When college life is intense and draining, sometimes students need to unwind. Students have unique ways of unwinding, but most of the time, it involves some type of media. Whether it be books, TV shows or movies, most students have a piece of media that brings them comfort during difficult or grueling times.
Freshman Maya Salinas prefers shows from the 1990s and early 2000s such as “Boy Meets World” and “Friends.” She claims to have rewatched “Friends” around 10 times. Salinas loves these shows because of the setting and the abundance of content. “Boy Meets World” has seven seasons with 158 episodes and “Friends” has 10 seasons with 235 episodes. She also enjoys the relaxed, non-abrasive storylines and friend-group dynamic.
“In both shows, you can see the characters grow and their relationships develop over the years, and really just see more normal and casual storylines,” Salinas said. “I don’t find drama in a show to be comforting, and I like when shows take their time to let events play out.”
Senior Olivia Rodgers-Koch finds comfort in the show, “Community.” After a long day, Rodgers-Koch does not want to deal with hard topics, she wants light-hearted humor that takes little brain-power. She especially enjoys “Community” because she has watched it so many times that there are no surprises. There is nothing that will jerk her out of her relaxed state and make her pay too much attention. In addition, she feels that the characters are well-written and relatable.
“No matter what is going on in my life, I can find something to relate to,” Rodgers-Koch said.
While Salinas and Rodgers-Koch lean toward TV shows for comfort, Sophomore Brody Hillman prefers movies. Specifically, he prefers Adam Sandler’s 1998 film “The Waterboy.” For Hillman, the comfort comes from the connection he and a family member have with the film.
“My dad showed it to me as a kid, and with playing sports all my life, it’s always been a movie I come back to to feel happy,” Hillman said.
For some, reminiscing on childhood brings comfort. The media someone consumes when they are a child can bring them back to a time of innocence and no responsibilities. Nostalgia is a powerful sentiment associated with happiness and comfort.
Hillman’s favorite scene from “The Waterboy” is when Bobby first realizes his natural skill for football. In this scene, the football team is making fun of Bobby which makes him think of all the people who have made fun of him in the past. With this built-up anger, Bobby jumps over the offensive line and tackles the quarterback. This is such a prominent scene because Bobby surprises everyone, including himself, with his strength.
Even with so much media out there, students have specific pieces that bring them comfort. After a long day of classes, sports, work, and other activities, students look to be comforted by familiar, relaxing media they can always rely on.
