Trendspotting

By Erin Carney, Junior

What’s the latest in student life on the UA campus?  Here are some observations from our first trendspotter.  CAUTION PARENTS:  some of this information may be surprising to you.

Technology

If students are buying a computer, they are looking more closely at Apple computers, and all the benefits that come with them (ie. iPod, iPhone, etc)

There is little interaction when walking around campus, most people are constantly listening to their iPods or texting, or simply both.

Facebook, and the constant applications that allow you to proclaim your political affiliation, your religious beliefs, and even more recently the ability for churches to have Facebook sites, and its members being able to "friend" their ministers/pastors/etc.

Constant email connection, and the ability to access the Internet regardless of where and when (this is only aided by the new iPhone).

YouTube and everything you can watch on it. The constant addition of homemade videos is a regular topic and everyone seems to always know the newest and most funny video.

The latest technology to have, which I think is winning over the iPhone, is the Blackberry, it is becoming a sign of status.

Reality TV shows (Real world, A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, The Hills), and those dating shows are always on student television sets.

Fashion

Designer sunglasses for men and women are all the rage, it makes a huge statement and is becoming the first thing people look at when looking at your face.

Shirts or bags and other trinkets that announce your political beliefs or show your opinion on a current issue are becoming popular again (in particular all the Ron Paul shirts and proclaiming your feelings in regards to environmental issues).

The super casual, thrown together look is all over campus. It looks as though people just jump out of bed and come to class, but in reality spend quite a bit of time achieving their desired “too casual to care” look.

American Apparel and other clothing stores that show you care about how your clothes are made (but most often people wear the clothing because they are "in" and not because they understand what the principles behind them are).

Current Events

More and more attention being paid to current events and what is going on in the world, and the ability to be able to jump into conversations at a whim.

The HPV shot that has now become the topic of choice when visiting the gynecologist, it is now a thing to do with your friends, go together to get the shot and remind each other to go get the second and third shots. Women on campus are becoming a minority if they have no received the shot.

Economically-friendly everything: from paper to clothing to basic house supplies.

Health And Wellness

Drinking games, mostly involving hard alcohol, are becoming very popular. People play them while getting ready to go out, to watching a movie with friends, or simply with the old-fashioned card games.

Kegs and keg stands at parties are also in, and girls who participate in keg stands are often applauded.

Tanning is also huge on the UA campus, and even though I am fully against the use of tanning salons to enhance what you receive from the sun daily, people are simply obsessed with going and tanning to maintain that constant summer glow.

I think guys on campus are starting to care not only what their bodies look like (hence their daily trips to the gym) but also their clothing and their jeans.

Financial Health

Credit card debt, student loan debt, DEBT in general; it is starting to become more and more the norm for students to have debt, and more acceptable to talk about their debt openly.

Coffee, and racking up the bill at Starbucks during numerous trips a day.