What Will Life Be Like in 2024?

Inspired by The New York Times

With the new year upon us and a brand new semester, one question plagues the minds of every student, teacher and staff member in MHS: What Will Life Be Like in 2024?

It is a valid question. While we cannot provide an absolute answer, the Fresh Print team has taken it upon themselves to theorize for everyone. Below, you will find various trends and predictions each member of our team thinks will happen in 2024. Whether it's a serious prediction or a genuine hope with no evidence to support it, your existential question for the new year just might be answered. Enjoy!

You think your brains are rotting already?

The virus under a microscope and the sight of discovering it - The NY post

The “Last of Us” may become our reality in the near future. A new virus has thawed from the permafrost, which got the nickname of; the Zombie Virus. The Zombie Virus is known to cause cell death, which causes a whole plethora of side effects. Even though this virus was found in 2014, recent studies show it has adapted to thrive in mammals such as deer. This is known to be the longest frozen virus that's still infectious, being frozen for nearly 48,500 years. So start making your bunkers and gathering up canned goods, you don’t wanna catch this. (Cassandra Couondjeris)

Carving Initials in Blush

Letter “D” carved into Dior blush - @minhanhh_3 on TikTok

There has been a recent TikTok trend of girls carving their boyfriends initials into their makeup palettes, especially blush. This trend has brought a lot of attention as some girls have been ruining expensive makeup such as Dior($48), Charlotte Tilbury($42), Hourglass Ambient ($45), Flower Knows ($38), Tom Ford ($95) all for a trend. This trend has been very controversial, even starting arguments across social media. Many people are mad that people are ruining perfectly good makeup for basically no reason, even judging/ making fun of those who follow the trend. Though this trend has been very controversial it will definitely become more popular in 2024. (Hailey Guzman).

2010’s Called, They Want Their Style Back

When I think of the transition between 2000’s to 2010’s fashion, I immediately imagine Snooki from Jersey Shore - Pinterest 

Every decade style seems to revert back to a modernized interpretation of trends from previous years. Recently the thin eyebrows, “tramp” stamps and low cut jeans of the 2000’s  have come back in style, my prediction is that 2010’s style is next, but with a mix of our new adaptation of the 2000's styles. In 2024 with the popularity of thrift shopping skyrocketing, I think there is a chance of extremely unnecessary layers within hair, shirts, accessories and hats matched with side bangs, black eyeshadow and animal prints and bold printed shirts. So get ready, raid your local thrift stores, or parents' closet, while listening to ‘Thrift Shop’ by Macklemore, and be prepared for mustache tattoos and track suits because 2010’s are coming back. (Alana Harris)

Sustainable Architecture Saves 2024

“Our new world” - Iberdrola

Going into 2024 our ecological problems have been more consistent and more detrimental to our planet's well being. Climate change in 2023 has been affecting the world pretty heavily. 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record, greenhouse gasses are continuing to increase extreme weather causing death and devastation etc. There has been a recent demand for eco-friendly buildings because of this, people becoming more aware of how it would benefit ourselves and our planet but also having an alluring aesthetic appeal to it. Sustainable architecture improves air quality, reduces energy consumption, water efficiency, health benefits, better environment and so much more. (Acacia Hittle)

2024, the Summer of Love Coming back to MHS

A beautiful couple walking on the street in each other's embrace, arm outstretched lovingly around the other with their backs toward the camera. They embrace the summer of love style, with its peace signs, fun patterns, and feathers - San Francisco Chronicles

We all know over winter break some big changes can be made especially in relationships. Around the time of Christmas couples are more likely to break up, this has even caused an unofficial break up day on December 11th, and MHS is no exception. We saw throughout December many couples in all grades breaking up. So, this leads to new relationships in our school to blossom. We have already seen a start of this with many girls walking around with, “just because flowers”. So, with Valentine's day around the corner, and the talk of a supposed Winter or Spring dance, people are gonna be looking for a date. Then, we add prom on top of that and we can just bet to see new couples coming to light. We also have outside influences to this that might lead to healthier longer lasting relationships. With all the relationship advice trending through the media we have seen people becoming more thoughtful and emotionally aware in their relationships, romantic or not. So, 2024 might be bringing back the old summer of love, but for this whole year, with healthier and longer relationships than last year. (Caelyn Ochs)

More People Featured in Faye Webster's Music

Faye Webster and Lil Yachty’s photo cover of their new single Lego Ring - Faye Webster

Faye Webster has been known to make extraordinary music. She has released more than 50 songs over the past years and they have always been amazing. She usually sings solo but has recently collaborated with Lil Yachty on their new song Lego Ring. She has been featured in others songs, but has yet to make songs with others on her discography. She has been featured in over 10 songs made by other artists but only 3 artists have been featured in hers including Lil Yachty in Lego Ring. I predict that she will collaborate with other artists in her upcoming album Underdressed at the Symphony. She hasn’t had anyone featured in her music for 3 years until her collaboration with Lil Yachty. Lil Yachty had also posted a Tik Tok where Faye Webster and Tyler the Creator were with him, maybe hinting that Faye and Tyler might collaborate or they will all collaborate together! (Valery Rodan)

YouTube: Out with the Old in with the New, Goodbye MatPat

Thumbnail from MatPat’s “Goodbye Internet” video

With this new year, a beloved theorist and commentator, YouTuber Mat Patt left the YouTube platform to focus on more personal needs such as time with family and friends. With this upcoming year of change, the retirement might inspire the old money of YouTube, Jacksepticeye and Pewdiepie for example, to follow in his footsteps.  As Gen-Z and late Millennials grow older and have to find jobs, a new generation of famous YouTubers will start to make its mark. Hopefully with a new generation of YouTubers, a new rush of interesting and fun content will be present for us to enjoy in 2024. (Nathan Radcliff)

2024, Year of the Frog

Glass frog chilling on a leaf, looking rather silly and full of personality - Keith Christenson/ Shutterstock

If there is one constant on the internet, it’s that there is a collective love of animals, and subsequent posts about those animals. The biggest example being cats, who’ve dominated the internet since its creation, however this year may be a leap year in more ways than one. Frogs are no strangers to being on the internet, they already get their fair share of recognition online, but 2024 could be the year they truly explode in popularity. First and foremost, 2024 is in fact a leap year, which aside from adding an extra day to the year, makes for the perfect pun, and if there’s one thing people have started to realize, it’s that puns are hilarious. Who would want to miss out on the perfect opportunity to post memes about the leap year with pictures of frogs? People on the internet have also taken a liking to things that can be described as ‘skrunkly’ (another way of saying something is cute in perhaps a less conventional way) or as ‘silly little guys’, both of which frogs have the ability to be. Those who are online may see a funny image of a frog and realize they are in fact silly little critters, and post about it saying as such. Another thing to add about frogs is that there are many interesting fun facts about them, and people love a good fun fact. Being a leap year makes it the perfect time to post a silly image of a frog, with a fact like how a group of frogs is actually called an ‘army,’ this series of factors could make for the conditions to be just right for frogs to hop into everyone's collective consciousness. (Jesus Ramirez)

Mass Consumerism is like a Car Flying Off a Highway

TikTok user @leahbbyxo showing her large SHEIN haul

2023 saw mass consumerism at its peak, but when something reaches its peak it also has to fall. Consumerism in general has always been a thing, but in recent years fast fashion has boomed in popularity. With things like SHEIN, Temu, Forever 21 who are constantly pumping out new clothes to appease their buyers. I predict that many will begin to realize that most of the items they are purchasing are not necessary items and can't handle wear and tear. They are purchasing these items without any need for them and essentially throwing away items as soon as they are not a trend anymore. People should be purchasing items for long term use instead of 1 or 2 wears if not none. (Alyssa Klingler)

New Plant Milking Alternatives

How the milking of plants process operates - Research Gate

Plant milking is being used in more products, specifically for new skin-care and beauty products. Plant milking is the process of using plants and extracting multiple ingredients from it that are then added to many products for its flavor and nutrition. While it is not a new concept it is starting to gain attention again as new products use it as a more sustainable ingredient and are advertising these new products as ‘mood boosters’. There’s also been an increase in its growing use as a new substitute in dairy products as a new alternative and even faster production rate. Many companies have already begun implementing the plant milking technology into their production process. This new alternative is sure to keep going on the trend board for 2024. (Lalia Brown)

Starbucks Continuing to Go Bankrupt

Photo of a Frappuccino, Starbuck's highest grossing drink - Getty Images

In October of 2023 a series of events led people to believe Starbucks supports Israel in the Arab–Israeli conflict. This angered many customers claiming Starbucks “supports genocide” and turning to the internet to inform others. Thousands of consumers became angered and collectively decided to boycott the company even if they were accustomed to being regulars. In December of 2023 Starbucks announced they had lost 11 billion dollars. With that followed several statements of how their announcements were construed in a way that doesn’t support their beliefs, basically backtracking after losing a substantial amount of money. However, many ex-supporters of Starbucks have said they will not be returning to Starbucks ever in the future and some even saying they saved up to $200 a month no longer buying coffee at their local location. After the mistake Starbucks made it’s clear to see their action had a consequence and I believe this consequence will continue into the next year of 2024 and Starbucks will continue to lose more money as the months go by. (Trinity Tellez)

An Increase in AI Companions

Screenshot of Amaranth's AI Twitter post going over her new AI model of herself.

There has been an influx of individuals experiencing loneliness in the past few years, with over three times as many people being friendless compared to three years ago. As time progresses, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to strengthen, leading to the creation of hundreds of websites and apps catering to those feeling lonely or even depressed. Notably, influencers and celebrities, like Amaranth, are embracing this trend by developing AI versions of themselves, allowing people to interact with and even pay for the experience. This will not only weaken our partnerships with others, but it will also result in more individuals lacking friends and relying on AI. This trend may continue, potentially exacerbating the existing issue of fewer people getting married, which has been a significant concern for both men and women in recent years due to various reasons, and now faces an even greater reason. (Rowen Willis)

Going to the Gym Falls Out of Trend

What gyms will look like in the times to come - Adobe Stock Image

In 2021, a trend on social media started to catch major traction, this trend was going to the gym and gym culture.  This was partly due to the pandemic when gyms all over the world were shutting down.  Tons of people all over the world gave up hope and let themselves go sitting and staying on electronic devices all day.  Once covid was over and gyms were open again tons of people wanted to get back into shape and they needed motivation.  This brought the rise of fitness influencers and gym culture.  These influencers gave motivating content and someone to look up to.  Bodybuilding also became much more mainstream to the public with more people than ever knowing all the major competitors.  Fitness influencers started blowing up and gaining millions of followers and gym content became bigger than ever.  Even people who didn't go to the gym knew all the biggest influencers.  This got tons of newcomers into the gym trying to aspire to be like all these influencers and bodybuilders.  Retired bodybuilders such as Tom Platz, Mike Mentzer, and Ronnie Coleman became super popular again with people who didn't even workout constantly quoting their infamous sayings like “Light Weight Baby!”.  Random jacked people who would normally have never become rich and famous now we're blowing up and becoming number one trenders and earning millions of dollars, the Tren Twins, Lex Little, Shizzy, and Sam Sulek were an example of this; they became extremely wealthy due to this trend.  The trend carried all the way through 2022 and all through 2023 becoming bigger and better each month with a new influencer always trending.  I think what's going to happen in 2024 is that as the world gets lazier a lot of people are going to realize that they aren't as interested in working out anymore and would rather play video games and await the arrival of GTA 6.  As a result mass amounts of people are going to stop watching and consuming fitness content  and it's going to become less mainstream and going to the gym will go back to how it used to be with only a small percentage of people going.  I already see this happening with a lot of friends who used to consistently go to the gym, lose interest and are not going at all anymore.  Even this new year I was expecting to see a lot of new people enter the gym, and on January first there was not one new person. (Bryton Caviness)

WAR! With a Side of REBELLION!

An American tank in a dust storm - Getty Images

A common theme that is likely to be carried over to 2024 is the flurry of wars which seem to pop up every week. From continued fighting between Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Gaza, Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen, and a thousand other conflicts globally are currently experiencing some sort of conflict.. About half the countries on the planet stretch across every continent and encompass billions of people. The first major conflict that may arise this year is open war between Taiwan and the People's Republic of china. At the time this is written the Taiwanese General Election Scheduled for  January 13th have not yet happened however it is expected that the anti china DPP is expected to win a solid vote. This will undoubtedly cause tensions to rise within the region and with government purges underway in mainland China tensions are bound to spill over.

Domestic tensions are on the rise as well. With a divisive election coming up; as well as rising battles over abortion, Gun Control, immigration, the economy, trans rights, education, and at this point probably what shade of pink the sky is; civil unrest and divide has not been this high since the 1850s. This upcoming election could be the spark that blew the ship since we have already seen numerous protests this year. By this point, the Brooklyn Bridge is less a road and more of a walkway for protesters, which is occasionally open to vehicles. In any case, only time will tell if 2024 is the year that broke the camel's back. (Caden Gotz)

Stanley Comes Out with a Bigger Water Bottle

Stanley's biggest water bottle they have so far - Stanley

Stanley has had a lot of hype over the year, such as having people camp outside of a Target just to get these cups. They have the biggest size of 64 OZ, but a lot of people are predicting that they will make a whole 80 OZ. Since they are an outdoor camping gear company, they might come out with a bigger size for long hiking or something. People also think that they will start making cups for different types of celebrities to really get their cups out there. (Lizzy Kidwell)

Age Restrictions for Sephora 

An example of a destroyed Sephora display, reportedly done by an unsupervised child - Extraordinary Life Makeup Artist

Around the world in Sephora, children 9 to 10-years-old are getting dropped off or are unsupervised in Sephora demanding products of Drunk Elephant or makeup that should be used on their skin. They usually go for Rare Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury. They destroy makeup products that were in perfectly good use and ruin them, they don’t get charged or punished for ruining the makeup products that could be worth thousands of dollars and destroy the testers until they are completely out of use.

In all opinions, I think the kids should be able to shop, but they should be under the vision of parents or workers. The workers should be paid a little more to be dealing with the after cleaning up. Some Sephora stores have been dealing with this and locking up makeup or putting Drunk Elephant behind the counters. The parents should be taking control of the situation and do something about this and not just leave them in the store by themselves, Sephora is considering taking testers away completely if this keeps happening. (Janell Malicay)