Student Blog: Letting Media Consume You

The media that we consume has a great effect on us, whether we realize it or not. As human beings, it’s no secret that anything and everything affects our mental and emotional states. I’ve learned this lesson many times recently.

In a completely vulnerable way, I am choosing to share that I have been rewatching the 2017 Netflix drama Riverdale in an attempt to feel nostalgia. The first season of that show is not bad, season two starting to go downhill, but not terribly yet. I have noticed since starting this rewatch that this show, for whatever reason, affects my mental health in a negative way. A similar thing happened with the show Euphoria, which was coming out weekly when I was in high school.

For those who don’t know, Euphoria (starring the incredible Zendaya) is a drama show about the lives of high schoolers. It’s very soapy, dramatized, and heavy. It deals with a lot of subjects that can be triggering for some people, such as drug use, sex/sexual violence, depression, etc. It’s an extremely heavy show, and if you’re not prepared for that or if you’re in a bad headspace when watching it, it definitely takes a toll.

It was a show that at that time contributed to a lot of issues that I had, and since then, I have not rewatched it because I know it would be bad for me. Riverdale is much less severe in that sense, but somehow, it still takes a toll. In a contrasting way, shows like Friends and Modern Family are really uplifting. Whenever I am anxious or sad, I put on a show like those two and almost instantly, I feel better. 

Finding which pieces of media do this for you is very important, in my opinion. It takes a lot of self-awareness and self-love to know what will affect you poorly, and to avoid those things. 

Another example of media I am currently consuming is the Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh. I’m now reading book #3, Saving 6, and I am loving this series a lot. I feel so deeply for these fictional characters and I’m so invested in their stories. However, these books are very heavy, and deal with a lot of heavy topics such as drug abuse, domestic and child abuse, sex, etc. Even though these topics are hard to read about sometimes, I find that it’s important to be exposed to things that are unfortunately people’s realities.

It’s important to consume the media, and not let it consume you. I thought I would end this blog post with some recommendations of books and shows to watch when things are a little too heavy in life.

Shows:

Modern Family

FRIENDS

Full House

Books:

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

Daydream by Hannah Grace