Overrated Viral Products
By: Morgan Ritter
Stanley Water Cups
The Stanley water tumbler is the obvious top contender for containing lead. Yes, it’s true; the company has confirmed that real lead is used in the sealing process of its water tumblers, yet they remain as popular as ever. Sure, it can carry a lot of water and fit into a cupholder, but is that convenience really worth the risk of lead poisoning?
The Stanley company stated that lead is not an issue unless the base cap at the bottom of the cup comes off and exposes the lead seal. This can occur from damage to the cup like dropping it or mishandling it. I don’t know about you, but that feels like saying, “It’s okay to have asbestos in your pipes as long as you don’t take your pipes out of the wall!”
In addition to the risk of lead poisoning, these tumblers are also an amazing hub for bacteria. The attached straw makes it hard to clean, which will likely result in a lot of build-up over time. On the bright side, maybe all that lead and bacteria will give that water a little extra flavor to get you through the day!
Photo Source: @mohawkade via DeviantArt (Creative Commons)
APPLE AIRPODS
While these have become a staple in the past few years, I find Airpods to be ridiculously overhyped. The price, coupled with the failure of most of the promised benefits, is pretty shocking.
For almost $100, you get earbuds that don’t stay in your ears and have an ultimate lifetime of two to three years, according to Case Mate. Also, on a single charge, they have a six-hour listening time and four-and-a-half-hour talk time, according to SoundGuys. For that price point, all I have to say is, “That’s it?” For $100, I’d expect these to stay in my ears, last all day, AND help me do my taxes.
Then you have the Airpod Pros, which are a cash grab if I’ve ever seen one. They cost about $40 more than the regular Airpods. The main difference is that they have silicone eartips, while the regular AirPods do not. Also, while they’re noise-canceling for the user, they don’t exactly cancel the noise for everyone else. Is it really worth isolating yourself from any outside noise to be that guy with your music blasting for all to hear?
Photo Source: Trusted Reviews (Creative Commons)
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
This product went viral a couple of years back and has become quite popular in the skincare world. However, I find its use to be incredibly gratuitous. This $25 lip mask is meant to be put on your lips at nighttime and stay on overnight. You’re then supposed to wake up with soft, smooth lips. However, many people use this product at all times of the day, like a lip balm.
While I have heard that it works great, what worries me are the ingredients used. The mask has fragrances and dyes in it, which, according to WYRL Beauty, are not good for constant use on your lip’s sensitive skin. It also has an ingredient that smooths out lines and wrinkles in the lips, proving it to be more unnaturally corrective than it is advertised to be.
Photo Source: eko sunaryo via flickr (Creative Commons)
At the end of the day, the lip’s skin is very sensitive, and you’re better off using Aquaphor or any other petroleum jelly to get hydrated lips. Not to mention, it will likely be the same result for a MUCH lower price.
Drunk Elephant Skincare
The high-end skincare brand, Drunk Elephant, has recently taken the internet by storm. Interestingly enough, it has caught the eye of Gen Alpha. Preteen girls on TikTok flaunt their Drunk Elephant products, encouraging other girls of the same age to demand these products from their local Sephora, according to Vice.
However, this skincare is not meant for kids–at all. A few of their most popular products contain retinol, an anti-aging skincare ingredient not meant to be used by anyone younger than 25, according to Renée Rouleau. At around 25 years old, the production of skin elasticity protein starts to slow down. Retinol is a harsh ingredient that can cause damage if used on young skin. However, that hasn’t stopped the company from subtly pushing these products towards this new, younger audience they’ve gained.
In an Instagram post, Drunk Elephant said that a lot of their products are made for all skin, including kids. But, they’ve advised kids to stay away from their products that contain acids and retinol. They then proceeded to list their “kid-safe” products, and a suggested three-product morning and night routine for the kid/tween age range.
Photo Source: PolaroidDream via DeviantArt (Creative Commons)
The problem with this? It’s blatantly unnecessary! Kids don’t need to take care of their skin yet. (Other than sunscreen, which everyone should be wearing.) They can do serious damage if they use any of these high-end products, regardless of how gentle they claim to be. Besides, an Instagram post is hardly due diligence because of the lack of warnings they put on their products. I mean, why do that when they can keep the packaging cute and colorful to draw in those 10-year-old girls at Sephora looking to spend LOTS of their parents’ money?
I think the unfortunate reality is that all these products have one thing in common: their primary audience is children. Will the influence of online hype over products like these be seriously harmful to Gen Z and Gen Alpha in the coming years? Is it damaging already? All I know is that, as much as I ranted about the above products, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about buying them at least once.