VIRAL NEWS: strict parents, slumber parties & pranks
A peek into the topics buzzing at Cassandra
Yes, it is Friday - happy almost weekend to our readers. And, it is time for our weekly recap of viral news. While much of the viral news this past week has been discussions about the campus protests, a few other stories - of clearly lighter fare - have gotten Gen Zs talking as well.
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ARE WE TOO STRICT?
On Tuesday, Jeanette Tapley, posted a TikTok asking if they were strict parents. Many of their house rules are around the use (or, more aptly, restriction) of devices, but they also have the “one blanket per person” rule. The original post has now garnered over 10 million views, and generated multiple videos in response to the many comments. This was a particularly interesting story to us here at Cassandra, since in parallel we’ve been following the attention that Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, has created around #phonebasedchildhood. In fact, the author and professor this week announced a new collaboration with Oprah.
SLUMBER PARTY!
The one blanket per person rule also came in handy this week for Principal Dr. Miguel Balaseram, or “Dr. B” as he is known by his students. Seniors at the Miami Arts Studio snuck into his home for a slumber party - unbeknownst to him. The senior prank was captured on film and now has over 12 million views on TikTok. But don’t worry, everyone was home for bedtime, as Dr. Balaseram pointed out in an interview with local media.
A NEW TRADER JOE’S?
In another #seniorprank, seniors in Maryland created a “coming soon” sign to highlight the opening of a new Trader Joe’s in the area, with a QR code for details. However, on further inspection, it was clear it was a prank, as the QR code directed viewers to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up. A great song for us as we head into the weekend...