The shows that built me
Media affects senior’s high school experience
June 13, 2020
High school is about finding yourself and learning from your mistakes. Modern day teenagers, however, have the privilege of learning from the mistakes of others. We have access to such a wide variety of media, Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and because of this, I have spent the last four years escaping into the worlds of others during late night study breaks or Friday night binge sessions, but I think I am a better person for it.
During my watch time, I grew to love the characters on my screen. They taught me lessons I never would have learned without them.
An obvious choice for most high schoolers’ watch list, NBC’s hit comedy series,“The Office,” follows an average group of people who work for mid-size Pennsylvania paper company Dunder Mifflin. The Office has a multitude of lessons to teach, but I think the most important is that even the most mundane can give you some of the best experiences of your life. Do not take the day to day for granted because that’s where you create your beauty.
A show that follows a group of young kids as they save the world from a dungeons and dragons themed monster, it’s safe to say that “Stranger Things” is one of the best shows in existence. All-in-all, it’s a great coming of age story, but it really deals heavily with loyalty and never giving up on those you love. The story of a group of friends desperately searching for their missing member is a tale of endurance and perseverance. It illustrates a love everyone should have and give.
A show that follows a ragtag group of unlikely friends, Community is the epitome of what high school should be. Community taught me that the status of myself or my friends doesn’t matter as long as I am happy with them and they’re happy with me.
The story of a dysfunctional family’s hilarious antics through a financial crisis, Arrested Development is a show that teaches people how to love in even the most ridiculous and strenuous of circumstances. Family is family no matter what, but “family” does not necessarily mean blood. It teaches loyalty to those you love and being there for others, even if they aren’t always there for you. Arrested Development is a heartwarming show that shows the frustrations of loving others, but also how worth it love is in the end.
The impact that NBC’s Parks and Recreation had on my character is indescribable. Leslie Knope, the show’s lead portrayed by Amy Pohler, is my role model. She is everything a person would want to be: smart, driven, motivated, caring and so much more. There were so many lates nights, where I sat wanting to give up on all of high school, that I just asked myself “What would Leslie Knope do?” There are so many other remarkable characters with much to teach, but Leslie became the model of who I wanted to embody throughout high school. While I definitely did not hit her mark, I pushed as hard as I could.
