By Amelia Rogers Nuebarth

When teenagers go to watch a show or a movie many gravitate towards romance, drama, comedy, horror, and action genres. Teens tend to binge TV shows more frequently than watching movies since they last longer and can be more engaging. Most stay up late into the night which is commonly spent binging TV series.

Teen girls watch TV series such as Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Outer Banks, etc. These are all showed on Netflix as recommended for teens. Madeline Boychuck, Senior at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), loves watching Gossip Girl because she says, “It is an overall entertaining show and a fun pastime and can become very addicting.” These shows fit into the romance and action genres. Learned from asking other teens these shows keep you wanting to watch more immediately with episodes ending in cliff hangers.

In watching romance-based shows they can be found relatable and provide an emotional connection. They can also include drama which teen girls feed off. Shows like the ones listed above are very consistent with drama and have a whole fan base centered around that.

   Many teens watch movies as an escape from the chaos of everyday life. They can help address real-life issues they may be facing and connect with how to deal with them. Movies can also provide other perspectives of how to view situations and learn from them. On the other hand, teens can just watch movies with their friends when they hang out. Some students also will put on a movie in the background of doing homework to eliminate complete silence.

   Another way movies can be useful to teens is for sleeping. According to a Junior at PVHS, Lola Roberts, “Movies often can help me fall asleep and set up a calm environment for the night.” It can be hard for some people to fall asleep in complete silence and movies are the perfect solution for that. Cleaveland Clinic Newsroom states that having a show or a movie on can help distract you from thoughts or feelings to relax and fall asleep easier and more efficiently. This is very useful because many teens get overwhelmed with school plus their outside life and can benefit from a distraction. Mental health is a pressing issue amongst teens which can be more prevalent at the hours of night leaving them to emotionally process all that has gone on through the day. This makes the impact of having a show or movie extra impactful to really destress and get a good night’s rest.

   Shows and movies can be very entertaining, especially for the teenage age group but also have a larger impact that some may not even think of. It is important to find a sense of balance between your school life and home life and find a calming activity to occupy you such as streaming services may be the right fit

Graphic done by Ryder Navarra