Grindr is a locationbased online dating application for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. It was one of the first geosocial apps for gay men when it launched in March 2009 and has since become the largest and most popular gay mobile dating app in the world.

TINDER

Tinder is an American geosocial networking and online dating application that allows users to anonymously swipe to like or dislike other profiles based on their photos, a small bio, and common interests.

Only when two users have ‘matched’, can they exchange messages.

Olivia Kelly, Skye Alksaris Design: Curtis Kenwright 27

ASK AUNTIE

TAG 21's AGONY AUNT ANSWERS ALL YOUR PROBLEMS

Disclaimer: Auntie’s answers are unofficial. The Tag team are not professional counsellors

SEXTING I really like this girl but I’m not sure if she likes me, and I don’t know how to ask her out. I think she’s interested but she has a boyfriend. My mate says it will impress her if I randomly send her a nude picture of a certain area. Will this impress her? Should I do it?

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he will probably not be impressed and will most likely be put off. You have to stop and think about sending this kind of picture, before you do it. Presuming you are underage, if you send her a picture this counts as child porn, and you would get in trouble for having child porn on your phone and distributing it, even if it’s a picture of yourself. As well as this, she will not be impressed if you send her this picture. She never asked you to send it to her, and you are presuming what she wants.

You are non-consensually sending her an intimate picture which is just disrespectful to her.

Even if you are over the age of 18 you should still get their consent before sending pictures to someone or doing anything sexual online (for example over a video call). Even if you are in a relationship the other person might not be comfortable with this, so you should always make sure they are on the same boat as you before you do. Even if you are nervous to ask, your partner will probably appreciate this. If you’re over 18 it’s important to be careful

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and make sure this person is trustworthy before you send or do anything.

The best way to impress her is by sending her a note or maybe just try asking her. It can be scary but it’s the respectful thing to do and she will probably be more impressed by your bravery to ask her out, than a picture of your area. Bear in mind that she already has a boyfriend, and you really need to be respectful of that at the moment. If she doesn’t like you she doesn’t like you, there are plenty of fish in the sea, it may be time for you to move on, and respect that she is in a relationship and is not interested.

RELATIONSHIP DRAMA I cheated on my girlfriend and now I can’t forgive myself. I don’t know if I will ever be able to get in a relationship again, what should I do?

I

m pleased your ’re reaching out to me about this situation, it is very brave of you to admit to this and ask for advice!

Firstly I would like to say that if you have not told your girlfriend already the best thing to do would be to admit to her what you have done. The last thing you want is for it to end up coming out in a way that you would not like it to. Although a tricky and uncomfortable conversation to have, if she has to hear this news at all I’m sure she would appreciate hearing it from you. It is probably also going to be best to end the relationship. If you’re feeling this way, then the spark is probably not there and it is time for you to both move on. As for beating yourself up about it, obviously you have accepted what you did was wrong. You’re young and everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to recognise the mistake you made and try and grow and learn from it. Take this as a learning experience for your

next relationship. Turn it into a positive thing that will help you grow as a person.

Next time you are in a relationship if you get feelings like this let the person know rather than ending up in this same situation again.

ANXIETY IN SCHOOL I have just started Year 11 and I have to read to a bigger class than I am used to. The worst thing is that the teacher uses a random name picker to see who is going to read. When I get home I worry about having to read out loud to the class and sometimes the worrying keeps me up at night. When I say I don’t want to read the teacher tries to encourage me but this feels like more pressure.

She doesn’t understand how I feel.

Trying to read out loud makes me very nervous, my face goes red and I cannot talk properly. What can I do about this?

T

his sounds like a very scary situation for you, and is something I struggled with myself through Year 11. It’s hard when you are someone who is nervous and finds it a huge challenge to have the teacher call you out in front of everyone in the class and I really feel for you. This is a very tricky but very common worry for people who don’t like talking in front of others, so don’t feel like you’re alone.

I would say to find a time outside of the lesson to explain everything to your teacher privately. I’m sure they will be very understanding and give you help with the situation in whatever way they can. If you don’t feel comfortable telling that teacher, find a teacher you more comfortable telling. Perhaps get a close friend to come with you to help you to explain.

GUILTY I’m a 14 year old girl. I was at a sleepover with my best friend, and we were sitting on the bed together and she started to cuddle me. Then, I don’t know why, but I turned around and just kissed her. We laughed about it afterwards, but I kind of liked it. My family are very strict Catholics and I don’t think they would approve. I’m not sure know what to do. I’ve never felt this way before and I don’t want to let my family down. I feel it might be wrong and I also feel so guilty about it, can you help?

T

his can be a very confusing situation to be in. Around your age it’s normal to start to explore and question your sexuality and who you are. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong by doing this.

You may feel a lot of different emotions such as shame, embarrassment and fear.

But what you did, and the feeling you had/

have are nothing to feel guilty or ashamed of. With your family being strict Catholics this can be very difficult, especially when you don’t want to let people down, but you have to remember that what you have done is not wrong and you cannot help how you feel despite your parents’ beliefs.

I would suggest that you don’t let your parents know if you feel you would be putting yourself in danger by telling them, or you are not ready to yet.

Instead I feel maybe it would be beneficial to contact the Rainbow Alliance.

The Rainbow Alliance is a place for any lgbtq+ people to go who are questioning their gender or sexuality and need to talk to people similar to them or find help and advice. They run young people’s groups where you can meet similar young people to yourself. As well as giving advice on sexuality, they provide a trans-inclusive service as well for anyone who wishes to contact them for gender related reasons.

You can look up their website to find out more information. As well as this it might be worth talking to a trusted adult you know in school if you feel happy to, or talking to your teachers about counselling to help get rid of the feelings of shame.

IDENTITY CRISIS I think I might be transgender (I’m a male who wants to be a female). I haven’t told anyone and I don’t know what to do, I feel uncomfortable with my body and it has got to the point that I don’t even feel comfortable leaving the house. I can’t even look at my body, and I hate going out thinking that people are looking at me. I just want to stay in bed and it’s really affecting my mental health, I feel so alone and don’t want to talk to anyone about these feelings as I’m worried how I would be judged. Do you have any advice?

W

hen you’re questioning your gender it can be very confusing and scary so it’s really brave of you to reach out. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you and the way you are feeling, but it’s also normal in the society we live in to feel afraid of being judged by other people. I want to reassure you that the right person to be hanging around is someone who should never judge you for these feelings. Your friends should be people you feel you can talk to and will support you, so if they aren’t they’re not the right people to be around.

If you have a friend of a family member you feel will not judge you, talk to them and ask for their advice on this issue.

However if you don’t feel ready to tell anyone, or you feel that they will judge you,

it may be better to wait and not tell them if they will be judgmental – your safety should come first, especially with family members.

I would really recommend you contact the Rainbow Alliance, which is a service that works with the lgbtq+ community.

You can join groups and find out more information on where you can go when you are having these feelings and where you can meet people going through similar situations. They are a very trans inclusive service, and have a section on their website where you can find help and information, if you feel you may be trans. It may also be worth contacting your school if you feel happy to, as they may have services available to help people going through these situations.

EXAM PRESSURE My mum is putting a lot of pressure on me when it comes to my exams, I don’t have any time for myself to relax, or to enjoy going out with my friends. She won’t listen to me, what should I do?

I

really feel for you, this is a really difficult time of every young person’s life and there are a lot of extra added pressures this year related to the pandemic which you have to deal with as well. It can be really hard when you and your parents don’t see eye to eye on things, especially when you may feel you are too young to have a say in anything. However there are definitely things you can do to help see the situation from each other’s point of view.

I’m sure your mum means no harm and is just trying to help you to achieve your full potential, and probably is very stressed out and worried herself because she cares about you and wants you to do well and to have a good future. However it is important to have time to stop and relax as well as work. Maybe try taking your mum out for a day just you and her, and bring up the issue in a calm, casual way.

Explain how you’re happy to work hard but you need time for yourself as well. Offer to write out a schedule to manage your time better – perhaps you could even do this together. Let her know that you’re willing to work hard and keep putting the effort in. If this doesn’t work, maybe try talking to a teacher/school counsellor about how the pressure is too much. They may be able to help you talk it through with your mum, so you can see things better from each other’s perspective. Counselling services are widely available at schools and can provide someone you can talk to to get your feelings out.

Skye Alksaris Design: Jess Scrivener

FOR ADVICE AND REASSURANCE www.childline.org.uk 0800 1111

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CLIMATE

COUNTDOWN

C

limate change has become the most devastating threat to our world.

From wildfires scorching everything in their paths to floods washing cities away in minutes, it is clear that we are living with a climate disaster. Without immediate action our planet could become barren. Tag ‘21 looks ahead at scenarios within our lifetimes if nothing is done to prevent tipping points being passed.

2030 It’s 2030. Little to no action has been made to prevent deforestation of the Amazon rainforest – and the consequence? The landscape has depleted critically to the point where it can no longer create enough moisture to sustain a tropical climate.

Because of this, the rainforest collapses and transforms into a savanna grassland.

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Not only will this decimate the biodiversity in the rainforest it will also have an effect on the global weather and water cycle. In addition to this, the Arctic experiences its first ice-free summer ever. Without the white ice caps, less of the sun’s energy will be reflected back into space meaning the global temperature increase drastically rises. Global warming is therefore accelerated giving us less time to fix the planet.

2040 When we arrive in 2040, the north’s permafrost soils have started defrosting, releasing the frozen carbon-based remains of plants and animals that froze before they could decompose. Now given the chance to rot, mass amounts of methane are released into the atmosphere (a greenhouse gas 28x

more powerful than carbon dioxide) so we are fast approaching the point of no return.

If action is not taken now, there are serious risks for the future of our planet and the human race.

2050 Halfway through this century in 2050, oceans have continued to absorb heat and have become far more acidic over the past ten years. Coral reefs have bleached and died causing a catastrophic knock-on effect on fish populations around the world, affecting millions of people across the globe. Many can no longer make a living, leading to mass starvation and economic failure.

2080 Skip forward to 2080 and global food

production is in crisis, crops will not grow on overused soils and many pollinating insects have become extinct by this point.

This causes the death rate by starvation to increase and governments start to collapse.

The world enters a state of absolute carnage and it is now too late for change.

We have exhausted the planet’s resources and no longer have a safe future.

2100 This is the final chapter, 2100. Earth is four degrees warmer than it was in 2020. Large parts of the planet are now uninhabitable leaving billions homeless.

The anthropocene mass extinction is now well underway and the stability of the home and resources we used to have is gone for good.

This article visualises the most pressing predicament humans has ever faced. We must take immediate action to ensure sustainability of global ecosystems. The rate at which we are tackling this issue right now simply isn’t good enough. It’s important to remember that it’s not too late yet and you can still make a difference.

Recycling and taking fewer car journeys are two ways to make a difference.

"THE ARCTIC WILL EXPERIENCE ITS FIRST ICE-FREE SUMMER IN 2030"

Damien Fox Design: Damien Fox Photography: Luke Hearne-Brown

GET ACTIVE LOCALLY: ecoactioneb.co.uk friendsoftheearth.uk/groups/ eastbourneanddistrictfriendsoftheearth

@xreastbourne @EGreenpeace 31

LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT Y WHEN YOU'VE BEEN CRUSHED BY YOUR CRUSH ou would stare constantly in class and write love letters doomed to be undelivered, all because you were so madly in love. Sometimes your feelings were reciprocated but when they weren’t, do you remember the heart-wrenching pain of unrequited love?

Love is an extreme emotion: few other feelings have the same effect as love does. It’s the most wonderful feeling to have… if (and that’s the biggest ‘if’ you will ever encounter, we promise you that) your love is appreciated and you are loved in return.

However, if your love is not welcomed then it can be just like a stab to the heart.

UNREQUITED LOVE – FROM BOTH VIEWPOINTS When your feelings are rejected it can be devastating because you’ve been daydreaming about the person for hours and now your fantasies have been rudely interrupted by reality.

When love is not returned at the beginning of a potential relationship, it can be a hard blow to deal with. You can spiral into a period of depression and suddenly feel like you’ll never find anyone who is going to love you. It’s really messy at times. You’re anxious and you find yourself hoping day and night for the tiniest sign that maybe the person of your obsession does love you back.

So, after looking so hard for a sign that will make you happy, your worst fears are confirmed and they don’t love you back, you will feel absolutely devastated.

One student Tag asked said “You should distance yourself from the situation, because if you don’t distance yourself you are just putting yourself through a lot of mental torture.”

WHEN YOU’RE THE FOCUS OF UNWANTED ATTENTION If, on the other hand you’re the one who has become the subject of someone’s intense feelings but find you’re not interested in that person you need to tactfully manage their expectations.

First, you need to anticipate the potential fallout of whatever their reaction is going to be. Make sure you are not cold or mean about your lack of interest in them.

Remember that we’re talking about love, and it can send people off the deep end. Put yourself in their shoes: what would it be like to be turned down by the person you loved? Awful, right? There are no two ways about it.

So, if you find yourself not interested in someone who is so very obviously interested in you, be careful to consider their feelings and let them down as gently as possible.

DEALING WITH UNREQUITED LOVE WHY DOES IT HURT SO BADLY?

Nothing stings quite like the realisation that the words, “I love you” aren’t being returned by the person that you told that you love. Not only are you dying inside because you fear that you have completely embarrassed yourself, but you have yet to realise that you have also just ruined your friendship. In a perfect world, your declaration of love would be returned, and you’d live happily ever after, but in the real world, saying “I love you” and not hearing it back is a killer. There’s only one thing you can do when it hurts so bad, and that is to…

tainted by the awkward experience. In this instance, love has not been reciprocated, and you need to accept the hard truth of having lost a friendship. This will bring with it a whole new world of pain. You will need to mourn the loss of a friend while dealing with the potentially embarrassing fallout of having declared your love to someone who does not love you back. Unfortunately, the only answer to this is time. It will take a lot of time for things to roll out. Right now, you’ll need to remind yourself that you were never in the wrong for expressing your feelings. It’s not wrong to say what you feel!

DEAL WITH THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF FRIENDSHIP

ACCEPTANCE IS THE PATH TO RECOVERY

Reconcile that you may have lost a friend, in addition to the possibility of love. Even if your love is returned, your friendship and relationship will be forever

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The first thing you need to do is recognise the emotions you’re feeling. There’s really no alternative since you will never be able to escape it until you

deal with it. Rejection hurts and denying that you’ve been hurt will only prolong and intensify your emotional pain.

Research shows that we feel an emotional wound in the same way as a physical injury.

Emotional pain activates the same part of your brain as physical pain.

everybody. Even those people you might consider ‘perfect’. It is no one’s decision who they love because believe us, if we had a choice on who we could love, life would just be too easy – and where’s the fun in that?

UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE

When you’ve had your heart smashed into little pieces, the last thing you need someone telling you how stupid you were for liking that person and that you should now look for someone else. Even if what they’re saying makes sense and is reasonable, this conversatiion is better for another day.

Most of us will have been there.

Pretty much everyone will have suffered from unrequited love and everyone will have been rejected at some point.There will be two things causing you emotional pain: the fact that you feel so heartbroken and the fact that you feel ashamed.

You feel like there’s something wrong with you because the feelings aren’t returned. Selfdoubt creeps in.

What you have to realise is this that it happens to

TALK IT OUT WITH SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Damien Fox Design: Curtis Kenwright

SEXTING ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

S

exting. We all know someone who has, or is, sending or receiving sexually explicit messages. It is now common for members of our age group to exchange body shots or body part pictures. Why do we do it?

According to dosomething.org, 40% of teens send a sext for a joke, 34% send naked images or arousing messages to feel sexy, 12% do it because they feel pressured and some engage in sexting to get someone to like them back. While there is no shame in this, Tag ‘21 is here to help you be aware of the potential consequences if you decide to DM your intimate pics.

The law states that “anyone who has or sends indecent images of someone under the age of 18 is breaking the law”. This means sexual pictures of school pupils and many college-age students are in fact illegal. Plus “Both having and distributing images” of this nature is an offence under

"17% OF SEXTERS SHARE THE MESSAGES THEY RECEIVE WITH OTHERS." the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Encouraging someone to take or send ‘sexts’ can also be illegal. Strictly speaking, we shouldn’t be sexting if we’re not old enough to drink alcohol.

Once an image has been taken and sent, the sender has no control over what happens to it and it could be forwarded to anyone. This can be an issue if it ends up in the wrong hands, such as if a couple split up and one person decides to get the other back by sharing their photos with their friends or family (known as revenge porn).

Before you take a picture, it is advisable to think, would you be happy for your parents, colleagues, teacher, friends or a police officer to see it?

Tag ‘21 spoke to Lily Adams, who was 17 when she met her boyfriend, Charlie. He was older and more experienced sexually.

She’d known him for a year or two prior to them getting close, so she really felt like

Faye Cole Design: Jess Scrivener

"DONT FEEL PRESSURED TO DO ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DO!" she knew the kind of person he was. Lily was a bit insecure. Throughout the month of them getting more intimate, she felt as if he was going to lose interest because she didn’t know what she was doing. Then Lockdown started and the only way to be intimate was over the phone. Charlie would send photo after photo, explaining in graphic detail what he wanted to do with or to her. She was flattered and sent a picture back. One photo turned to two, two into three, to a point where she didn’t even know if it was only double digits any more. For five months, there was no sign of anything being wrong or any sign of trust being broken. Until a bad breakup resulted in Charlie sending Lilly’s photos to his friends to show what he once had. This led to a dramatic drop in Lilly’s self esteem and now she has trust issues. She told Tag ‘21 she goes to bed every night, worried about who has her photos and whether this will change her future.

Sexting is a huge phenomenon among our generation and many continue to do it even with the dangers it presents to us. Tag ’21 spoke to Megan Sinclair (18)

from Shinewater. “I have had both good and bad experiences when it comes to sexting. However I feel that if sexting is done between two consenting adults, who are both getting something out of the experience, sexting can be a fun, bonding thing to do with your partner that can bring you closer together.” She spoke about sexting for long distance relationships. “If you are both consenting adults that live far away from each other, it can be a good way of making up for the bonding time you have missed. It can [also] be a good way of communicating what each other wants if you feel embarrassed to say [it] face-toface [...] you can then put these things into practice next time you see each other in real life.”

As growing individuals, we develop and learn new things about ourselves, which may be a result of life experiences, talking to others and our relationships. As with all sexual matters, it is your body, your choice.

Just as the digital world is developing, so are our minds and bodies. Be safe.

Names have been changed.

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BLACK LIVES

MATTER! W

ith over sixty countries coming together to fight injustice, Tag ’21 is talking about Black Lives Matter.

We contacted young people in Britain and the USA who have been affected by racism to find their views on how they think life has changed since the unforgettable protests during the 2020 – the first year of the Coronavirus pandemic. George Floyd’s upsetting story marked a moment when the world had enough. Social media enabled celebrities and influencers to reach out to their followers to try to force a change in the system and to teach people of all ages what anyone of colour goes through.

We interviewed people from different backgrounds asking them the same questions and getting their point of view on the legacy of BLM. Everyone we spoke to had mixed opinions. “…we felt like our voices were being heard” said Maisa aged 19. “…it opened my eyes to what really goes on in our society and that our society still thinks its slavery times with this racial discrimination and targeting” Isiah 20.

“THE MEDIA ARE NOT TAKING IT SERIOUS” AMZ TARIQ, 20 FROM LONDON

Lots of people were involved in the protests during May and June 2020 but to what extent has that made any difference to racism today? Many in the UK said they have experienced it less but “some people aren’t afraid to show their true colours” said Maisa.

Whereas Isaiah Rasheen, 20 in America, said “I notice way more racism, especially in this year alone”. He also said “I fear for my own safety at times” While the British claim they have the word out, in America the stories are different and it seems to have made it worse for those living there. These protests, especially in Minneapolis and London have sent a loud and clear message to those who needed to change but arguably not effective enough to change everyone’s thinking. It shows that there’s still a long way to go. Recently we have seen in major sporting events men and women taking a knee to show support, equality and no room for racism either on the pitch or in society. Unfortunately there has been a backlash as some fans (who

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"BRING JUSTICE FOR FLOYD AND THE MANY PEOPLE AFFECTED

BY RACISM" have recently returned to sporting events after covid) seem to have been emboldened to boo when the knee has been taken.

This has been especially noticeable in football. As well, we have observed a perceived lack of clear leadership in government with the Home Secretary telling GB News that she agrees with the England football fans booing the knee saying “It’s up to fans if they boo.” This is disturbing when a high political figure in this country provides a mixed message on division. Alongside this controversy

“HOW RIDICULOUS IT IS THAT WE’RE STILL FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS” MAISA ALVES we have seen a corresponding escalation on Twitter with ‘England’ fans putting videos up of themselves booing in front of their televisions when the players take the knee. It seems with fans returning to the stadiums the long term issue of racism is not going away and the division between the fans and the players is continuing is getting bigger every time. Will this ever be resolved?

What is the new US president doing about racism? Joe Biden is making the right noises as he pledges ‘actions against systemic racism in all areas of US society’. Let’s hope the words will be followed by action and the ‘leader of the free world’ can give us optimism to tackle racism.

What would you do differently to change attitudes towards racism?

Shazzida Siddika

Design: Jess Scrivener

FOLLOW THIS ACOUNT FOR MORE @blklivesmatter

READ MORE abcnews.go.com/alerts/black-lives-matter www.bbc.co.uk/news/ world-us-canada-52844192

CATFISHING

Amy Critchfield Design: Curtis Kenwright

DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO ONLINE?

C

atfishing – we all know someone who has a story about it.

Arguably today’s biggest predator? A label that evolved along with the increased use of technology in our lives. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary catfishing is ‘the practise of pretending on social media to be something different, in order to trick or attract another person.’ But what does catfishing really mean to us now? Do we all have our own perception, possibly more subjective and influenced by experiences?

Tag ‘21 asked you for your definition of catfishing. The running theme was the idea of pretending to be someone else. Most answers revolved around this concept with words like ‘deception’ and ‘false betrayal’ being used. The motivation behind it was also mentioned. 18 year old Mel Armitage from Hampden Park told Tag “people catfish in order to elicit information, photos or attention from another person.” Despite the conformity of most answers, there seemed to be another theme emerging.

The excessive editing of pictures on social media was touched upon numerous times.

This was in the context of people posting photos, which 17 year old Henry Neville

from Battle described as being “very rarely a true representation of a person’s image.”

This viewpoint, from more than one teenager, strays from the initial definition we encountered from the Cambridge English Dictionary. Could this deception be described as a form of catfishing?

Think about the last photo you posted of yourself online. Was it natural or edited?

Did it take you hundreds of attempts just to get that perfect shot, or was it the first picture you snapped?

Here at Tag we will be the first to hold up our hands and admit we have done this.

We wish to portray the best versions of ourselves to the world and what’s the harm in having pride in our image? Does this make us catfish?

This is where the problem lies. This is not the dictionary definition of ‘catfishing’.

Does this mean the term needs updating?

Has the old ‘catfishing’ been replaced by a more modern version, that’s more innocent and mundane?

While posting a picture that may not be completely transparent is in no way a crime, does it also have negative repercussions? As we scroll through Instagram and see supposed perfect

lives and faces, are we subconsciously comparing ourselves to them? The problem is, the more we compare ourselves, the more we wish for change, while our real beauty lies in the differences.

"WHO YOU ARE IS ENOUGH" Spreading the message that we don’t need to possess these perfect lives in order to be valued is a very important one. Everyone should know they are special and unique and that is what truly matters, less than how many likes you have, where you went on holiday or what you wore. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how big your house looks on your profile.

Who you are is enough and that is the message that must stay with us all.

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2021 UK TOUR DATES OCTOBER Sun 17 BRIGHTON Brighton Centre Mon 18 DUBLIN Olympia Theatre Tue 19 BELFAST Waterfront Hall Thu 21 LEEDS O2 Academy Fri 22 BRISTOL O2 Academy Sat 23 BOURNEMOUTH, O2 Academy Mon 25 GLASGOW O2 Academy Thu 28 PLYMOUTH Pavilions Fri 29 MANCHESTER O2 Apollo Sun 31 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham NOVEMBER Wed 3 NEWCASTLE O2 Academy Sat 6 LONDON Eventim Apollo

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PHOTO: CHUFF MEDIA

‘Life By Misadventure’ Album out now Columbia Records

I'M ONLY HUMAN, AFTER ALL H

RAG'N'BONE MAN ON HIS NEW ALBUM, FATHERHOOD AND TOURING AGAIN

e’s back! Sussex’s favourite son, Rag‘n’Bone Man has returned with his new album, Life By Misadventure.

After his brilliant debut album Human, which has received 600+ million streams on Spotify, he took a break from the music industry. Now he is back with his new album and returned in style with his breathtaking performance with P!nk at the 2021 Brit Awards. On behalf of Tag ‘21, Jenny Entwistle caught up with Rag‘n’Bone Man to discuss the process of producing his new work and life after becoming a father.

Tag: The new album is a step apart from Human sonically, but it feels like a natural progression – are you excited to finally get the music out there as you’ve been sitting on it for about a year?

R’n’BM: Yeah, it sort of feels like I’m starting afresh almost, because it is so different to the last project. [...] It feels good and it does feel like the right time to be releasing it, you know I can’t sit on it forever. The worry was that it would just get put off and put off and put off until ‘everything’s back to normal’. But, you know, I think I really needed this, to be honest.

Tag: You recorded the majority of the album when things were sort of normal back in Nashville, USA. What was it about the city that particularly attracted you to record the majority of the release there?

R’n’BM: It wasn’t really the city, it was more the people, to be honest. It’s hard to explain, Nashville itself and the downtown part of Nashville is like country music Disney. Then when you step outside of that part, then you kind of start to get to know the other parts and it’s really, it’s really beautiful and it’s…. there’s so many great venues and it’s not just country music either, there’s so much more than that. [...]

Nashville, I’ve been there before and I kind of knew a few people.

I’d spoken to Foy Vance about Natalie Hemby, and it would be amazing if I worked with her, so I did some writing with her. I also wrote with Allen Shamblin and Mike Reid – the guys that wrote, “I can’t make you love me” (Bonnie Raitt) which is like, in my top five songs of all time.

Tag: Returning from Nashville you finished the album at home in Brighton. Brighton is also the first date of the UK tour – do you think it’s going to be quite like an emotional gig?

R’n’BM: I’m gonna cry! 100%. It’ll be well emotional because I haven’t sung most of the songs in public before properly.

Apart from a couple... and so I don’t really know how they’re going to make me feel. That’s always the worry that when you

write the songs and you’re in the moment when you write them it’s great, but then when you have to play them in front of people and you have to look people in the face when you’re saying these things, the worry is that it’ll be too emotional. But I’m ready for it.

Tag: What’s the song that you’re most looking forward to people hearing?

R’n’BM: I wrote this song called Alone. It sort of feels a bit 90s, in a way I feel, as [I] listened to a lot of Radiohead at the time, and Oasis and stuff like that. The sonic of it is very much like that, that era of music, but then the subject is really different. It was a conversation I’d have with someone years ago, about the possibility of becoming a parent, and how not everybody wants that. And it’s okay to not want that. As men we don’t really get stick from our families about “Oh, when you’re going to have to settle down” [...] but women do really get that and it made me think...that must be horrible, being constantly pressured. So that’s what the song’s about, the pressure from people to have a family when maybe that’s not what they want. It’s an interesting subject to talk about, it’s kind of sad and it’s kind of a really archaic way of looking at things.

Tag: Then talking about life milestones, since the release of Human you’ve welcomed your son. How do you think your outlook has changed towards your music and your style since becoming a father?

R’n’BM: I think you just become less selfish as a person. It definitely broadens your thought process, but it also makes me a lot more worried about the future so I’ve talked a lot about that on the album. Like, what have I done bringing a child into this world because it’s crazy at the moment. It’s definitely made me a lot more open and a lot more honest. I feel like this record is the most honest I’ve ever been on anything. It’s also made me not so scared of being honest as well.

'I THINK YOU BECOME LESS SELFISH AS A PERSON'

Rag‘n’Bone Man will be touring this autumn around the UK and will perform at the Brighton Centre on Sunday 17 October 2021. Don’t miss it!

Jenny Entwistle, Jacob Cullip Design: Curtis Kenwright 37

BULLYING WHY PEOPLE BULLY AND HOW TO PREVENT IT

B

ullying is a form of repeated physical or physiological oppression against an individual or group of people. It involves any action with intent to humiliate or harm another person, specifically those who are weaker than the bully themself.

Bullying is the purposive targeting of anybody who is vulnerable or of lesser power. It can sometimes go beyond normal conflict when the bully’s behaviour conveys intention to intimidate or frighten the target. A fifth of young people in the UK have been exposed to bullying and harassment in the past year according to a BBC report.

Bullying is often aimed at specific social categorizations. These commonly include age, gender, religion, ethnicity, characteristics, sexual orientation and physical appearance. The effect and consequences can be more marked in the case of some of these categories than others.

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? Some cyberbullying activities are classed as criminal offences under the Malicious Communications Act 1988. The Public Sector Equality Duty of The 2010 Equality Act obliges schools and childcare providers to take steps to prevent and respond to discriminatory language. Schools have the power to intervene in and report bullying incidents outside of school grounds, including in the community, transport and online.

Most bullying incidents are not considered crimes. But when bullying involves clearly illegal actions such as theft, threatening and harassment or assault it should be reported to the police.

SIGNS THAT COULD INDICATE SOMEONE IS BEING BULLIED: • RELUCTANCE TO ATTEND SCHOOL • BECOMING QUIET OR WITHDRAWN • SHOWING SIGNS OF DISTRESS • CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR • SUDDEN, NEGATIVE CHANGE IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE • LOW SELF-ESTEEM • LOSS OF INTEREST IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES • ANXIOUSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH DECLINE 38

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? There are various reasons as to why bullying occurs in the first place and where it stems from. A common cause is the bully’s personal history. Children who have experienced social rejection are more likely to pass it onto others in an attempt to make themselves feel better about their past , it may also come from hostility.

Another reason may be institutional causes, especially in an educational environment. For example if a social setting does not maintain high enough standards for the treatment of others, bullying is more likely to be prevalent.

had ditched me. They used to torment me mentally, they knew I had Asperger’s and used it to their advantage. They would spread false rumours and call me derogatory names and use curse words.

My only source of friends were gone.

I then sought parental help and my mum encouraged me to find a new group.

So I did. A few weeks passed and I made a new friend. He would defend me against any bullies. I finally felt good knowing I had a supportive friend. If I hadn’t sought help and broke my silence I would have ended up in a predicament. Everything worked out in the end.

LOLA’S STORY “At the age of four I had an experience that triggered my anxiety and as time went on this worsened for many reasons.

The bullying began when I was eight, they would call me names and put me down.

This was just the beginning of it all. In senior school it all started again. I was purposely left out and had comments made about me. I remember one girl said to my friend, “You’re not friends with that freak are you?” and my friend replied “No” even though she was. Any confidence I had in myself was destroyed.

I couldn’t get involved in activities, I didn’t leave the house and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I began not eating, not eating was the one thing I had control over. I began feeling depressed and worthless, I didn’t have any motivation to attend school. Anonymous comments online became apparent, where I would be blackmailed. They would say things such as “Your family hate you”, with follow up suicide threats.

I eventually got the courage to contact childline when I was 15. They provided me with a chat service. I had kept everything bottled up for months and it allowed me to talk it through to someone with no judgement.”

ABIGAIL’S STORY Abigail is a 17 year old college student who dreams of becoming a primary school teacher. She was bullied all throughout secondary school and mentions that she had to move several times to escape. “It was very much about my weight, the fact I had a gap in my teeth and my chin.” On some occasions she was actually attacked.

“I was on my lunch break, and was followed to the courtyard.” Abigail says. A girl grabbed her and pulled her hair, and there was another girl recording it. It had got to the point where she was dragged onto the floor and kicked. She basically got jumped.”They’d spit at me, take off my glasses and record it all, thinking it was funny, then send it round to different group chats or post it on their snapchat stories.

WILL’S STORY “My name is Will, I am a 14 year old hiker, runner and boy scout. I was bullied, these bullies were not as bad as others, but it had traumatised me. I have a disorder called Asperger’s Syndrome, a minor form of autism. I find it hard to socialise.

I had a kind group of friends. I enjoyed seeing them everyday. At one point, things had changed suddenly and that group no longer liked being around me. They

If you, or anyone you know feels bullied or harrassed, you need to contact a trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher or someone in a professional role.

Caelin Pearson Design: Jess Scrivener

NATIONAL BULLYING HELPLINE: 020 7923 5500 www.place2be.org.uk

HELPFUL ADVICE ON CYBERBULLYING: www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

"I WAS MENTALLY TORMENTED"

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BACK TO NORMALITY HOW WILL YOU ADAPT?

W

e as a nation are now getting our lives back, after experiencing the utmost isolating, darkest time any of us have ever lived through. Times were hard to say the least, at points it felt as though there was no end. Some took on new hobbies, others found their escape was exercise, some reading, Netflix shows were binged by a few and some were able to continue to work like nothing had changed. Many, however put on their bravest smile and showed no obvious signs they were suffering.

We have been through a lot: 2.5 million deaths globally. Over a year of isolation, social distancing and three national lockdowns. Schools and colleges opening and closing. Exams unsat, after-school activities and socialising with friends was out of the question. We are all in an attempt now to re-adapt to normality. But what is normal? Loneliness? Anxiety? Sleep deprivation?...

Metal health issues relating to to body image have affected teens dramatically in the past year. Studies by the Mental Health Foundation show that among teenagers, 37% feel upset and 31% feel ashamed with regard to their body image.

During the pandemic, it hasn’t exactly been easy to love our bodies. The constant bombardment of an idealised body image by the media certainly didn’t help. The fact that we have been forced to stay inside the majority of the time with too much opportunity to sit staring at TV screens or flicking through our social media accounts to pass the time did not help one’s body image in the slightest.

Another issue that teens face today when adapting to ‘normality’ is sleep deprivation. The Guardian claims one in four people suffer from sleep problems.

Whether it’s due to our lack of motivation to wake up early or being unable to shut off the mind in order to rest at night it is going to have a major impact on both our education and our social lives. For over a year the nation has strongly advised – and for some months forced – people to stay at home. This for most meant lounging around on the sofa or in bed relaxing our bodies for most of the day, so when it comes to bedtime sleep seems almost pointless.

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Teens may now find it difficult to interact and socialize with their friends due to experiencing such a lonely time. When meeting up with friends again it is difficult not to feel anxious, what are you supposed to say? How should you act? What have you done in the past year? It’s difficult, but Tag assures you that you are not alone...not anymore.

ASKING THE EXPERT Tag carried out an interview with Simon Hennings, Mental Health Lead at East Sussex School Health Service. We asked him about mental states during the pandemic and his service’s advice on how to stay on top of your mental health and of worries about returning to school or college.

HOW DO YOU FEEL THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED YOUNG PEOPLE’S MENTAL STATES? That is a difficult question. How do we answer for a generation we are no longer in? But, from talking to young people and their families I would say that for many it has been a really difficult time, not being able to do many of the normal day-today things has led to increased feelings of isolation and loneliness, boredom, low mood, anxiety and worry. I don’t think this is everyone’s experience – some young people have enjoyed spending more time with their family, maybe have enjoyed not having to go to school and the reduced pressure to socialise and be part of the ‘in group’.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO SOMEBODY WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH THE RETURN TO SCHOOL OR COLLEGE? I suppose that depends on why they’re struggling. Are they worried about Covid – either getting it or passing it on? Is it that they have missed so much learning they are worried about catching up? Or is just the thought of going back difficult? Or something else entirely? I would generally say that whatever the difficulty, have an honest look (with some help from a trusted adult, if needed) at what the risks/ benefits are. Ask yourself: “What is the risk

to my future of my going back compared to the medium to long-term risk of not going back?”. If the risk to your future is significant and you’re still struggling to go to college, maybe it is time to seek some extra support.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS YOU HAVE NOTICED IN CHILDREN THAT ARE AFFECTED BY ADAPTING BACK TO SCHOOL? Not keen on easy questions are you! I think it has been a really difficult time for all people, especially young people – you have often made the biggest sacrifice in terms of missing out on things despite the fact that the disease poses little personal risk to you – so I honestly want to say thanks, from my generation to yours – we appreciate it! I think for young people, especially those in a transition year, moving from one school to another or from school to college it has been really tricky to make or maintain friendships and I think this has led to a lot of low mood, feelings of worry and isolation. I think there are lots of feelings of frustration and anger, some specific to exams or other identified issues, some more general about why this is happening at all.

ADAPTING BACK TO NORMALITY IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY FOR ANYONE Georgina Byrne Design: Declan Knevett

MOOD MUSIC

WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU?

M

any phones now tell you which apps you use, and how much time you spend on them. If we want to, we are able see how many hours and minutes a day we have spent listening to music. Music is like an addiction: how many of you have ever thought about going a full 24 hours without opening up Spotify and playing your favourite music? Have you ever asked yourself “Why do I listen to music?”

Tag ‘21 will be exploring the reasons we listen to music and what effect it has on us.

Many of us listen to music because it gives us a boost in confidence and motivates us while we are doing anything from college work to exercise. With a phone and headphones, many of us could walk for miles. In a way, it distracts us from reality and puts us in the zone to focus, feeling as if you’re in your own world as soon as you put in your Airpods.

We wanted to find out some of the genres that you listen to before exploring why we listen to music the way we do. Tag ‘21 spoke with Will Burle (18) a student from ESCG. “The genre of music I listen to falls under the category of Rap/Hip-Hop, whether it’s American or British. The way some artists manage to find the right beat and sing into the mic and make them both flow together is a major talent, it’s a verbal form of art”.

Famous musicians such as Juice WRLD have huge and popular songs about love and heartbreaks. Many of us listen to songs to help get through a relationship break-up and we tend to listen to emotional songs instead of more upbeat and happier music.

At Tag ‘21 we think this is due to the fact that when we are upset, not many of us have the energy or feeling of positivity at that time. It’s all about the mood that the listener is in. That’s where the skip button comes in handy.

Certain songs will be associated with past events and nostalgia. How many times do you hear a track and it instantly brings back a specific memory? Tag ‘21 spoke with an ESCG student, Lizzie Noles (17) who said, “every time I hear some of Travis Scott’s older songs, it instantly takes me back to my last year of school, reminding me of how much of a great time it was. I’m sure there are songs or artists that do the same for others. This makes it more interesting because it makes us, as humans, look back to that time and enjoy the song more for ‘memorabilia’ reasons”.

Music has positive effects on the brain.

Research has shown that it reduces anxiety and blood pressure, increases the ability to withstand pain, helps with falling asleep and affects mood.

Conor Reed (19) explained how he selects the music he listens to. “There is music for every situation, setting or mood, and every single time it will improve that situation. [Music] adds to whatever vibe is already there, if you’re sad, and want to just embrace that sadness, you listen to sad music. It helps, but yet you can also try and get out of that slump by listening to something more uplifting. Music can be motivational, relax you, anything! Music defines moments, there are nights out and other special events that I remember that can be linked to one song. These songs and music makesyou feel nostalgic. Music is important at every stage of your life.”

Hewa Jafar

Design: Jay Wissam Photography: Oscar Tarbox

FOR FURTHER READING:

www.verywellmind.com/ surprising-psychologicalbenefits-of-music-4126866

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CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY EASTBOURNE CAMPUS

What can our course offer you? film making • music videos • documentaries • television shows • journalism • print • web design • media theory • photography • radio • live broadcast• editing • image manipulation • animation • motion graphics • podcasts • typography • scriptwriting • industry-standard software •

The Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology is a full-time course at East Sussex College Eastbourne. It provides a package equivalent to three full A levels and progression to higher education or employment.

COURSE CODE: 5762/010-01 “If you want to pursue a career in the creative media industry and enjoy making new friends along the way, this is the right course for you.”

Curtis Kenwright, second year student Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tagmag21/ For more information visit www.escg.ac.uk Design: Curtis Kenwright Photography: Oscar Tarbox