Most kids in middle school have a screen time limit on their devices, so finding a show to watch can be challenging. I understand the frustration; scrolling on a streaming service for good shows and then your screen time runs out and you’re sufficiently bored. For the last two weeks, we have been interviewing students from each grade, to find out their favorite TV shows. Our mission was to find interesting TV shows for other middle schoolers and possibly connect people together.
If you are one of these people, who have a hard time finding a good show to provide entertainment, here are some recommendations.
Kayla G, from the fifth grade, recommends Victorious. Victorious is about a girl who joins the Hollywood Arts High School, where she joins an eccentric group of teens and tries to fit in. Really funny, sometimes gross, but unique encounters will make you interested, and every episode feels fresh and new. One of these episodes includes how the main character’s sister got into the school since she has no talent. Each scene gets wilder and wilder, and you can’t stop watching. Kayla says, “It might be something to watch after school, or if you’re bored.” Each episode is different in its own way, and it always surprises you.
Both Sarah G from the sixth grade and Violet from the seventh grade said that Dance Moms was their favorite show. Sarah says to watch it “Because it’s addicting and passes time.” Dance Moms is a reality show that spans eight seasons. It’s about girls on a traveling dance team, with a demanding instructor Abby Lee-Miller. A lot of drama happens, like the teacher and the moms getting into loud arguments. Kids forget their dance, the teacher cries, and it’s so easy to watch entire seasons in one sitting. If you are interested in reality TV, this is the show for you.
If you are more interested in cartoons or anime, Gail from the seventh grade recommends the cartoon Bee and Puppycat. This show is about a girl named Bee and her furry friend named Puppycat, who go on adventures together while working for an intergalactic temp agency. It’s unique, cute, and a very cozy show. The animation is lively and fun, and each episode is funny and distinctive.
For our last recommendation, we have Ryan from the eighth grade who recommended the anime Naruto. He says, “It’s very interesting and tells a good story.” It’s about a young boy and ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the leader of his village. The characters are unique and special, each with their distinct design. There are many seasons and other shows related, so it’s something to watch if you’re interested in that kind of content.
While writing this article, I started thinking about the types of media teens are watching, and started to look more into this topic. Though these middle schoolers are watching TV, studies show that teens are watching more short-form content on different platforms. Teenagers are watching less TV than adults. The article “Teenagers and tweens watching TV half as much as adults, Ofcom finds” by theguardian.com says, “Instead, older children are supplementing their TV viewing by turning to sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Vine, as well as watching clips posted on Facebook or Twitter and news websites.” This shows that instead of watching shows, teenagers are moving to platforms like TikTok and YouTube to watch short video content. This article also says that teenagers are watching half the amount of TV shows than adults are, which could be due to social media, or perhaps a lack of TV shows aimed towards teenagers.
In an article called “The False Portrayal of Teens in Media ” by the Epic, it says that teenagers are portrayed as overly bubbly or consistently gloomy, and that is very unrealistic to teenagers today. We believe that because teenagers are not finding shows that relate with them, and their life, and are moving to apps like TikTok that better connect to them.
I know for me, finding a show to watch is hard. A lot of the time I’m scrolling on streaming services to find something interesting. Interestingly, I find older shows are more refreshing and relatable than more modern ones.
It seems a lot of people agree that older TV shows are more engaging and relatable than modern ones. Newer shows seem like they’re made by adults who are trying to understand modern teenagers, but just don’t. Characters are shown as phone-addicted, rude, and use a lot of “slang” that teenagers today don’t use. It’s an incorrect portrayal that leaves the watcher feeling different and detached from the main characters, when the whole point is to have them be relatable.
Margo, from the fifth grade, says that Gilmore Girls is her favorite show. She says, “A lot is going on, and you don’t get bored. It’s entertaining.” It seems that middle schoolers are finding shows to pass the time, and also that relate to them. Gilmore Girls, which was released in the year 2000, is about a young girl and her single mother, who grow up together and experience relationships and hardships. Even twenty-three years later, Gilmore Girls is as popular as it was when it was released. In my opinion, Gilmore Girls is a great TV show if you’re in the mood for fall vibes and cozy scenes, and also is very relatable and ridiculously funny. There’s a fall vibe to it, so even if you are watching in summer or winter, you feel right in the middle of October. The two main characters, Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, use jokes and references that are still relatable and true, and it has a timeless feel about it.
This data reveals a significant shift in how teens consume entertainment and media. It highlights the growing popularity and influence of short-form content, particularly among younger generations. However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean the end of traditional TV shows. There are still many compelling options available, and for those who enjoy that format, there’s no shortage of interesting and compelling content to watch. I hope you look at the options and find something you like.