Over the past four years, I have been trying to be more intentional with my time on social media. First, I deleted TikTok about four years ago. More recently, I have been distancing myself from Instagram, and now I have put a time limit on YouTube. Through this journey of self-awareness when it comes to social media, I have continued to find myself going back to long-form entertainment like movies and television. Nowadays, with the popularity of streaming platforms, I have access to every episode of thousands of TV shows. While it is not the same as watching TV when I was a kid, I still feel that nostalgia and excitement as I did back then.
I am currently re-watching Teen Wolf (streaming on Netflix) with my friend, and I almost forgot how exciting it is to dive back into a world with characters you have come to love. While the plotline is a bit wacky and the dialogue can be kind of cringy, the show brings back memories from five years ago when I watched it for the first time. For context, I was a freshman in high school, classes were still on Zoom, and I had just gotten my wisdom teeth out. Since I had to keep my camera off to ice my face, I binged Teen Wolf as my life depended on it. Now, as I re-watch the show five years later, I can pinpoint the place in my life I was at and the memories that go along with it. I get that child-like excitement every time I can sit down and watch another episode with my friend.
I also started watching a new show this past week: The O.C. (streaming on Hulu). My friend recommended it to me (because one of the characters reminded her of Stiles from Teen Wolf). I knew I had to give it a try, and let me tell you: I’m hooked! A show about a “bad boy” with a troubled past who lives with a wealthy family in Orange County and now has to adapt to life with rich teenagers . . . I’m in (did I mention there is also romance and drama?). What is it about shows from the early and mid 2000s that have a distinct impact on me? The difference in clothing style from 10-20 years ago always catches my eye and is so interesting to see – it makes me want to create a Pinterest board all about it. I love that I can chat with others about these shows and talk about my thoughts and feelings that arise when watching them. Because there is so much drama, romance, action, adventure, thrill, and more that goes into even one episode, my feelings switch around – I could be yelling at the screen in anger, disbelief, excitement, distress, etc.
Last year, I gave up YouTube completely for Lent. Instead, I watched Glee for the first time. Like with the other shows mentioned, I had friends I could rant to about the insanity that is Glee, and also how much I seemingly enjoyed it as well?! During winter, when it is dark, cold, and hard to find joy in the small things, television shows are always there to help cheer me up, express my feelings, converse with others, and reflect on memories. The dopamine hit is especially necessary right now and keeps me afloat when the stress and overwhelm from school try to take over. Even though the media has changed since I was a child, television and movies seem to bring me back to “the good old days” when I fell in love with characters for the first time, watched countless edits (don’t judge me), and discovered what it meant to be part of a fandom. I hope that as you work through the winter season, you can find a new or old show to watch in order to take a break, curl up on the couch or your bed, and relax during a hectic season.