Whether students felt inspired by seeing other students on TikTok, or their friends encouraged them, EL continues the tradition of seniors purchasing and utilizing children’s backpacks, often with cartoon characters or playful patterns.

“A lot of my friends did it this year and it’s definitely gotten popular through TikTok,” senior Kaiden Mariani said, who purchased a Minecraft backpack.

Seniors use children’s backpacks as an outlet to bond with classmates and creatively express themselves.

“There’s something about bringing back childhood silly, fun things that’s kind of universal. I had a Camp Rock folder for senior year physics,” senior adviser Sara Griffith said.

Under the strain of senior year and the constant “What do you want to do after you graduate?” from relatives and friends, the nostalgia of children’s backpacks give seniors a feeling of comfort and reassurance.

“Especially senior year, there’s so much stress. There are big decisions and the ‘capital F’ future is coming and if there’s something that kids want to do that’s just silly, I’m all for it. Not everything has to be serious or cringe,”
Ms. Griffith said.

The amount of seniors participating in this tradition also provides a sense of unity and togetherness between classmates that may have not known each other well.

“I wasn’t embarrassed at all to participate. I think so many people got one that instead it’s just a funny, cute thing that everyone’s bonding over,” senior Melina Steele said, who carries a Dora the Explorer backpack.