We all laughed when Kylie called 2016 “the year of just realizing stuff” but maybe she was on to something. There are definitely many lessons to take away from this year, whether from politics or pop culture, 2016 managed to advise us in the most unexpected ways.
5.The Presidential Election:
Don’t Trust Everything on Social Media
Regardless of what side you were on, we can agree that the media definitely twisted information. Obviously, social media played a crucial role in this election, but people took advantage of this to strengthen their views, even if the information wasn’t completely accurate. As a society who tries to consume as much information as quickly as possible, sometimes we forget to check where it came from and that can be dangerous. It can be easy to get caught up in all of the news on your Twitter feed, but don’t forget to check the credibility of facts before retweeting!
4. The Rio Summer Olympics
Don’t Let Success Go to Your Head
Among all of the hype surrounding the Olympics like Simone Biles killing it in gymnastics and Michael Phelps once again proving that he’s superhuman, came a story about a gas station robbery no one quite understood. Ryan Lochte’s “over embellishing” over what exactly happened at a gas station in Rio when he falsely stated that he was held at gunpoint resulted in a 12 month suspension and a loss of four brand deals. Take Lochte’s embarrassing situation as a lesson: don’t let success go to your head because although you could be on top of the world one day, you never know where you’ll be the next.
3. Fuller House
Some things are better left in the past
Let’s be honest we were all so excited about the spinoff of Full House that Netflix came out with in the beginning of the year, but the excitement was quickly matched by many of us. What I think is wrong with Fuller House is exactly what made its predecessor so loved. Like many popular shows from the 90’s, Full House was a cheesy sitcom framed around a life lesson to take away in each episode, but that tv show era has passed. Today tv shows involve more drama and the shows revolving around “real life” like Full House left the corny music and lessons by Danny Tanner for more brutal and sharp humor. In 2017 remember: time changes things and what (or who) you loved then is not necessarily right for you now, sometimes a memory is better left a memory.
2. Pokemon Go
STOP USING YOUR PHONE WHEN YOU DRIVE
Pokemon Go was definitely one of the most popular apps of the year with kids and adults alike walking around the streets searching for Pokemon and battling other members around town. The app itself is fantastic at getting people outside and walking around and it’s also a great way to bring people together. However, news reports covered tons of accidents related to users playing Pokemon Go and driving. With the biggest spike in traffic deaths in 50 years, a lot can be blamed for distracted driving. Stop using your phones when you drive, no text or Pokemon is that important.
1. Cubs Winning the World Series
Don’t Lose Hope
After 108 years, the Cubs finally won the World Series with an 8-7 win against the Cleveland Indians on November 2. This day was a long awaited day for many fans and although they were behind with the Indians holding a 3-1 lead at the start of the series, Cubs fans did not lose hope in their team. Let this be the biggest lesson to take into the New Year, no matter what odds are against you, have hope and work hard for your goals, because that is what makes a (world) champion.