I’ll be honest: I was a shopaholic (no, seriously). When I lived in New York City, I would go into the Urban Outfitters’s sale section and scour for the best deals. I would do it when I was bored, needed a new scarf to get me through a chilly winter day, and even when I had breaks in between classes at NYU. Throughout the last nine months, I haven’t necessarily relied on online shopping to get me through the days, but it gave me and many other people something to look forward to in a period when not much was happening in our day to day lives. Almost every other day I would see a tweet like “what are we buying today” or “I’m going to shop because I’m sad.” Although there appears to be a social awakening in the U.S., …

I’ve always loved reality television. I started letting her into my life when I was sick in Ecuador during my gap year, listening to a podcast about The Bachelor. I’d never even seen the show, but listening to each podcast episode, I could sense the spirit of camaraderie that comes with viewing and discussing the show. It seems as though many other people across the nation are experiencing the first joys of watching a new reality television show. …

I can’t seem to fall asleep tonight. I’m wrestling with all the life choices I’ve made in the last decade, wondering where I went wrong, how I fucked myself over, and ended up here: Living in my childhood bedroom. For the last eight months, I’ve told my therapist I planned to redo my room. I told my therapist I planned to apply for these jobs and work out more and eat better. Now here I am, sitting on the same bed I slept on at six years old, and I’ve done none of that. Sure, I’ve applied to jobs I never heard back from. I worked out a handful of times and would swim every day when the weather was still nice. I even rearranged my childhood bedroom furniture, so the sunshine would hit my face instead of the back of my head. …

Between Kim Kardashian West posting a detailed Twitter thread about her 40th birthday celebration on a private island and Cardi B posting nonstop about everything from her relationship to presidential debates, celebrities cannot seem to shut up, and in particular, they cannot seem to shut up about themselves. They acknowledge their influence enough to say the right things, but fail to do the right things and provide good examples, like wearing a mask and social distancing.

Over the last eight months, I’ve found it particularly difficult to grasp that we are in fact living through a pandemic. Secluded in suburbia, I rarely leave the house enough to know what is going on in the world beyond what I see on the internet or the news. It doesn’t help that the rest of entertainment continues to produce content, with weekly episodes of SNL and The Bachelorette reminding me that the world still moves forward, if you’re privileged enough to have the resources. The only performers I’ve seen wear a mask on stage in the last eight months are Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande at the VMAs back in August, proving it is not impossible to sing with a mask on. Meanwhile, almost every other artist performs mask-free, noting they’ve taken “precautions” — without regard for the people surrounding them, and those tuning in to watch. …

Laying in bed last night, I contemplated staying up to watch Ariana Grande’s music video for her new single, “Positions.” After clenching my jaw through a less grueling, final presidential debate, I was fatigued (and envious of the smarter people who just didn’t watch for their mental health). I spent the hour after the debate looking at jobs and bookmarking the ones I would apply to in the morning. Then I got ready for bed, ready to collapse. It was 11:48 — could I really make it through another 12 minutes to get a glimpse of Grande’s newest era?

Like most people, I watched TikTok to pass the time. Then, as the countdown began on YouTube, and I waited patiently this time, I wondered what I could possibly see — and then I saw it: The White House. Over the next two-plus minutes, I would watch Ariana Grande play different “positions” throughout the White House — from cook to President, in 1960s fabulous garb. While I saw people tweeting, “This is the president we want!” and “Yes, Jackie Onassis!” I thought to myself, is this really what we want? …

For what seems like the tenth year in a row, Chris Pratt reigns again as the internet’s Worst Chris (compared to the likes Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Pine). Year after year on Twitter, random people assess who is the “worst Chris” — all in good fun — but this year, his Marvel colleagues had something to say about Pratt’s unanimous win. Fellow Marvel alums, from Robert Downey Jr. to James Gunn, defended Pratt on Tuesday against not only the online trolls, but the sincere critics of Pratt’s support of The Hillsong Church, a notoriously anti-LGBTQ organization.

During a time of unrelenting turmoil, celebrities still have something to say, and it has nothing productive to do with the dismantling of systemic racism or patriarchy. It has everything to do with ego and reputation. Mark Ruffalo attempted to settle the online fun by making Pratt’s apolitical stance, political, stating, “You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life. He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now.” This is the same man that consoled Chris Evans online after he accidentally exposed himself online, tweeting, “Bro, while Trump is in office there is NOTHING you could possibly do to embarrass yourself. See… silver lining.” …

The other day, my villager Blaire turned to me and said, “I do hope Lilac Cove life is everything you’d hoped for.” Blaire, a snooty squirrel villager, was the first resident of Lilac Cove to gift me her photo — the ultimate indicator of friendship on Animal Crossing. The moment she uttered those words to me, I felt a sort of kinship that transcended the game. …

Robin Eisenberg seems like she’s everywhere online, especially on Instagram. The visionary LA-based artist illustrates vivid, yet soothing intergalactic dreamscapes. Often, women of all sizes are at the center of her work, indulging in their desires, whether that be eating pizza or making out. While self-care may never always be at the center of her work, empowering imagery of women embracing who they are, through the female gaze allows followers and fans alike to relax a bit. There’s a sense of comfort in consuming art that feels like it’s naturally made for you.

And that art comes at an affordable rate. Eisenberg sells prints of her work starting at $15, phone cases at $20, and tote bags at $30 on her website. She also shares phone backgrounds on her Instagram account for all followers to screenshot and display her art wherever, whether that be on their phones, hanging on apartment walls, or hanging off their shoulders. …