By Lila Nolan, Staff Writer
When the global pandemic hit, our whole society seemed to be put on pause. At this point, many viewers found themselves streaming more media than usual to pass the time. Being locked up in the house has caused an influx of even new streaming services such as HBO Max and Disney+; giving streamers more options to choose from. A very popular trend for college students has been rewatching the hit shows of our childhood.
While rewatching shows, viewers find themselves feeling nostalgic and even happier. These shows are not only familiar but a part of viewers’ childhoods; by rewatching them viewers are brought back to simpler times of joy and simplicity. Sophomore psychology major Anastasia Hernandez said,
“Personally I love rewatching shows from my childhood because it takes me back to easier times. I find myself even remembering things that once made me so happy that I forgot about, so it’s really nice to relive those memories and emotions. It truly just makes me so happy.”
Along with the feelings of nostalgia and happiness while rewatching childhood shows, many viewers are rewatching and making new realizations. As older viewers, many have said that they’re picking up on humor and real-life situations that they didn’t catch when they watched as children. Senior music education major Kaitlyn Sottung said,
“I’ve been rewatching iCarly lately and even though I do remember loving it as a child, now I find myself loving it for different reasons. I watch it now and so many more things just make sense to me. When I was younger I saw it as a silly show, but now I see all the different aspects of their lives and I’m able to understand it now.”
When thinking about why Sottung is able to see different aspects of childhood TV shows now, she said, “I guess when I was little I didn’t pick up on a lot of things; like how Spencer took care of his sister all by himself and neither of them really had a parent figure around all the time. I’d say it’s just really cool to see things in a different way and be in on all of the jokes this time.”
Many viewers will agree with Sottung that watching these shows as young adults has been a completely different viewing experience from when they were children. Not only would humor and social situations go over young viewers’ heads, but many moments weren’t fully
cherished. As children, we enjoyed the basis of these childhood shows but not the entirety of them. Sophomore psychology major Anastasia Hernandez said,
“As an adult re-watching all these shows from my childhood, I definitely understand them more and what’s going on. I feel like this allows me to appreciate them more because now I’m able to connect to the characters, follow the stories, and appreciates the overall themes and plots. Ironically, these childhood shows are way more relevant to me as an adult.”
With more streaming services and shows to watch nowadays, viewers often find themselves with the option of watching something new or reliving a childhood classic. The top charts of every major streaming service will agree that these childhood shows are still and always will be relevant by becoming popular viewer choices almost a decade after being released.
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