Students in America have noticed a growing popularity in teenagers using children’s backpacks for school. This includes Weber High, where the Spiderman bag seems to reign as the most popular among the various versions.
Over the past few years, trends have slowly faded in and out but usually don’t last more than a few months. For example, the vsco girl style was popular in 2019 into 2020, and wolf cuts hit the generation hard in 2020 and 2021. Just earlier this year the y2k/2000s style started to rise in popularity, but has since died down.
However, these trends don’t come without a sort of controversy or disagreement. There are always people who find certain trends unstylish or tacky. In fact, even the low rise jean wave received a lot of backlash and mixed opinions at its peak. Considering this, will this backpack trend survive the year at Weber, or do the students and staff find it an unstylish movement?
Casey Birkholz, history teacher at Weber High, comments on this newfound fashion trend saying that he thinks it is “an attempt to try to get people to notice you, even though it’s a vain attempt.” Birkholz also agrees that fashion trends go in and out. “You guys are going into fashion trends, right now you’re in the 90s. So, it’ll disappear. It’ll be gone by next year, for sure.”
You guys are going into fashion trends, right now you’re in the 90s. So, it’ll disappear. It’ll be gone by next year, for sure.
Kieri Ekstrom, a junior at Weber High, has a similar outlook on the idea. “I think it’s ok. It’s not my favorite.” She shares the same thought as Birkholz, that “the trend is going to fade out soon.” Exstrom also comments on how she views people based on their backpacks. “Bags just tell you more about them, she said Like, the Weber football team always has Weber on their bags. That just tells you, oh they’re in football. I guess it’s more like… Oh, cool backpack!”
However, on the other side of the argument, Asher Jones, a junior at Weber, favors the trend more than his peer, Ekstrom. “I think it’s sick. I’m gonna get a kids backpack for my senior year,” he said, adding that he “doesn’t really think it matters” how someone’s bag looks. He also agrees that the trend is fading. “It’s really just our generation.”
Because of the pattern that trends like this have followed for years and years, this newfound backpack interest might very well meet its demise sometime in the next year. Although, for the students that find it stylish and want to continue to partake in wearing the cute bags, not all hope is lost. Most of the time trends don’t fully disappear from the scene, some even stick around among groups of people for decades after.
In terms of these bags being stylish, it’s nearly impossible for an entire body of students to make a unanimous decision, but it seems like Weber High is leaning more towards seeing this trend in a positive light. So, if you’re thinking of adding something to your style, maybe try investing in a kid’s backpack.