It’s only March, and 2022 has proven to be yet another unusual year in the pandemic. The pandemic hit either when we were just about to enter high school, or were already halfway through high school- a time in our lives when we’re starting to figure out who we are and who we want to be. For some, quarantine was a great time for self reflection and discovery. For others, our identities became even more muddled. It’s no wonder why so many of us turned to personality quizzes and astrology during this time. In an attempt to find out more about this, I surveyed 61 EBHS students and staff members. Keep reading for a few of my conclusions:

1. Astrology and personality quizzes can be used as a way to gain confidence or connect to others. Senior Rebecca Smoller talked about how quiz results can boost her self esteem: “I think it’s really fun to picture myself as one of the characters in a TV show or movie that I love. It can help me see myself in a different way when I recognize the traits that we share.” For others, astrology is a cultural connection. One student explained the magic in astrology and the link to their heritage: “Knowing about it makes me feel closer to home as a lot of it is rooted in Hindu spirituality. I just like its ideas about our personalities and its connections to planets and beyond; it’s so cool to think one person is limitlessly linked to celestial beings and it in a way, guides our lives and society.”

2. These things help us figure out who we are- and maybe even who we want to be. When asked “On a scale from 1-5, how often do you wonder about how people perceive you?”, an overwhelming 50% answered ‘5: I often wonder about how people perceive me.’ A lot of students seemed to be extremely anxious about and hyper-aware of what other students thought about them. Maybe horoscope readings and quiz results can help one figure out how certain aspects of their personality come across to others. Junior Mahati Yerramilli explained: “I gain some more insight into who I am as a person. People often say contradicting things about me so taking tests like these make me feel like I know myself.” Another student, sophomore Amena Presswala, said that she likes to brag if she gets ‘good’ results from a quiz. She explained further: “If I get a result from a personality quiz that tells me I’m funny, or a certain placement from my birth chart means that I’m supposed to be thoughtful, I’ll want to show those off. I guess it sort of shows what traits appeal to me.”

3. It’s another way to pass the time. Many of the people surveyed didn’t even believe in astrology or care about personality quizzes. For example, senior Yannis Loukidis said that “astrology has always seemed like the kind of thing you’d do for fun or for jokes – like a pottermore quiz – so when people take it seriously it catches [him] off guard.” For Yannis, and many other students at EBHS, astrology and personality quizzes are simply for fun and not something to look deeper into.

Whether it’s just for fun or for a deeper insight into oneself, astrology and personality quizzes are a great outlet for entertainment or clarity- providing quick answers in uncertain times.