Instagram before the bell. TikTok at lunch. YouTube at 2 a.m.  The scene is all too familiar. The constant cycle of consuming digital content, endlessly scrolling through feeds. We try charging our phones in another room, setting app timers and turning on “Do Not Disturb.”  But does it...

Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends,” died on Oct. 28 at the age of 54, after being found unresponsive in his hot tub. The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled Perry’s death accidental, according to the autopsy report released Dec. 15. After...

It’s that time of year again.  Spotify Wrapped. YouTube Recap. Duolingo Year in Review.      Every online platform wants to tell users the artists, videos and creators that they engaged with the most in 2023—including your online dictionary.  As 2023 wound down, platforms like Merriam-Webster...

When content creator Matthew Dominick earned YouTube's Silver Creator award at the end of September, the coveted silver play button plaque recognizing 100,000 subscribers marked a milestone on a journey the 36-year-old foodie was almost too afraid to begin.  Early doubts kept Dominick from kickstarting...

Speakers booming. Fans screaming. Music so loud you can feel it in your bones.  From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to Nov. 12’s Driver Era concert at ISU, we live in an era where concertgoing often means braving ear-splitting volumes. But for Community teacher Mr. Stefen Robinson, a concert doesn’t...

After a storm of backlash, Scholastic reversed its decision to allow school districts to omit books that deal with race, LGBTQ+, and other issues related to diversity from publisher’s book fairs. The children’s book publisher, in an Oct. 13 press release, announced the decision to create a special...

Ever wonder what high school courses Wednesday Addams or Miles Morales would take?  That’s the premise behind College Board’s new social media campaign. Amidst posts on financial aid and SAT practice problems, fictional characters are now the subject of an inquiry: What Advanced Placement...

When Joe Chianakas, a Peoria native, set out to write “Singlets and Secrets, his newest work of fiction, he wanted to give teens struggling with their sexuality a “superhero” of sorts. When the author was growing up in the ’80s in Central Illinois, there was “the Karate Kid,” “Rocky”...

Jasper’s Java isn’t the only coffee shop to call Bloomington-Normal home. It is, however, the only one committed to helping people and pets find homes of their own.  The business, which opens Oct. 14 following its one-week soft opening period, supports animal adoption through sales and human...

A tug on the sleeve. An adjustment of the arm. Millions are turning to the needle to feed their addiction. This is the vinyl revival. Vinyl records outsold CDs in the US for the first time in over 35 years, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s annual revenue report. Climbing...

$55 an hour?  Without having to leave the comfort of your couch?  That summer job could be yours courtesy of Finance Buzz, a website that provides financial tips, advice and recommendations. With May 19’s release of “Fast X,” the newest installment in the blockbuster Fast and Furious...