Politics may be popular, but it is almost always overshadowed by celebrities or trends. According to Google Trends, searches related to these topics had a higher search rate than any politics in 2025, and this pattern is continuing in 2026.
As pop culture headlines take up attention online, freshman Rannvijay Singh noticed that celebrity drama is engaging and helps connect people.
“Celebrity drama, in my opinion, can be interesting at times, sparking a lot of discussion between fanbases and forms a kind of stage for us to watch. Similar to watching a Sitcom or Reality TV show, it can help us relate more to the celebrities that we potentially idolize,” Singh said. “For example, the Drake and Kendrick beef from a few years ago lit up the entire music scene, especially in rap and hip hop.”
Agreeing with Singh, senior Nathan Rodriguez Calixto added how trends present themselves as far more appealing than politics. While they are both about real life, one is more relatable to many people’s day to day.
“It’s history. It’s old things. It’s dead things. I like reading about it, but I can understand that people wouldn’t want to. I mean, celebrity drama can be much more captivating because it’s things applicable to you right now,” Calixto said. “You go on the internet, you can see people right now, alive, interacting with each other, living a life.”
Despite the importance of politics, many avoid or choose not to dive into it. Art teacher Ara Tanajian explained that some people prioritize light-hearted media.
“People are just very focused on their own lives, and honestly, it’s a lot healthier to be focused on just your life,” Tanajian said. “You’re happier if you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around the world. If you focus on the good things in your own life, if you really ignore politics and take care of yourself and be with your family and friends, you’re probably a lot happier.”
Contrarily, freshman Nico Johns pointed out that not everyone enjoys celebrity drama due to how frustrating it can be at times.
“It feels less important than other things going on in the world. Everybody has drama,” Johns said. “(I do not like celebrity drama because) it’s about people not caring about others, people being annoying, and they always seem to find a problem with others.”
Singh also sees celebrity drama as less necessary, pointing out the benefits of prioritizing political media as opposed to viral content.
“I would rather learn new things about the ever-changing world around us, even more so in an uncertain time like the present,” Singh said. “Politics and our government have very real life effects and consequences for everyone.”
Offering a more personal perspective on the stakes of political awareness, sophomore Aadit Sood emphasized how policy decisions can directly affect everyday life.
“Whatever decisions politicians make and whatever policies they talk about, it might be implemented, and it might change my life,” Sood said. “(If there is) a budget cut for some industry and you decide to invest in the industry because you don’t know that there’s a budget cut happening there, then the stock of your company drops.”
Agreeing with Sood, Calixto emphasized the importance of staying politically informed to better understand how past and present decisions shape society.
“It’s important to stay informed about politics to understand what kind of things have happened historically, what kind of wars have been fought, what kind of things people have voted for, the kinds of things to support when you go to vote,” Calixto said.