Entertainment During Isolation
Six months. That’s how long we’ve been in quarantine. Over half a year has passed since students stopped going to school, sports practices, or anywhere else outside of the house. With all of this sudden free time, there’s bound to be boredom. There’s also bound to be an uptick in media being consumed.
For students, this can be anything from music to movies, so long as it’s interesting. Senior Anjum Hajera has watched everything from Haikyuu to Criminal Minds to keep herself entertained. “It definitely kept me occupied,” she said. “It gave me a way to spend my time.”
Sophomore Claire Wu watched TV both on her own and with family. “Pretty much every evening, [we] watched TV to wind down,” she noted. “It led to interesting conversations and insightful commentary.”
If anything, Wu reasons, her time in quarantine has changed the way she views media. “My habits have changed significantly. I’m learning more from what I’m consuming.”
Hajera, in contrast, has been moving to the comfort of her past interests instead, revisiting some of her favorite musical artists from middle school such as Fall Out Boy and Lady Gaga, and catching up with the new season of The Umbrella Academy.
“I am always consuming content,” she emphasized. “I’m always thinking about it.”
With media so accessible, there’s almost a guarantee that kids will connect through these new interests. Personally, Wu has found something comforting about viewing different types of media during her extensive time at home. Being so active on social media platforms, she’s noticed that young people have formed a sense of community around shared media tastes, which, ultimately, might be the most important takeaway for students during this period.
“[I’ve been] able to see what other people are doing during this time, and getting inspired from what they’re doing.” Wu noted. “Feeling connected to people that are going through the same things as you are is quite unique.”
For those interested, Hajera recommends both Dexter and Haikyuu to other students if they’re looking for things to watch, while Wu wants to promote more upbeat musical artists such as Rina Sawayama and Glass Animals.
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