Looking for writers to contribute to an independent commentary site. Read on if interested —
I’m looking for writers to contribute to an independent commentary & analysis site I run. The website link is here. The website, Growing up Alienated, is entirely ad-free and reader-funded.
The long-term goal is to focus on growing this website and bring on more contributors, so we have more autonomy over the platform and the content we publish.
Guidelines
On a flawed decision and the impending fallout
“So let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I want to thank you all. God bless you and God bless America. Thank you all for being here, this is incredible. Thank you very much. Thank you.”
Those were the final words spoken by US President Donald Trump at the ‘Save America’ rally on January 6, 2021.
Days following the events at the US Capitol, the House voted to impeach Trump. For the second time.
The reason for impeachment? “Incitement of insurrection.”
The charge isn’t surprising given the events leading up to this day — though opinions vary on whether impeachment should or…
Fomenting division through clicks
The following is an excerpt from my latest article posted to Growing up Alienated. Check out the full article here.
Everyone has an opinion. And when it comes to social justice issues, anything goes. Or rather, anything goes if the white person is on the receiving end of the blame. Condemning the white monolith is so in vogue that you won’t be cancelled or criticized by espousing hate and condemnation of an entire swath of people on the basis of their whiteness. If anything, you will be lauded for helping white people seek penance for their sins. All you have…
Reflections on the changing environmental movement
10 years after conservationist Rachel Carson laid down the foundation for the environmental movement, the concept of ‘sustainability’ started entering the mainstream, first appearing in the 1972 book, Limits to Growth. In the book, the authors looked at a study conducted by a team of MIT researchers who examined the implications of worldwide growth using computer modelling. The researchers found that the global ‘system of nature’ cannot support a growing population, even with the help of advanced technology.
According to the book’s authors, the solution to sustaining a growing population was to impose limits on the way we live our…
On the practice of ‘watching’ for entertainment
The upside of the pandemic is that it galvanized many people to reflect on their lives and find ways to better themselves: some changed careers, others wrote books, and some people even started businesses.
I didn’t have the same ambitions.
Quite the opposite, amid the pandemic, I found even more ways to waste time. The pandemic fuelled my already-spiralling binge-watching habit — a coping mechanism I’m sure. …
On commodity activism and its discontents
At the height of racial and social unrest in the U.S. and around the world, some took to the streets to fight for racial equality, while others, notably digital activists and influencers, came together to promote Black-owned businesses as a way to subvert power through consumption. This trend continued into the holiday season: retailers and activists are now encouraging consumers to purchase gifts with a social justice message, notably an anti-racist message.
Digital Activism More Rampant Among Young Americans
While commodity activism isn’t new, it seems to be more popular than ever, especially among younger people. Cause & Social Influence, a research group focused on young Americans…
Update: I finally got a mailing list in order. If you want to read more of my articles (many of which are not published on Medium), I encourage you to…
Why finding your dream job is overrated — and unrealistic
“Find your passion!”
“Quit your dead-end job today!”
“Manifest your destiny!”
Do any of these refrains sound familiar to you?
For many of us, growing up we are bombarded with messages to strive for that elusive Dream Job. In high school, we are already thinking about our careers — a big decision to make at such a young age — and one that causes undue stress, no doubt.
There are entire industries built to tell us how to find our dream jobs. We take career tests, meet with career counsellors, read self-help books, conduct informational interviews, plot out our strengths…
On the normalization of book banning
Ideological warfare is more rampant than ever, particularly in post-modern societies — it seems people are more divisive, defensive, and reactionary. Our shift towards ideological purity has reared its head in various ways — one of these is through literature.
In September, middle and high school English teachers in Burbank, California, were told they would have to remove the following books from their curriculum: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Theodore Taylor’s The Cay and Mildred D. Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The reason? …
Trudeau is full of promises, but empty on action
The Canadian government recently introduced a bill to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050 — but unfortunately, much like the government’s climate emergency declaration in June 2019, it falls flat in a big way.
Firstly, the first five-year emissions-reduction target is set for 2030, which directly conflicts with mounting evidence that climate change must be tackled in the next decade to prevent irreversible damage. The bill, introduced as an “accountability framework,” also buys the government ample time to sidestep responsibility while claiming to be proactive about climate policy. By the time the first target rolls around, Trudeau will be long…
