Tabula Rasa Issue 01

TABULA RASA May 2021 | Issue 01 DPSGN XII-C SMOECDIAIAL \"...INDISPENSABLE OR SUPERFLUOUS.\"

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABULA RASA: THE THE GENERATIONAL SMALL IS THE NEW BIG: ETYMOLOGY GAP IN SOCIAL MEDIA GO HOMEMADE By Sukrit Bhatnagar By Paawni Singh By Husnal Kaur (Page 4-5) (Page 6-7) (Page 8-9) FROM STUDENT TO MENTAL HEALTH ANONYMOUS RANT TEEN ENTREPRENEUR COLUMN COLUMN By Ira Chawla By Paawni Singh By Anonymous (Page 10) (Page 12-13) (Page 14) QUIZANTINE WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND THE POWER OF SOCIAL By Nishank Sankritya TODAY MEDIA...QUITE (Page 15) By Paawni Singh & LITERALLY Midhat Mustajab By Sukrit Bhatnagar and SOCIAL MEDIA: A (Page 16) Asmi Sharma SOURCE OF (Page 18-19) INSECURITY? By Shreya Tewari SOCIAL MEDIA: A FOMO: THE FEAR OF (Page 20-21) DOUBLE EDGED SWORD MISSING OUT By Alina Shahid and By Suhina Singh Nandini Sharma (Page 23) (Page 22) WHAT NO ONE TELLS SOCIAL MEDIA: AN DISCONNECT YOU ARTIST'S FREELANCE By Pragya Singh By Nishank Sankritya CANVAS (Page 28) (Page 24-25) By Midhat Mustajab (Page 27) AESTHETICA: THE ART COMIC STRIP COLUMN By Kaashvi Vasishth THE \"I'LL STUDY AFTER By Various Artists (Page 29) THIS\" CLUB (Page 32) By Asmi Sharma, Divya Bhati & Ananya Singh (Page 30-31) PRADA DIET A RECIPE OF OPINIONS IN A LINE By Husnal Kaur & Ananya YESTERYEARS By Sukrit Bhatnagar Singh By Parv Khanna (Page 36) (Page 33-34) (Page 35) MEET THE TEAM (PAGE 37-38) Tabula Rasa | Index

Image Credits: Pinterest FROM THE AD NUNTIUM CORE TEAM

T A B U L A R A S A : By T H E E T Y M O L O G Y Sukrit Bhatnagar “Tabula Rasa emphasizes an individual's freedom to author his or her own soul.”- John Locke Tabula Rasa literally translates to a blank slate or an erased tablet. Implicitly, it refers to the human brain, more specifically the paucity of innate knowledge. Ibn Sina, a Persian Philosopher in the 13th century said \"Human intellect at birth resembled a Tabula Rasa, a pure potentiality that is actualized through education and comes to know.\" Tabula Rasa signifies an originary state of formlessness. Tabula Rasa as a theory promotes individuality, freedom and creativity. This sums up our goals and aspirations for this magazine: a blank slate every month, a new theme every month; New pieces to write, new columns to create, new opinions to exhibit, new stories to tell, new voices to broadcast. In this magazine, we make an attempt to show you the world from the perspective of teenagers, be it major issues and controversies or something as simple as which songs are kids “bopping to” these days, whilst also proactively trying to present the whole picture. For the very first edition of the magazine, we decided to focus on something indispensable yet superfluous: Social Media. In today’s world, where everything is connected to the internet from your smartwatch to your refrigerator, Social Media has become an integral part of people’s life. In the world where every picture taken is “for the ‘gram” and posting on social media about everything in 4 | Tabula Rasa

one’s life has become people’s second nature, do the originally propounded benefits of social media platforms still exist or have they faded away in this dark side of the internet overshadowed by scams, cyber-bullying and skiving. Or In today’s world, where social media has provided a platform and has acted as a mental health and identity safe space for the members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the differently-abled and people struggling in general, in their lives. In a world where people are becoming more and more aware about issues like sexism, racism and suppression of free speech and media because of social media, do its so-called ravages even exist or have they been overshadowed by the knowledge, emotional support, camaraderie on social media these days? In this edition of Tabula Rasa, we shall make an attempt to shed some light on both of these motifs. 5 | Tabula Rasa

THE GENERATIONAL GAP IN SOCIAL MEDIA By Paawni Singh “Are ‘ok boomer’ jokes offensive? Are we, Gen Z, turning into sensitive snowflakes and ruining our lives? Are we naïve idiots who don’t know anything but like to pretend that we’re the most brilliant geniuses to ever roam this floating rock?” These and many other questions reflect a generational gap, particularly on social media. Social media has come to be an integral part of everyone’s lives in the past few decades. The already existing generation gap acquired a whole new dimension as families around the world gained access to the internet. Generation gap refers to the chasm that separates the thoughts expressed by members of two different generations. In the context of social media, this gap is reflected in the varied opinions about its use, preferred sites/applications and the way of using these sites as a form of self-expression. Teenagers and young adults may find a meme hilarious but the same piece of media may not be equally amusing for their parents or grandparents. A mother might love spamming her followers with baby photos of her grown-up son, but he may find this extremely embarrassing. Today, the Gen Z Vs Millennials debate has gathered attention, with each side trying their best to prove themselves superior (in a light-hearted manner, of course). ‘Ok boomer’, an early 2020 meme, felt ‘offensive’ and ‘ageist’ to some people. Just like every other meme, it was a harmless joke, aimed at rigid elders unwilling to consider the opinions of the younger folks. 6 | Tabula Rasa

The kind of jokes and trends considered ‘cool’ is different for each generation. The internet has given a platform to everyone for voicing their opinions on every possible matter. This has allowed our generation to gain more knowledge than ever before. Political opinions are by far, the most controversial topic to talk about on social media. This too, has a generational dimension, with elderly people feeling disrespected when their traditional conservative ideas are rejected by an increasingly broad-minded population of young people. The generation gap in social media often leads to heated arguments. If we all are willing to display patience, open-mindedness and a non-judgemental attitude towards each other, surfing through the vast world that we call the internet will be a pleasant experience for everyone. 7 | Tabula Rasa

SMALL IS THE NEW BIG: GO HOMEMADE By Husnal Kaur I had SO many clothes that I had bought in the past, but never even worn once due to Great ventures start from small various reasons. And of course, my interest in beginnings, hence the saying \"A big fashion, clothes and shopping could be best business starts small\". served through doing this. So I talked to people who were already in the business and Being quarantined has indubitably researched how I would have to go about helped a lot of people broaden their everything. By and by, I made a social media creative purview. page for my thrift store and started posting all While social media has always been a the products. It took a hot minute for my rat race for attention, perfection and business to get established, but once it did, acceptance, quarantine surely put it to there was no looking back. I started sourcing better use. With everyone going into a clothes not only from my own wardrobe but 'productive race' and wanting to come from outside too. out of quarantine as a new and better version of themselves, the trend of 8 | Tabula Rasa opening small businesses among teenagers has also emerged. I would like to put down my outlook on this by sharing my personal experience as a small business owner. I honestly have always kept thinking of ways to earn money as a teenager, so that I don't have to look to my parents to buy me every teeny weeny thing I need. With so many trends coming up on social media during the lockdown, opening a thrift store as a small business appealed the most to me.

Small businesses definitely are the best thing to happen to teenagers. Making your own money makes one feel self-sustaining, confident and unquestionably makes one proud of themselves and gives a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment at a young age. Not only that but knowing that your parents take pride in what you're doing has to be one of the most ecstatic feelings. Not only does owning a small business make you more independent, but it also helps teenagers learn the value of money and inculcate entrepreneurship skills that have come to become essential in today’s world. The money we spend without thinking twice just because we don't have to do the hard work to earn it, is actually very hard to expend when we're the ones breaking our backs. To put it another way, owning a small business makes you thrifty. Small businesses have also led to the shift from shopping from fast fashion brands to slow fashion brands which is a tremendous step in favour of environmental sustainability and social well being of labourers. Plastic is immensely used for packaging in fast fashion brands, whereas most homemade brands use sustainable packaging and try to make each package cutesy with a small customised handwritten note and freebies so that all the customers feel well pleased upon receiving their order. They also offer a more personalized customer service as they are the ones handling everything single-handedly. Small businesses provide handcrafted products made with love at a very affordable price. Teens sell their paintings, handmade clay/beaded jewellery, sewed clothes, painted denims, food etc. There are honestly so many things one can sell on social media to make money. To summarise my article, I would like to say that small businesses have made social media more than just a stage to showcase ourselves a certain way through photos and a platform that adds to our insecurities seeing others’ beautiful photos, but also a platform to present your talent and creativity and make assets through them. Thus, small is the new big. #GoHomeMade #SupportSmallBusiness 9 | Tabula Rasa

FROM STUDENT TO TEEN ENTREPRENEUR By Ira Chawla This includes your logo and brand name which must be relevant, easily identifiable and 'Bright ideas come from dark times’ catchy. I named my business ‘Sweet Rhapsody’. As the quote suggests, in every adversity lies an opportunity and this has never Social Media is an indispensable part of any been more accurate than in the current business and its power cannot be denied. It Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, I decided to helps you showcase your business to the take this time as an opportunity to start world. It helped me start my business venture, my own business which was possible all especially because of the pandemic. My because of social media. Ever since I business started with just an Instagram page was a child, I’ve had a passion for baking and even now I receive all my orders on and the joy it gave others. In 2020, I Instagram itself. [Instagram decided to take things a step further by @sweet_.rhapsody] What makes social honing this skill and utilising my time at media (especially Instagram) so impactful is home by turning my passion into a the fact that it is easy to set up and is an business. extremely visual platform. The first step in my journey was As the number of orders soared, I regularly identifying a skill that could be turned into started posting Instagram stories, tagging a business which, for me, was baking. I customers and asking them to repost if they wanted to put my skills to the test and enjoyed my products. Social media made it earn my own money to be independent. very easy to interact with customers. Slowly, My dad was instrumental in motivating as my business grew, I gained confidence in me to take this step. My mother and myself. sister, too, have constantly supported me throughout my journey. An important lesson to learn in brand building on social media is to get organic followers The second step was coming up with a and build a loyal customer base. It is often plan. This included making decisions assumed that only businesses with thousands regarding the logo and the brand name of followers succeed. But, in my case, even as well as the target audience. I made though my follower base is small, all of them sure that all my products are vegetarian have come organically. This is the reason to make them accessible to all. Finding a why I get orders. How frequently you post and wholesaler to source ingredients and the kind of content you post is also very finalising a menu with profitable margins important. Since reels are the current trend, I is also very important because your film the whole process of my cake creations, business needs to be sustainable in engaging my customers and building my order to survive. This included page. continuous trial-and-error. Getting the feedback was also crucial for finalising Starting your own small business is definitely my menu. not easy. From making the menu to creating the actual products, from creating content for The third and the most crucial step is the social media to engaging with audiences, it's implementation of the plan and brand truly a mammoth task for an individual. But building. This is where most people fail seeing your creations bring a smile to others because it requires believing in yourself and lighting up their occasions is what makes and the ability to take a plunge. This is all the efforts worth it, especially in the dark the stage where your plan will be put into times of this pandemic. action. Brand building is the process of So if you have a passion or an even idea, generating awareness and promotion of this is the right time, start small but always the services of a company. dream big. 10 | Tabula Rasa

10 ANONYMOUS -ORNUSCOHCI TIAELWMAERDI IA RAOBKENACTYACUTOSOELVUIETNM'STN AN INITIATIVE BY TABULA RASA MENTAL HEALTH COLUMN NO JUDGEMENT, NO INDIFFERENCE.

MENTAL HEALTH COLUMN BY PAAWNI SINGH ...SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE IN SILENCE For the longest time, conversations issues with oneself, about various surrounding mental health have, disorders, when and how to seek especially in our country, to a large professional help, etc. These pages are a extent, continued to be a taboo. The great way of getting the conversation situation was exponentially worse back about mental health started. They help in the ‘non-internet’ days. The create a community where everyone feels emergence of social media has allowed that their voice will be heard and that room for mental health discourse to mental health is not something to toss take place among common folks like away. you and me. People have begun acknowledging the importance of Several people share their own struggles mental health in the overall well being with anxiety, depression, etc on social of an individual. Social media has media. They get a forum where they are greatly helped in spreading awareness, heard and believed. Even if your family making resources highly accessible and and friends do not believe them or claim also in creating a virtual safe space. The that it is ‘not real’, you can always log in conservative notions held by people for and pour out their worries. Someone will a really long time are being challenged surely lend an ear and support you, make as we progress towards creating a more you feel less lonely. Nowadays, many warm and accepting environment. therapists give online consultations and/or provide information about their In recent times, extremely informative clinics on social media. This has made pages have come up on various social professional help easily accessible. media sites. These pages post about Memes and lighthearted discussions on various aspects of mental health and social media about going to therapy have create a platform for people to feel helped normalized seeking help in times comfortable and realise that they are of distress. not alone. They post about taking care of oneself, spotting mental health 12 | Tabula Rasa

There have been attempts of anti-cyberbullying campaigns, though this doesn’t seem to be enough, as individuals continue to get harassed regularly. This seems to be a serious problem among school and college-going students. Those who conform to the generation’s norms and keep up with trends are considered ‘cool’. Those who don’t fit this perfect image are made the ‘outsiders’. Those who rebel are termed as ‘too radical’ or ‘too sensitive’. So much for a virtual world that seems so diverse and accommodating. But this doesn’t stop anyone from creating a place for themselves and others like them, a safe haven, where nobody will judge them or call them names. Thus, social media has given people a platform to learn, to let their heart out, to feel like they belong, to seek help and to know that they are not alone. 13 | Tabula Rasa

ANONY Social media really is an endless spiral of MOUS delusions. We step into the wilderness of RANT social media without once looking back and COLUMN let it crawl in our brains, forever reflecting in our minds an image of self-hatred. Social A place where you can let it all out media robs you away from your innocent reality and replaces it with a picturesque illusion, which most people lose their sanity going after. To be honest, giving everything up and starting a new life in the woods sounds bizarre. You don’t know anybody, and nobody knows you. But then the realization hits- what if you miss an update from that TV show that you love so dearly? Or your beloved Youtuber? Well, these things may seem minuscule initially, but as time passes, you’ll find yourself becoming more and more fretful. You will yearn for social media, eventually. That is why I think I have a love-hate relationship with social media. Even though it may get in the way of my endeavours sometimes, it becomes obligatory in the end. -Anonymous N O M 1A4D|I TCab|ula2R4asa

QUIZANTINE! Should you uninstall all the social media apps on your phone and go back to the pre-Zuckerberg era? - Nishank Sankritya Answer these questions with a 'yes' or 'no.' Count the number of questions you answered in affirmation and negation to know your score and the outcome. 1.Do you find yourself scrolling through social media often for hours without realizing what time it is? 2.Do you find it addicting and irresistible to leave your mobile after scrolling for hours? 3.When you wake up do you pick up your mobile, first thing in the morning? 4.Do you find social media toxic in any sense and continue to use it? 5.Do you find informative posts on social media and do you actually read them? 6.Do you have the urge to post everything that’s happening in your life? 7.Do your friends, parents or your teachers tell you that you use gadgets excessively and don’t give them any time? 8.Do you spend more than 2 hours a day on social media? 9.Do you use more than 2 social media platforms regularly? 10.Do you believe that social media has torn you apart from the real world? If you answered 7-10 questions with a 'no', congratulations! You seem to be using social media pretty judiciously. Kudos to you! Give us mere mortals some tips on how you do it, please. If you answered 4-6 questions with a 'no', well you know what I'm going to say already, you could use some time off kiddo. You're pretty much like the rest of us. We all need a break from social media. If you answered 0-3 questions with a 'no', go back the pre-Zuckerberg era. Wipe your existence off of social media like you just got put on the FBI most wanted list. 15 | Tabula Rasa

YADOT DNIM RUOY NO S'TAHW Q1) What are your thoughts on the students working together on this magazine? A1) It is a great medium for the students to work as a team and showcase their creativity whilst also keeping them engaged while staying at home. Q2) How often do you use social media? How has your experience been on social media so far? A2) My entire day is spent on either Whatsapp or my laptop. The only time when I’m not using social media is probably when I’m asleep. My experience has been mixed. Its positive impact was that I got to learn about new tech tools that helped me take online classes[still lots to learn]. On the other hand, my eyesight deteriorated due to long hours of screen time. Q3) Was it difficult adjusting to the online mode of teaching? Did social media play a role in making communication easier? A3) No, it wasn’t so difficult. I was able to catch up well, Though I feel like I still need to learn a lot. Yes, various social media platforms helped me stay well connected. Q4) In your opinion, has the consistent connectivity achieved through the internet impacted (all of) us positively or negatively? A4) I think it has impacted all of us more negatively than positively. Q5) Do you see any differences in the way people of different generations use social media? A5) Yes, today people use social media way more than our generation when computers were just introduced. Q6) How do you see the importance of social media changing in the future? A6) That time is not far when all social life will be limited to social media only. There will be lot more innovations in social media provided it's used mindfully and not abused [Which is something I am afraid of happening] Interviewed by Midhat Mustajab and Paawni Singh -Ruchi Tewari 16 | Tabula Rasa Social Science Dept. DPSGN

OUR TAKE IMAGE CREDITS: GETTY Opionionated teens on monthly themes

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA...QUITE LITERALLY BY SUKRIT BHATNAGAR AND ASMI SHARMA THERE IS NO SECRET FORMULA. YOU NEED TO WORK HARD AND TRAIN WELL TO BE THE BEST- RONNIE COLEMAN Social media has especially influenced how we perceive health and fitness. Health and fitness on social media has become a totally separate industry, giving rise to the popular term “fitfluencer” or a fitness influencer. Fitness and health on social media is a double-edged sword. One can find tons of misinformation and nugatory trends along with a lot of genuine knowledge from the greatest in the field One of the hardest things about exercising is pushing yourself to your limits. In the initial stages, when you’ve just begun, it is difficult to maintain consistency. You often see people giving up on their “30-day\" workout plans or diet plans. Another reason why people give up on their workouts is that it seems unrealistic. The trainer you’re following doesn’t seem to be sweating or in pain as compared to you gasping on the floor. This is where social media comes in. Be it as simple as the comment section of a youtube video or actual reviews of a workout plan, seeing remarks like “this was so difficult” or “I barely got through that last part”, lift you up and motivate you to push yourself. Another reminder is that your trainer has gotten years of experience and is levelled up to the point that it’s their job. They understand the pain you’re going through as they’ve experienced it firsthand. On the guys’ side of things, from absolutely ripped teens filling you with motivation to steroid abusing hunks setting unachievable standards with their physique and strength, one can find everything. Personally, having struggled with obesity and then with scrawniness, I have seen both sides of the coin and the struggle for both is arduous. There was a significant increase in fitness influencers in the past year. They’ve helped the community a lot by motivating everyone to workout in homes. Having achieved my goal of having an athletic body, I can safely say, Jeff Cavaliere, the man behind Athlean-x was also the man behind my transformation. Jeff has over 11 million 18 | Tabula Rasa

subscribers on his Youtube channel where with a mix of humorous skits and hard science, he educates his viewers on everything from psychological impacts to the physiological side of things. Many influencers like Jeff have motivated people to achieve that “Greek God Bod” they had always dreamt of. On the girls’ side, from exercises being centralised to depict the “ideal proportions'' for the female figure to full bodyweight training for both the sexes can be found. Having a passion for fitness and working out, I’m always on social media going through fitness related content. So, it’s safe to say, I’ve done my research. Through all this, I discovered the world of weight training and its impact on your body. My personal experience has been great and it’s all thanks to coaches like Ronan Oliveira and Ben Greenfield and fitfluener Pamela Reif. These coaches, backed by scientific research don’t show different workouts for males and females. Effective teaching of these coaches being available online has progressed the fitness world over. However, on the flip side, pages like “Sarah’s Weight Loss Discovery” have conned people of thousands of dollars by preying on their insecurities and selling them on bogus unproven science causing major upheaval and controversies in the fitness industry. So, here are a few tips on how to avoid such shams- Look for reviews of your favourite influencer on other websites. Reddit is one of the best places for this. Focus on the basics- Staying in a calorie deficit is practically all you need for losing fat and calories surplus for putting on some muscle along with working out. Don’t compare yourself with others- Your body weight and height might be the same as your favourite fitfluencer but genetics, lean muscle mass, body fat% and good lighting is the reason why they look the way they do. There is no shortcut- If you want to be a “Greek God” you have to train and eat like one. No exceptions. 19 | Tabula Rasa

SOCIAL MINESDEICAU: ARITSYO?URCE OF by shreya tewari Does posting everything on social media make you insecure? Social media makes people insecure, no doubt about it. But the question we’re taking up right now is whether the frequency of posting on social media determines the level of insecurity we feel. It is a known fact that no one posts about their ‘bad’ days on social media. Everyone posts only their best- achievements, pictures, everything (If you take 10 pictures, you’re going to post the one which you think is the prettiest, not the ‘average’ one, right?) Imagine a person posting only selective content on their social media pages. The person would want to post only their best and no one experiences best days alone, there are bound to be terrible days when you don’t even feel like getting out of your bed (I have those days too). When the above-mentioned person is having a bad time and not posting, they would feel like they are not living up to the expectation of their audience. That makes the person feel worse. This inevitably leads to the person feeling insecure about their life not being ‘happening’ enough. In the eyes of the audience, however, this person has only happy, positive days while they don’t feel good every single day. This, in turn, causes them to feel insecure about their lives as they start comparing their worst to someone else’s best. This becomes a vicious loop of insecurity. Another scenario is when a person starts posting everything on social media. This includes vloggers, fashion influencers, etc. who post all about their daily lives. 20 | Tabula Rasa

They go on vacations every two weeks while everyone else is stuck at home. We start comparing our lives to theirs. People start believing that they are the only ones leading boring lives. This makes them insecure about their life not being interesting enough. The influencers end up creating false expectations for themselves and others. As a result, both the influencer and the audience start thinking negatively about themselves. Everyone gets different types of insecurities because of social media. Some experience body image issues while others feel insecure about not performing well in their profession like their friends do. Since the issues are different, the ways of dealing with them should also vary. In my opinion, the root cause of insecurity is unnecessary comparison. Once we are self-aware and have developed unbeatable confidence in ourselves, we wouldn’t be comparing ourselves to others. When I feel these insecurities, I take a ‘social detox’ to distance myself from whatever is causing me trouble and take time to work on my self-awareness. 21 | Tabula Rasa

SOCIAL MEDISAW: AORDDOUBLE EDGED by- alina shahid and nandini sharma The topic of social media and body image issues is no stranger to us in today’s world where we actually consider a body type to be of an ideal kind. And who better to compare ourselves with than picture-perfect models and crazy diet cultures? This also encourages the objectification of bodies, whereby bodies that are observed on social media are processed like objects and not human bodies. The effects of social media on your body image can lead to serious negative consequences for your psychological and physical wellbeing. I’m pretty sure when I say that us teens are actually up till 3 am and find no harm in it, we actually say it out loud like it is a thing to be proud of. But, little do we know how sleep deprivation is the worst attack on our brain and its function. Consequently, this sleep loss can lead to moodiness, a drop in grades, and overeating, as well as exacerbate existing problems like depression, anxiety, and ADD. Up until now, we’ve talked about the negatives related to social media. Let’s take a look at the positives too. Social media has impacted the mental space of people in a way that has helped them in many ways. A big positive associated with social media is that it has made it easier to make friends from all across the world. With social networks springing up, the entire concept of friendship has started to change. Social media also helps in fostering empathy. Sharing bad as well as good experiences on social media may help us to find people who can empathise with us. There are several mental awareness groups and support groups that deal with people suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. They hold virtual meetings to give support, among many other methods. Social media helps you to deliver your thoughts freely to the world. It also helps to get back in touch with those people with whom you have lost contact. Social media is one of the best grounds where long-lasting relationships and long-distance relationships start. Be it friendship or love, it helps you nurture your relationships, which is a great positive. 22 | Tabula Rasa

THE FEAR OF MISSING OUT by suhina singh If you feel like you’ve life isn’t as happening as We need to remember that “missed out” on another another individual they saw so many convivial events important thing, this piece on the gram. Social media take place in the world; is for you. has made people’s simple however, it is impossible to lives feel skewed. be everywhere at once. As It is a term most of us are the American essayist Ralph familiar with. FOMO is an It’s a constant guilt trip that Waldo Emerson quoted, \"for abbreviation for “fear of makes you feel you aren’t everything you have missed, missing out”. It is an uneasy doing enough and you have gained something feeling, which often seems unintentionally indulges you else.\" to consume an individual. in the act of being envious Make the most of what you and having self-pity, instead already have. This is called People have the need to do of being happy for others. JOMO- the joy of missing more and make it known to However, social media alone out. As funny as it may their peers so that their isn’t to blame for this. The sound, it is very much true. social presence is felt. It’s feeling of FOMO comes from We need to constantly not as if FOMO is a new being disconnected from remind ourselves that social phenomenon. It's been oneself spiritually. Someone media is deceiving most of prevalent since the 90s but who is impressionable is the time. It isn’t the basis of has become more obvious more likely to have FOMO. who you are. Everyone has because of social media. Such people second guess bad days; that’s okay too. FOMO has been proven to their own choices. Don’t feel despondent. depreciate one’s self-worth Moreover, look at your life and has made people However, they can overcome from another viewpoint and question the quality of their the burden of FOMO by have gratitude for the life. There are instances embracing their own positive attributes that where one feels like their decisions and finding joy in exist. the moment they’re living in. 23 | Tabula Rasa

What no one tells you by Nishank Sankritya Turning 18, a big step! the ones who did are successful today do. Hello everyone, you are reading “What no one tells you” By Nishank Sankritya So I’ll start off by telling you things you should do as soon as you turn 18: Well, this sounds really fishy, doesn’t ·Get your own Credit Card- Your it? You must be asking yourself what is parents and teachers might tell you the thing that no one tells me! So that credit cards are evil and they will here are the things that neither our eventually destroy you, but in my schools nor parents ever tell you and opinion, it’s just like social media! honestly? It’s not their fault, even Beneficial if used correctly. So a credit though schools have finance as a card will help you build a credit score subject, it is already too late by the (Helps ease the process of getting time students have a chance to take it loans through a bank) which in turn up. Also, only a few students take it will help you when you are in your 20s up as it is posed as an optional for your start or buying and selling subject. real estate. But in my opinion, one must know how to earn more and get out of the Don't work for myth that just studying the subjects money, make and getting a job will make you rich, money work for you. after all, we all are hustling to get food on our tables and respect in our ·Assets and Liabilities- You need to hearts. start recognizing assets and liabilities, for example, a loaned (Note-whatever is written here is house is a liability if you are living in taken out of interviews and personal it but it is an asset if you rent it out lives and opinions of the most for more than its monthly EMI. successful people in the world) ·Start Earning- Doesn’t matter how We all are young adults now, almost much or even if you are earning work 18 or some of us are already 18, and I for experience learn something new for sure know that it’s going to be every single day. tough from now on but I have also realized that just by simply studying I ·Develop a hobby- Be it painting, cannot achieve the goal I’ve set for dance or music, but do something in myself. To do so, I started to follow your precious free time. Give reading the footsteps of the most successful books a go! and extraordinary person, in my opinion, Elon Musk! Through various social media sites, I learnt a lot of interesting stuff. Some of the social networking sites I use these days are YouTube and Twitter. I realized that there are things that not many people practice in life but 24 | Tabula Rasa

·Get your own Bank Account and your Pan Card- Helps build a sense of responsibility towards your money. ·Start Investing- Don’t try to save money! This will sound stupid but hear me out when you save money for a longer period it dies. How? You might ask, let me explain it to you and I promise it will blow your mind! If you start saving money when you are 18 you are most probably saving it for at least 5 years and the rate of inflation is 5.52% in India which means if you buy a commodity for 100 rupees today it will be worth 105 rupees next year but you saved that 100 rupees in your bank and it gave you 1-2% interest which is 102 rupees only, hence your money just lost its value! So long story short invest your money in a mutual fund monthly or a low index fund or if you can invest in the stock market (these will give around 8-10% per annum on average). I would like to sum up this segment by saying that social media can teach you a lot of things you just have to be diligent enough to learn. 25 | Tabula Rasa

WHAT'S POPPIN' a dive into pop culture

SACORACTNIISVATAL'SSMFREDEEIALA: NACNE by midhat mustajab Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art.- neil gaiman ART is a very personalised concept that is spilling all In summation, social media, around us - in the way our mothers cook for us, in the despite being both a boon and a way our walls are painted, in the songs we listen to all bane, is pretty much a very good day. option for people who want to express themselves through art as Social media is a means of reaching out to people by it is really helpful. creating space for conversation and by giving them a Hence, art is universal and is reason to care and when these two come together, it everywhere. Not only is art for one gives people a widespread platform to express who exercises a work of art and themselves so that they can also present it to other likes it, but for everyone. Art is people. Not only does it make people cognizant of more important than one can new kinds and forms of art but also gives the consider. Without art, one cannot audience a new form of entertainment. It also helps see anything beautiful because art the artists grow and take constructive suggestions. adds attraction and beauty to For instance, take the example of a comedian who anything one can look at, even if slowly became the latest vogue solely because people one looks at themselves. To be an liked his content and is now a famous comedian. artist is to believe in life. 27 | Tabula Rasa

DISCONNECT The burning trees and the burning hills spread their ashes in a lost universe, as the camera shutter laughs in malice only to be spoken about in folktales. The little girls and the little boys all wear empty masquerades, for the only sunsets they ever see are printed on a black canvas of make- believe. The romantics and the realists fall down a rabbit hole of plastic smiles, with busy ears and sinister eyes all enveloped by a blue veil of lone disguise. -Pragya Singh 28 | Tabula Rasa

By Kaashvi Vasishth

The \"I'll Study After\" This Club By Asmi Sharma, Ananya Singh & Divya Bhati Multimedia Franchises are growing tremendously be it in the form of books, movies or both! We have curated a recommendation list for all your entertainment needs. Not everyone has the same taste, so we've created a diverse list including franchises of different genres, cultures and languages. All those nights of binge-watching have finally paid off!! Movies: 1. Notting Hill 3. Korean Movie: Oldboy Genre: Romance A man, held captive for no apparent reason William Thacker, a London bookstore owner, for years, is given a cell phone, some money, whose humdrum existence is thrown into expensive clothes and is released. Unless he romantic turmoil when famous American finds out the identity of his captor, an even actress Anna Scott appears in his shop. As worse fate awaits him. the average bloke and glamorous movie star Available on: Amazon Prime draw closer and closer to each other, they struggle to reconcile their radically different 4. A Quiet Place lifestyles in the name of love. Genre: Horror/Thriller Sci-Fi Available on: Amazon prime 'A Quiet Place' showcases a family living in a post-apocalyptic world that is forced to live 2. Game over in silence. Despite the lack of words, the Genre: Thriller/Drama viewer feels the emotions and pain. This is Swapna is a nyctophobic game designer the best time to catch up on this movie as its who suffers from PTSD and lives alone with sequel is coming out at the end of this her domestic help, Kalamma. Her life turns month!! upside down when she is targeted by a serial Available on: YouTube killer. She has to fight her inner demons if she wants to survive the game called life. Available on: Netflix 30 | Tabula Rasa

TV Shows: 4. K-Drama : Pinocchio Genre: Drama 1. The Final Call Two young people in love are on their way to Genre: Thriller becoming news reporters, but along the way a This show deals with the grave issue of suicide terrible past is revealed that will threaten their and post-traumatic stress disorder. A retired Air love. Force officer decides to end his life mid-air on a Available on: Netflix flight between Mumbai and Sydney. This puts the lives of the passengers and crew in danger as he Books: is the pilot. The show explores the plot revealing why he takes such a decision. 1. 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak is about a Available on: Zee5 young Jewish girl growing up in Nazi Germany. Facing many challenges, she 2. Avatar: The Last Airbender yearns for comfort which she eventually finds Genre: Animated comedy series in books. 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' depicts a fictional world of elemental magic with the Avatar (the 2. Lee Child’s 'Jack Reacher' Series is packed protagonist) having the destiny to bring peace to with action and thriller. Jack Reacher is a the world. The legacy and world it creates are dangerous and unattainable lone ranger who exceptional. Even though it's a cartoon, it is used to be in the military and now rated number 11 in IMDb Top Rated TV Shows investigates suspicious and dangerous (above Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty and situations. Currently, the series has25 books even Sherlock!!). which might seem a lot but these books are a Available on: Amazon Prime page-turner. Launch into the series with it’s debut novel 'Killing Floor'. 3. American Vandal Genre: True Crime Mockumentary Music: 'American Vandal' shows the aftermath of a high school prank. With the school authorities 1. Genre: Rock and Heavy Metal desperate to find the perpetrator, two aspiring 'Linkin Park' is an American rock band. Their documentarians make a documentary to solve extremely loud music and strong lyrics are the crime, making each episode nail-biting and great for motivation thus being perfect for leaving the viewers wondering until the very end. your workout playlist. Available on: Netflix Songs: Numb, In the End. 2. Genre: Indie pop Tate Mcrae is Canadian singer, songwriter and dancer. Her songs are an ultimate mood lifter and will make you want to groove unapologetically. Songs: You broke me first, slower. 31 | Tabula Rasa

AESTHETICA: THE ART COLUMN By Palak Sharma, Suhina Singh, Kaashvi Vasishth, Meera, Divya Bhati, Saundarya Singh, Sukrit Bhatnagar, Manya Nagar, Midhat Mustajab, Nishank Sankritya

Prada Diet: Fashion and ACCESSORISE IT! Only Fashion 1) Baguette Bags: This bag goes perfectly with any By Ananya Singh and Husnal Kaur outfit, and it’s also a great size to be able to bring some of your belongings with you when you leave What's in Vogue?: Latest Trends: the house. 1) Corset Tops (Women's Wear) 2) Bucket Hats: The bucket hat trend lives on—only The Mary Antoinette era has always inspired many, now, it's getting even more playful. The accessory’s and seeing it making a comeback makes us so ‘90s vibes are still sought after and are perfect for excited. It’s official: Corsets are a thing of the past and topping off a streetwear look. a thing of the now. Corsets can be considered as a standard top, or COLOUR PALETTE FOR MAY statement piece. Wear the corset as a top with your favorite jeans, or skirt. Wearing it with baggier bottoms It's not our first time falling in love with pastels. The makes the outfit silhouette all the more flattering. soft, comforting colour palette paints many childhood memories of sweets, clouds, and gentle 2) Vertical Stripes (Men's Wear) dreaming. Not too long ago, fashion was fixated with Fashion always rotates what's trending from one Millennial Pink, and now pastel is returning in shades season to the next, but this summer sees a very literal of lilac, baby blue, mint, and lemon to soothe pivot. The classic horizontal stripe – the basis of your restlessness at home. summertime no-brainer, the Breton top – is rotating through 90 degrees: vertical stripes are in. 3) Patchwork Denims (Unisex) Colour combination for the month Denim is a closet staple that never goes out of style. However, a recent wave has taken over the classic Most colours can clash if you don't pair them right. texture: patchwork. Patchwork denim combines the Both contrasting and complementary colours can at-home arts & craft aesthetic that’s been so popular work well together, but you need to match both the during the pandemic with a skater vibe to fit the intensity and the undertones. For this month, our growing y2k nostalgia. recommendation is Pink and grey. It is a great look that you can utilise all year round with some versatile THE 90s ARE BACK pieces. 1)Vests (unisex) SOCIAL ISSUES WITHIN FASHION We’re seeing the return of the '90s with vests coming INDUSTRY back in fashion. Speaking of which, there’s a brand new way to style’em: With a pair of leather pants. This Petite, tall and plus-size are titles of how modern outfit combination is everywhere! society categorises a person’s physical size. But does the size of a person restrict their 2) Puffed Sleeves opportunities? Another trend that has made its way back is puffed There is a level of exclusivity and judgement when it sleeves. Defined by rounded detailing at the shoulder comes to evaluating body image. An exclusivity that at times may extend down to the sleeve, puff which controversially transfers to the modelling shoulders bring a voluminous touch to any top or sector. dress. 33 | Tabula Rasa

London Fashion Week has given women the chance to call out this lack of diversity, seeing a group of plus size models’ protest phrases such as “fashion should empower us”, and “our beauty is immeasurable”. For years catwalks have shown favoritism for a slimmer figure, Coming to the expense of plus-sized demographic who may self-doubt their appearance. Yet still, designers are missing out on the plus-sized sector which has a predicted 7.1% demand increase by 2022. The minimalistic figure shows a disregard for the plus-sized models, thinking they are not good enough or suitable for positions. Drastic improvements have to be made to provide equal opportunities for all models. FASHION HACKS Tie-Dyeing: Your weekends are about to be a whole lot better with this trendy activity to try at home. All you need are garments, fabric dyes, squeeze bottles, zip lock bags, rubber bands and gloves. Here’s a guide on how to tie-dye:- 1.Soak your garment 2.Do the twist 3.Apply the dye. Let the dye develop and voila! 34 | Tabula Rasa

A Recipe of Yesteryears By Parv Khanna Social media has become a hub for businesses, Middle-class people required the energy to brands and cute cat videos. However, food is support their laborious lifestyle. Nihari is a laudably still the 25th most popular hashtag on stomach repleting, nutritious dish which can Instagram with over 440 million posts. You can curb your hunger till the end of the work-day. see people posting exotic delicacies and modern fusion cuisine but somehow, we’ve The middle-class found ways to replicate the forgotten the very essence from which some of delicacy on their own with inexpensive these viands arise. Arguably, one of the most ingredients. Being unable to afford ghee, they popular stews that people of the Indian used mustard oil. After filling an earthen subcontinent enjoy is the Nihari but one still pitcher with mustard oil and sealing it tightly, it struggles to come by pictures of this was buried for 3-4 months so that the mustard flavoursome bonne bouche. loses its sharpness and acquires the texture of ghee.  Nihari is a stew consisting of slow-cooked meat, The Nawabs, however, preferred to enjoy the mainly shank meat of beef or lamb and mutton, viand with a sweet bread called khamiri roti goat meat and chicken, along with bone which could absorb more oil and flavour marrow. It’s cooked on slow fire throughout the making it more appealing to the taste buds course of an entire night in vessels called shab than the normal Indian bread. deg which literally means overnight vessels. The word Nihari comes from the Arabic word Even today, one can find common folk enjoying ‘Nahaar’ which means ‘morning’ as it was a healthy serving of Nihari before beginning occasionally eaten by nawabs after their their work-day. It is especially popular around morning prayers. Although occasionally eaten the Jama Masjid with hundreds of restaurants by Nawabs, it was still a dish of dastarkhwan-e- claiming to be the best “Nihari wale.’’ So, one amm [dining table of the middle-class people.] day if you’re feeling adventurous, go and try them all and finally find the best Nihari in Delhi. 35 | Tabula Rasa

Opinions in a Line By Sukrit Bhatnagar Social media to me is.. “..something that enables me to keep in touch with friends, extended family and the world at large.”- Madhuri Gupta, Social Science Dept, DPSGN “...a platform to learn new things. A lot of things that I know whether it's life hacks, dance trends, news, music, kinds of food, loving and accepting yourself and others just the way they are etc, I've learnt from social media.”- Ananya Singh “...something that enables me to fight my body image issues and feel better about my body by posting about it and looking at other people talking about their own struggles.” -Sukrit Bhatnagar “...the cause of some problems, solution of others”- Paawni Singh “...a nice way to pass time.”- Kaashvi Vasishth “...something that can either be a source of inspiration for growth or a dismal failure in being grateful for one's own life.”- Disha Bais “...a hub for news, texting, posting your views.”- Rohan Uniyal “...an addiction”- Anonymous “Social Media is definitely not for sharing personal emotions with the public. My love for my kids, my husband , my parents is for them to know. It’s not something to be shared with everyone. I wonder why people have to express their feelings for near and dear ones on social media. Are they not secure enough in what they feel?”- Madhuri Gupta “There are many sides of social media. Your experience depends on which side of social media you are on. You might end up on a side where you find like-minded people and feel like you truly belong.”- Paawni Singh “People often fail to realize, the apparently perfect lives on social media are a mere vitrine. The induced envy shall be controlled by thankfulness”- Disha “Social media these days can easily influence people. It's ok to believe the sources but many posts out there are fake- some biased whilst others unbiased..”- Rohan 36 | Tabula Rasa

MEET THE TEAM TEAM VENUS (THE DESIGN TEAM) TEAM MINERVA (THE EDITING TEAM) Sukrit Bhatnagar and Suhina Singh- If you think that the magazine is too colourful or flashy, blame these two. TEAM APOLLO (THE CREATIVES TEAM) Paawni Singh and Husnal Kaur- You think the articles sound like Shashi Tharoor's tweet? They are the culprits. Midhat Mustajab and Kaashvi Vasishth- If you think the magazine did not contain appropriate artworks, dox these guys. 37 | Tabula Rasa

THE WRITER'S DEN Sukrit Bhatnagar, Suhina Singh & Paawni Singh- We were a lil' low on the budget so we had to contribute and write pieces too. Husnal Kaur, Midhat Mustajab & Kaashvi Vasishth- Apparently we were like super low on the budget so here we are. Alina Shahid, Ananya Singh, Asmi Sharma- No, sadly the dog does not have an Instagram page. We tried to bully Asmi. Divya Bhati, Ira Chawla, Nandini Sharma- They spent the entire budget on our cute faces. Nishank Sankritya, Shreya Tewari Parv Khanna- I know you 'miring my shades. Simba, Goofy and Daisy- They used us as therapists earlier and now they're making us write articles. Help!

TABULA RASA is the most amazing execution of a simple idea shared in the class to work on a class magazine that would help students to engage themselves in something novel and creative, and what an incredible outcome this has been!! All credit to the team of students behind this maiden venture. This will surely encourage other students to join in and express their thoughts in the upcoming editons. Congratulations. S.Veena English teacher (XII C) Approval: NOT FOR YOUR INSTA