(Malija) As the new year begins and 2025 comes to an end, many people across the world are making what we call New Years’ resolutions. These consist of things we want to change in the coming year, goals we want to accomplish and actions and attitudes we want to leave behind. IBW is no stranger to New Years’ resolutions, and in this article we’ll be talking about what traits, trends and behaviors “The Headlight” staff will not be bringing into 2026.
#1 – Nonchalance, or whatever
(Naima) In 2025, not caring became the newest trend. We said no to passion, excitement and enthusiasm and what has it brought us? Interactions that feel like two rocks staring at each other. Stoicism comes from ancient Greek and Roman principles focused on going through life controlling our own outward expression of emotion. While it can be helpful to hold back some of our most dramatic feelings, we can hold them back so much that we lose out on connection.
Nowadays, the ideas behind stoicism seem to have been misconstrued to mean “don’t show people you care about things,” which has made many interactions feel unemotional and disjointed. We can’t really know one another unless we are willing to be somewhat vulnerable and show that we’re interested in the conversations we’re having. I know I’ve been feeling less connected with my community than I have in previous years, due to the lack of enthusiasm from everyone. It has been making me feel a lot more anxiety surrounding what people think of me based on the first impressions from just one conversation.
In 2026, we should let our guards down a bit. It’s important to protect ourselves and not spill our whole life stories on the floor the second we meet people, but it’s also okay to let a little bit more of our personalities show.
#2 – Late work, no reaction
(Malija) The end of semester deadline is coming near, and students are finding themselves overloaded with work to do. Much of this stress can be attributed to late assignments, marked as a zero in the grade book. Late assignments almost always receive reduced credit, as they were turned in after the deadline with no guarantee the teacher will have the time to grade the assignment before the cut-off.
It’s very easy to fall into the late work spiral. Losing track of deadlines just happens sometimes, and it’s okay to turn in a late assignment every once in a while. But once the assignment is overdue and there’s no longer a looming deadline to encourage completion, late assignments start to pile up.
The piling up of late work is especially demotivating because we often realize that we were completely capable of doing the assignments, but just not motivated enough to complete them. Now, we need to complete the assignments to bump up our grades, but only receive half as much credit for work we’re absolutely qualified for. Going into 2026, let’s strive to forgo the late assignments by turning things in on time so they can earn full points and secure the grades they deserve.
#3 – Landfill-core
(Naima) 2025 wasn’t the only year where rampant over consumption was a big part of our culture, but we did see numerous trends rise and die within the span of only a couple months. From Stanley cups and Owala bottles, to Starbucks Barista bears and Labubus, to matcha and Dubai chocolate, it’s absolutely too much. These short-lived trends have taken over wider society and have not only reduced quality and increased prices, but have caused us to lose parts of our identity.
2026 should be the year where we ignore the micro-trends and put an emphasis on personal style and interests. When we get to know ourselves better–without so much focus on others and their presence online–we gain confidence and become more secure in who we are. This improves our lives in almost every way by reducing our anxiety, saving us money and making us feel confident and secure.
#4 – Everyday I’m hustlin’
(Malija) In 2025, the term “locking in” was popularized and became a common expression that can be seen in teenage conversations, motivational wallpapers and even grading rubrics, essentially meaning “focus.”
Nothing is wrong with locking in. In fact, locking in more frequently might make for a good New Years resolution. The problem however, is when the drive to lock in becomes the biggest drive in life, a condition known as “hustle culture.”
Hustle culture is a phenomenon created by the internet’s glorification of “locking in.” It advocates for relentless work, long hours and little breaks, often sacrificing sleep, well-being and personal relationships for success. Though it aims to promote ambition, it often leads to burnout and anxiety instead, which is why 2026 marks the time to say goodbye to the glorification of hustle culture. While a good grinding session can be great, it’s important to also prioritize rest and remember that an overloaded schedule does not equal success.
#5 – “ChatGPT, what should I title this section?”
(Naima) 2025 was a year ruled by artificial intelligence (AI). It seems like we couldn’t have a conversation about learning without ChatGPT worming its way into the frame. Over the years we have seen AI become a natural part of daily lives, with people using it for anything from finding a quick answer to a question, writing entire essays and even emotional support. While AI can be a useful tool to improve learning and efficiency when combined with our own critical thinking, many of us are using AI in place of deep thinking, making it more difficult to grasp concepts in the future.
There is also a significant environmental cost from using AI models, with just one message to ChatGPT using around 5ml of water. That may not seem like much, and it isn’t on its own, but it adds up very quickly.
The question of whether to use AI or to avoid it altogether is a personal decision, however in 2026, we should be more mindful of our use. We should make sure we’re not using AI to complete our thinking, and if we’re struggling with understanding, ask for help. If we’re struggling emotionally, we shouldn’t turn to ChatGPT to make us feel better, instead we should be reaching out to our friends, parents and trusted adults. If we do choose to use AI, we should be mindful of the environmental impact and ask ourselves if there are other, better options we could try first.
(Malija) On the brighter side, a trend “The Headlight” staff would like to start in 2026, is becoming more ambitious. Challenge yourself and keep working hard, but don’t push your limits. We’ve talked a lot about what we’d like to leave behind in 2025, now it’s up to you to decide what you want to bring into the new year and what goals you’d like to achieve.
