Population Growth and Decline: What happens when we hit the 8 billion mark?
The population boom in the 20th century was not a one-day miracle. Demographic transitions during the mid-18th century laid the foundation for this exponential growth. Until the mid-18th century, Europe and other parts of the globe faced high mortality rates…
The Resurgence of Far-right Sentiments in Modern-Day Politics
On September 25, the general election in Italy has practically confirmed the Brothers of Italy leader, Giorgia Meloni, to be the first female prime minister of the country. According to CNN, Meloni is marshaling the most far-right regime since Mussolini's…
The Little Mermaid – Swimming in Controversy
Anyone who has spent any amount of time on the pop-culture side of the internet recently knows that racist people are being, well, racist again. The recent publication of a teaser trailer for Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid,…
Is the Hindu-Muslim Conflict Isolated to South Asia?
For years, I haven't been a practicing Hindu. My relationship with my faith is a little hazy; like any awake person, I have my doubts. My name, 'Puja', is an automatic give away as to what my religion is. The…
The Attack on Salman Rushdie is Part of a Larger, Years-Long Campaign Against Freedom of Speech
Freedom of expression has been a heavily debated fundamental right for years. Most constitutions explaining this right have some loopholes which make us question: Where is the line? Ideally, the line should be hate speech. But, how do we categorize…
Why Performative Activism is Harmful
In today’s world of social change and with ‘woke’ culture, activism is all around us. Be it for social justice, animal rights, gender equality, global warming, or education, activists undoubtedly play a crucial role in keeping governments and policies in…
Why Sexism in Ads Still Persist Today (in a Different Way Than You Expect)
Sprite’s 2016 ‘Brutally Refreshing’ ad campaign brutally offended women with lines like “She’s seen more ceilings than Michelangelo” and “You’re not popular, you’re easy”, the 2020 Peloton’s holiday commercial portraying a Black Mirror version of the happy housewife and the…
Khaled Hosseini’s Daughter Comes Out as Transgender and is Met with Support and Opposition
Afghan-born American writer Khaled Hosseini is best known for his novels The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and many more. The bestselling author whose work has been under light for both literary and political criticism, took to social media…