Watching animated movies in college has become more popular recently. Just check Facebook and you'll see college students discuss the latest animated Disney or DreamWorks movie they've seen. You'll even see college students going on trips to Disney World. You're probably thinking, aren't college students a little too old to watch animated movies? Well, here are 8 good reasons why college students, or any adult for that matter, watch animated movies.
1. They remind students of their childhood
The big reason why most college students watch animated movies is that it reminds them of when they were a child. They can watch any movie that they saw when they were little, and it can bring back a lot of memories. In addition, most animated movies are light-hearted, and since they bring back memories of students' childhood, they can bring students back to the days when they had a more innocent view of the world.
2. Animated movies are more engaging and inspiring
GiphyA lot of animated movies have really touching stories that you don't notice as much as a child. When you're a college student, you can often become more engaged when watching the characters or plot of the movie. You're able to analyze and connect with the characters more so than when you were a child. There are tons of animated movies that when I re-watch them, I notice that I feel more connected to the characters than I did as a child which, makes them more inspiring to watch.
3. They contain hidden (or more adult) messages and jokes
GiphyIf you watch some of the animated movies that you once watched as a child, you'll probably notice that there are a lot of hidden messages or jokes in the movie that are more intended for older audiences that you didn't notice or understand as a little kid. This is because most animated movies are made for families, not just children.
A lot of the messages in the film can often relate to you as an adult, such as the case with the movie "Inside Out," which discussed how a lot of adults will believe that you should try to be happy all the time when in reality it's almost impossible.
4. Students can appreciate the work involved in the animation
When you watch an animated movie as a college student, you realize how much work goes into creating one. A lot of people think that it's easy to create an animated film when really it takes a lot of effort and time. When you watch the behind the scenes, you can really see how hard the producers and creators of the film work. There are also so many animated movies that have absolutely beautiful animation and are visually stunning! Try watching "How To Train Your Dragon" or "Coco" and you'll see what I mean!
5. Animated movies are a lot more emotional
If you think "Titanic" is sad, you've never seen a Disney movie. A lot of the times, when you re-watch an old animated movie that you once watched as a child, you'll find that the movie causes you to have a stronger emotional reaction. This is because when you're an adult, you are able to follow the story line better than when you were a child and understand the darker themes of the movie. Disney movies are especially known for being emotional such as the case with "Fox and The Hound," "Up," "Bambi" or "Dumbo." So when you're watching really any type of animated movie, you should make sure to keep a box of tissues nearby.
6. It’s a nice getaway from the stress of college
Animated movies can help take college students' minds away from the stress of upcoming assignments, projects or exams. A lot of animated movies are light-hearted and fun! Often students want to watch a movie that doesn't remind them of the stress they're facing.
7.  Students can notice darker themes
There are tons of animated movies that have dark themes. You'll be surprised to find a lot more dark scenes than what you can recall as a child. Animated films that are marked as children's movies often are created for families. They will often throw in some darker themes to the movie so that adults can be entertained as well when watching the movies with their children. Even newer animated movies can have dark themes hidden in the movies. It's one thing that can make the movies very entertaining to watch as an adult.
8. They can pay closer attention to an entire movie
I don't know about you, but when I was kid, there were so many animated movies that I'd watch, and they would go over my head. I would often only watch a small portion and get bored after about 15 minutes. But as an adult, you can go back and watch the movie again. In addition, a lot of the more complicated themes or plots in an animated movie are easier to follow as adults. Disney's version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a good example since a lot of the plot and themes in the movie are both dark and complex.
Most animated movies are intended for both children and adults, even though many people often believe otherwise. Therefore, you shouldn't feel guilty for watching an animated movie if you're a college student. Animated movies are great to watch when you're stressing over finals or starting to feel depressed over grades! There is no set rule book that comes with adulthood that says that you can't watch an animated film. And the people who say otherwise are obviously missing out.
