Morbidly Curious Stainless Steel Dupes and Some September Resolutions

Dear Prattlers, 

I’ve got a bad habit of bringing up the end of the world and forwarding frightening articles to my friends. In part, it stems from a selfish sort of  “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me” instinct. I guess I could argue that I’m spreading awareness, which counts for something. But deep down, I know it has more to do with a primal, insatiable, morbid curiosity. I can’t help but find the deterioration of the world around me fascinating. It’s the car crash I can’t look away from. It’s the acne I can’t stop picking at, even as my face gets more bloodied and blemished. 

I struggled, at first, to decide what my first Prattler newsletter would look like. There’s certainly no shortage of topics to cover. For a sneak peak into the process, I offer my brainstorm list:

• AI 

  • Too little too late AI researchers doomsday announcements (the damage is done)

    • agents getting rebellious, robot takeover 

    • It’s getting hard to tell what’s human 

    • Deepfake CP

• White House media coverage of Trump being revoked 

  • Too little too late to fight for first amendment, should have happened a long time ago (the damage is done)

• Post-partum psychosis 

  • Too little too late Lindsay Clancey debate (the damage is done)

• Meta lawsuit 

  • Too little too late lukewarm “accountability” (the damage is done)

Sensing a theme? So do I. Every silver lining feels more like a stainless steel dupe to me, lately. 

Sure, it’s good that “AI Tech Leaders” are finally admitting the dangers of their creations. But why’d they have to wait until the AI agents are autonomous and uncontrollable? 

Media outlets banding together on behalf of CNN and Politico is a step in the right direction, and it’s pretty satisfying to watch Trump talk into the void. But this isn’t about protecting democracy (if it was, they would’ve cut the mic years ago) — it’s about protecting profit. Solidarity in the interest of self-preservation. 

Post-partum mental health has needed a spotlight for ages, but why did it take a sensational court case and the death of three children for it to become a discussion? 

Minors on Instagram get a sleep timer now. But what about the boomers rotting away in rabbit holes all day? What about me and my peers and our strategically pre-planned adolescent phone addictions? 

My mom says listening to my dentist and cutting sugar from my diet will help long term. But what is life without the occasional latte? 

I say all this while knowing an outlook like mine is only bound to make things worse. The people around me are just as, if not more, sick and tired of the state of things. If they aren’t, they’re either numb or live under a climate-controlled rock with no internet service. So I’ve decided to start restraining myself and stop piling more dung on the dung heap. It’s a game of stinky Jenga where everyone’s a loser. 

I’m a firm believer in Transitional Season Resolutions. I’ve always found the idea of shaking up your life during the darkest days of winter to be counterintuitive. Most mammals spend January in some form of hibernation. I’m no different. No, I’ve found that Fall and Spring seem to welcome change most. So now that the leaves are falling and pumpkins are popping up, I encourage you to join me in some Transitional Season Resolutions in the interest of combatting Analysis Paralysis. Everyone is different, so don’t take my word as law, but here’s a few changes I’ve been trying to implement:

• Insta After Noon 

  • Instead of starting the day with a doom scroll, I’ve been keeping the app off my phone until after 12 PM. I allow myself 30 minutes to an hour of digital indulgence once a day. Then I delete it again. I’ve tried to go cold turkey in the past, but the truth is, I enjoy seeing my friends’ posts, I enjoy posting, and I have serious FOMO. So this is my compromise. Having it deleted most of the day is more effective, in my experience, than a timer — it takes no thought to press “ignore” on those things. Going to the app store and redownloading it, however, is a much more conscious decision. The 12 PM rule is intended to spark boredom first thing, which is the greatest motivator to get out of bed, get on campus, and, as my mom says, “gather human capital.”

• Childhood Books 

  • I’ve read some groundbreaking writing at Pratt. This school has opened me up to so many new kinds of language, so many genres I didn’t know existed, so many authors that play with words like it’s a new kind of magic. I don’t take that for granted. But lately I’ve found the need to retreat into the books that once filled my middle school backpack. If you don’t read often, I recommend you do the same. The comforts The Hunger Games and The Hobbit can offer are not to be dismissed, and The Wizard of Oz is not an unworthy world to enter. Returning to some of my past favorites helped me get out of a reading slump this summer. Now that school has started, I’m back to more “serious” literature. But the world is serious enough as it is. Don’t deny yourself simple pleasures in pursuit of constant Intellectual Experiments. 

• Audio (Semi)  Abstinence 

  • I’m an avid audiobook, podcast, and music consumer. I never intend to cut them out of my life. But lately I’ve been resisting the urge to fill my ears with noise any time I get the chance. The phrase “shower thoughts” didn’t come from nowhere. With thesis weighing on my chest and the pressure to write pressing in more than ever, I realized I needed to take active steps to facilitate creative inspiration this year. And as much as I hate to admit it, all of my breakthroughs lately have happened during walks to my apartment, Everything Showers, and late night Amtraks. Beyond creativity, I’ve also found that allowing more silence in my life has forced me to confront my anxieties and process them much quicker. A good album can be medicine for the heart, but diagnosing the root cause is also a necessity. Don’t worry, I still give myself a pass when the subway makes those screechy noises. 

I could go on, but for fear of sounding preachy, I’ll end the list there. I don’t expect it to work for everyone. But maybe it will encourage you to think up a few of your own Fall Resolutions. These changes might seem little, but I promise you, it’s still not too late to at least mitigate some existential dread. If nothing else, a sense of control can do wonders for the troubled soul. 

Other ways to make the world (and your mind) a better place? Submit art to the Prattler! Spread the good news — we’re extending image cue deadlines for our upcoming issue, Lost in Translation, until October 1st. I’d love to see some of your art on my feed, and if you haven’t submitted to the Prattler before, feel free to add it to your Resolution List. 

Yours Truly,

Elisa Edgar

Managing Editor