Since the start of this year, many trends on social media have influenced the student body of John Champe. Some of these trends are destructive, but some have improved the lives of students at Champe, paving the way for new connections and a newfound sense of community within the school.                                                                                                                                                 

A handful of students, like students in Champe’s SCA team, often conduct ‘man on the street’ interviews. These interviews usually consist of going to a location and asking a set of questions that relate to a specific topic. These interviews have blown up in popularity in the past year. For Champe students, these interviews are used as a way to connect with others through the use of relatable questions that inspire conversation between students. The SCA uses these interviews to survey students. These surveys are used to promote student government and get students’ opinions on school-related topics.

“I think that these interviews are really fun,” sophomore Anish Ganabady said. “They add a little bit of spice to the daily routine. The students are passionate and they’re a positive influence. There is also something to be considered in terms of the input students get to have in school-related topics.”

The impact of this trend has largely been a positive one. This trend has inspired many students to connect with others positively. The student government in particular uses this as an opportunity to receive feedback directly from the student body. The SCA interviews teachers as well to show the viewpoints on specific topics from both sides. These interviews can be viewed on Champe SCA’s TikTok page. Videos on this page have gotten up to 11 thousand views.

“These are unique ways to communicate with the student body that allows for interaction between the student government and student body,” Ganabady said. “The use of new media allows for fast communication has been a great innovation in Champe.”

Another trend that has impacted the student body is ‘Looksmaxxing’, or taking care of one’s physical appearance through many means. This is a trend targeted towards males who are insecure about their current appearance and wish to get rid of that in a healthy way. This trend has spread across the male population at Champe like wildfire. This trend consists of influencers on TikTok and other social media discussing their journeys and struggles with their appearances throughout their lives. This trend goes to some extremes, but in general, it encourages positivity in young men.

“I think that looksmaxxing was a positive influence on me,” sophomore Ryan Gam said. “I also believe that it will help many young men become more confident in their appearances.”

The impact of this trend has been largely positive for men, especially teenage males who are already struggling with insecurity. The influencers for this particular trend are mostly people who view their content as a way to help others feel less insecure and upload their tips and advice on social media. As a result, young men who are looking for positive encouragement in their appearance are given information that will allow them to make steady progress towards that ideal. The different tips and tricks given by these influencers help those who are lonely and not secure with how they look to make connections, join a community, and have more confidence in themselves. 

“There are friends that I have made from connecting with others due to previously shared insecurities,” Gam said. “These are lifelong friends that seek to improve themselves alongside me, and it all started with a TikTok trend. I see these guys every day since we all do activities like going to the gym and biking together very often.”

Trends also influence the student body by allowing for clubs and other activities to advertise their achievements in a way that resonates with the students. The influence of clubs and extracurriculars has heavily increased since they used social media trends to advertise their doings. The correlation between these trends being performed by clubs like DECA to the increased enrollment in those clubs is direct. One example of this would be JCHS DECA’s heavy advertisement campaign this year. They use trends on their TikTok page alongside original content to promote their club. An example of this would be their post on October 4th, 2023, where they used a popular song and edit transition to promote their merchandise in the John Champe Armory. Ken Carson’s song, “Rock and Roll,” was used by DECA to advertise the armory’s clothes for breast cancer awareness.

“Their advertisement campaign is very innovative,” sophomore Aiden Wang said. “their TikToks are funny and their creativity inspires me.”

The student body is a pool of general will. The majority will conform to certain trends or fads periodically. As the students’ attention span decreases, the value of their time increases. The use of modern forms of media is required to capture the attention of the youth. Some influences are positive while others are negative, but most new influence in the student body comes from these trends. While some trends like looksmaxxing positively affect the morale of the student body, other trends are only used for marketing purposes. The student body has largely gained from the presence of new media.

“The influence of trends in the student body shows a lack of resistance to propaganda,” Wang said. “The student body has a flaw in how trusting it is with certain trends, but maybe its trust is its greatest strength.”