Entertainment plays a big part in teenagers’ lives. What you watch affects your state of mind, helps you cope with hard times and builds your character.

Television teaches us life lessons. In 2017, the average viewer spent four hours a day watching TV. That time investment shapes our lives. 

“[Ginny and Georgia] teaches you love and shows you what hate looks like,” Anaysia Perkins, fr., said. 

The average family spends 37 minutes a day with undivided attention on each other to strengthen relationships. In comparison, the average teen spends 4 hours and 44 minutes watching TV daily. Instead of learning from adults, teens are looking to the characters on the other side of the screen.

Escapism can be a coping mechanism for handling stress. When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened our sense of normalcy, television helped us through.

Whether it be a comedy, anime, or horror, teenagers find refuge in the consistency of television.

When the stress of life grabs a hold of you, TV shows keep you grounded, and help you handle anxiety.

“COVID has made times rough but [Gilmore Girls] has helped me get through the anxiety and loneliness. It can always make you laugh and lift your mood during hard times,” Anabel Bradley, so., said.

Watching a funny show, like senior Abigail Pape’s favorite TV show Family Guy, can increase production of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that keeps away viral infections in the mucous membranes. In other words, laughing keeps you healthy.

“I enjoy the humor it presents. It is primarily satire, so I enjoy laughing at current events,” Pape said.

Laughter is the key to happiness. Television shows invite us on a journey with the characters. We laugh, love and cry beside them.