Nowadays, when people hear Miley Cyrus they think that she is a “bad influence” among us teens. But us teens grew up with a VERY different Miley. A Miley/Hannah combo that we came to know and love. Regardless of what you may think of Miley Cyrus right now, you can't deny that she was wildly popular in the decade leading up to now. We grew up alongside her as she played international pop sensation Hannah Montana while trying to navigate friendships and relationships all while balancing family life and academics. This television show gave all of us hope because if Miley could do all of this at once, why couldn't we? Disney channel shows of old were all about being true to yourself and helping audiences navigate their own lives by providing relatable scenarios along with solutions to predicaments at the end of the segment. Hannah Montana was one of the last great shows of our generation. Many valuable lessons were learned throughout this show. Here are five that I learned:
We learned that through it all, it is important to stay true to yourself.
Even though she wore the wig and became a different person, Miley always stuck up for her beliefs and friends and family. Even in the first episode, when Amber and Ashley are portrayed as the popular girls, Miley and Lilly are quick to separate themselves because they knew that they were happy with their own friendships and lives. Nobody on this show pretended to be someone that they were not. 
“This is real life. This ain’t some Nicholas Sparks novel.” Miley Stewart. Not only is Miley straightforward, but she is also realistic. She realizes that love stories don’t have to be like the ones in books to be perfect.
It stressed the importance of family.
Miley lived with her father and brother, while her Aunt Dolly and her "Mamaw" would drop in occasionally. Overall, the sibling relationship between Jackson and Miley was portrayed as both playful and caring with underlying normal rivalries. Miley's relationship with her father, who was played by her real father, gave us all the feels and it was great to see familial matters discussed between family members who care about each other and are trying to be happy and work together with a strong foundation of honesty and morality.
“Nobody’s perfect.” Hannah Montana.
It taught us that being honest with our friends was really important.
Remember the first episode, when Lilly (Emily Osment) is super excited to take Miley to a Hannah Montana concert, but she couldn't go because SPOILER she was gonna be up on stage? Well, when Lilly found out she was upset but over the course of the episode, she and Miley made amends and this only made the bond between them stronger.
