shows

Television: Relaxation in an Electronic Box

Christine Sharma

 

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Game of Thrones, The Vampire Diaries, Awkward, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Dexter, Suits, Orange is the New Black—oh my, there are an abundance of TV shows detracting from your attention to schoolwork.

With exams around the corner and your favourite shows either ending or beginning (Game of Thrones, April 12!), TV is a huge distraction. Some say it turns your brain to mush; some say TV is a tool for procrastination.

Well, I say that TV is a great way to relax.

Although keeping up with our favourite TV shows (Game of Thrones, I love you) is difficult during the year amidst assignments, midterms, tests, and readings, I feel relieved when I get a moment away from my textbooks to watch a show. No reading, no writing, no stressing. Another world, characters you feel like you know, and a plot-line that keeps you wanting more—TV is the perfect escape from our book-bound lives.

I think that every student needs at least one TV show they love to watch to keep up with throughout the school year (ahem, Game of Thrones in the summer semester this year). If you don’t have a show to watch, ask your friends or Google for a suggestion. You could use the escape.

Once you’ve found your magical TV show (or five, or Game of Thrones), start watching! I guarantee you will feel less stressed about your life afterwards. Fair warning: although TV is great for relaxation, an overdose or a binge-watch could be catastrophic for your looming deadlines.

When it comes to shows, the watcher absolutely must be cautious about how much time they allot to watching episodes. Time management is essential here. Like any other relaxation method (the gym, meditation, food…), too much TV might put you in a time crunch for finishing that essay or studying for that midterm.

Try using TV as a reward. For every two hours you study or write, you get to watch an episode. Or for every 50 minutes you study, you get to watch 10 minutes of an episode. Finishing an assignment and a series simultaneously has never been so easy. Personally, I follow two shows maximum at a time so I can put school first.

So grab a blanket, a healthy snack, and some tea. De-stress and watch something!

My Time Machine

Sarah Boodram

Sarah Boodram

Something happened recently that brightened my mood yet made me feel really old and nostalgic.  I’m not talking about finding my Pokemon collection from the third grade or listening to the Spice Girls.  I’m talking about television.  Yes…television.  It seems that with our busy schedules, we don’t have the time to watch TV, or at least shows, from this traditional medium.  Instead, we hop on the Internet to catch up on episodes if we missed its original air date. Or, if we still watch TV shows on television, many of us record selected shows on the PVR to view on our own schedule. 

I found myself, surprisingly, watching TV a couple of days ago and noticed that MTV has became my new go-to channel.  Why?  Because MTV now airs re-runs of shows like Clueless, Malcolm in the Middle, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Saved by the Bell, and Student Bodies…a.k.a. TV shows from the 1990s…a.k.a. TV shows from my childhood.

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Though I’ve been watching Daria, Breaker High, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for some time now, the rebirth of these TV shows seemed quite fitting since I recently decided to re-watch (and re-obsess over) My So-Called Life, another television show from the 90s that’s filled with teen drama, grunge music, fashion, and Jared Leto.

I’ve realized how much time has gone by.  It’s no longer “the 90’s…just the other day,” it’s “the 90’s…two whole decades ago!”  Watching these TV shows make me remember a simpler time when my day didn’t revolve around non-stop “career-driven” activities, but about wondering whether Cher (from Clueless) will get home before her curfew.  Living in the past?  I think not, because sometimes it’s good to add a little nostalgia to life to make you appreciate the present.  So, will I stop watching my favourite 90’s shows because of how old it makes me seem?

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