Nothing and Everything

Purity tests, the price of lip balm, Glossier in Australia and the right to disconnect.

I have nothing and everything to write about this week. Just a series of thoughts that don’t feel as if they can be expanded into anything more than a few lines. So, I have collated them all here for you.

RICE PURITY TEST

Why am I not surprised that a university in Houston, Texas has a 100-question survey for participants to determine how ‘innocent’ they are? Whilst the survey was supposedly started off as a joke by the school paper, it seems it’s now circulating, as it was my Year 10 students that introduced me to the test. Question 1 asks whether you’ve ever held hands romantically whilst number 100 asks if you’ve engaged in bestiality. Pretty much all the questions are sexual. None of them are anyone’s business. They naturally involve judgement around STIs, pregnancy and your criminal record. I don’t think I need to spell out how fucked up this is, but celebrating ‘innocence’, I’m horrified.

LIP BALM

It seems as if the internet is obsessed with lip balm. Multiple articles, listicles, and sponsored pieces around the internet’s favourite lip balms, or more specifically TikTok’s favourite lip balms. My main question is who can afford all these lip balms? The often-referenced Laneige lip balm is $31. I feel like this is something I would have justified once upon a time but now I see it for what it is – too expensive. It used to be that lipstick sales went up in the time of a recession, now it’s as if moisturised lips will save the planet. We are very good at convincing ourselves that ‘skincare’ is self-care. On the weekend, a friend reminded me of this, we think that these things are essentials, when they’re not. They’re luxuries. 

THE CAREER LANDSCAPE

It is that time of the year again when Year 12 Students begin attending University Open Days and trying to formulate a plan that’s rooted in reality. As a Media teacher, I often think about, and have written about, the industry which we are preparing students for. There has been much talk of ‘Portfolio Careers’ lately. These put the individual at the centre so they can control and manage several jobs and, in some instances, facets of their career. They also, however, highlight the unstable job market for many people in many industries who must juggle many things to make their career feasible. The general energy surrounding your portfolio career will probably come from the level of necessity vs. that of desire.

GLOSSIER

Emily Weiss’ cool girl-no-makeup-makeup has come to Australia 10 years after its initial launch. I have read a lot about how this just feels too late, which I agree with for a few reasons. We’ve all kind of moved on in the makeup space with so many more brands available for consumers. The heat has come off Glossier a bit. And, as with most retail in Australia it feels very reactive as opposed to proactive. I would love for retailers to introduce me to brands as opposed to reflecting what is popular online. And by online I mean TikTok.

THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

Apparently, this is a thing France introduced in 2017 and it looks like it’s coming to Australia. In short, the Australia Fair Work act will now include policies around workers having permission to disconnect digitally. As I learnt from the article, The right to disconnect is coming to Australia. What does this mean for you? on The Conversation. Apparently, we are all working 5.4 extra hours a week. I don’t have the best gauge on work life balance, I work in education. But I agree that people shouldn’t be punished for not replying to emails after hours.