With winter break comes increased time for binge-watching. This past break, I fell down a rabbit-hole of old ABC Family shows (pre-Freeform days), particularly the shows "Greek" and "10 Things I Hate About You."
Having never watched these shows when they initially aired, I found it much more fitting to watch them now as a teenager, making me their target demographic. Although the characters in the show are around my age, this got me thinking - do I actually want my life to be anything like these shows?
Take "Gossip Girl" for instance. There's always some sort of drama. Someone is always fighting. Even the parents have their own issues. Whenever I think, "I want a Chuck Bass" - do I really though? And seriously, would anyone want a gossip website documenting and exposing their every move? They may live privileged lives, but the drama that ensues seems just way too much to handle. The privilege is definitely not worth the stress, in my opinion.
Sure, I find shows like this super entertaining and will continue to watch them, but I just don't want to be them. Serena van der Woodsen may be beautiful, but she dropped out of college, is constantly fighting with her best friend, and is always having boy trouble. No matter how carefree she was portrayed, she never really could escape her complicated reality.
As someone going through sorority recruitment in the very near future, I'm very glad that sororities aren't really like how they're depicted in "Greek." Extreme hazing. Backstabbing "bigs." Overall, the false sisterhood showed in this show is just not what I hope to find in my own experience.
I'm fully aware that the endless drama of these shows is what makes them so incredibly entertaining. If I watched an episode of "Greek" where the characters host a study group and get along well, I would be extremely bored. I acknowledge this, and appreciate it. Having some sort of crisis per episode is essential to make the show entertaining. I'm just glad I don't have crises such as these in my own daily life. I definitely wouldn't be able to handle it with the same grace as Casey Cartwright.
No matter how much I love teen TV shows, and even find them relatable at times, I can't help but be thankful these portrayals aren't wholly reflective of real life. I don't want the drama, the endless plot twists, and constant fighting. I'd much rather spend a night watching the drama on Netflix in my dorm room.
