Hana Longenecker

I remember seeing a piece of flair (yes, I realize this is now outdated) on Facebook that said “procrastinators unite…tomorrow!” While this is obviously making fun of chronic procrastinator’s inability to do anything productive until the moment before an assignment is due, buried beneath the joking façade, there is some truth. As a procrastinator myself, I know that the pressure of almost missing an assignment is often needed to put any effort into schoolwork whatsoever. Particularly now, with less than 2 weeks of classes to go, I find myself wanting to spend more and more time on computer doing anything but studying for my finals and writing my papers. So, in honor of finals, I thought I would share some of my favorite time-wasting websites.

1. http://iwastesomuchtime.com/
                  As the title implies, this website can help you waste all the time you want. Memes, funny pictures, and anything else random that could make you laugh show up on its pages. And if you become a regular (like me), the random link is great because it brings up a random (shocking, I know) grouping of things to waste your time looking at, many of which you may not have seen before. With easy links to share on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites, you can suck your friends and family into this wonderful procrastination tool as well.

Let’s be honest, the majority of us have probably watched Disney movies in the past year. I know I have. There is something calming in the nostalgia that ensues from watching Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Mulan for what is probably close to the hundredth time. My iTunes library proudly includes songs from Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. However, as I think through the deeper implications of many of these beloved fairy tales, it makes me wonder if our generation has bought into a lie, a lie that is impeding us from becoming all we are capable of because we are held back by childhood fantasies of what life and dating should be like.

The Little Mermaid teaches us that if we change the way we look and give up the thing we treasure most in ourselves, we will get the guy. What kind of a message is that sending to little girls? We have all felt like we don’t fit in, don’t belong, aren’t good enough. But this story that so many girls (many of whom are now women) love, has essentially taught us that we are not good enough as we are. However, if we change, then we can get the guy.

I love Beauty and the Beast. Belle has always been my favorite princess, mostly because she was the only one with brown hair. However, this Disney classic holds a similar message, just in the reverse. It insinuates that we can change other people, specifically the men in our lives.  Personal experience has shown me that this is one of the biggest lies I have ever believed. Going into a dating relationship knowing there are things you cannot stand about someone, but believing you can change them, is only setting yourself up for disappointment and bitterness.