Revisiting childhood TV shows

Life lessons we didn’t know were there

Image supplied by: Photo illustration by Josh Granovsky

There’s no question as millennials we’re lucky to live in the golden age of children’s television and we can’t help but miss it sometimes. 

I’m talking about the shows that would magically capture our attention for hours and make us laugh until our stomachs hurt. No matter how old we get, they’ll always have a special place in our hearts. 

Even now, we love re-watching shows and movies like Lilo and Stitch and The Suite Life because they bring back a flood of happy memories and remind us of the simpler times of our childhood — that of wonder, imagination and of course, less responsibility. 

It can also be pretty funny to look back and finally recognize jokes and references we might have missed from many years ago.

Along with bringing us moments of nostalgia and hilarity years later, they also have good life lessons to gain. We may not have realized it then, but That’s So Raven reminds us our lives don’t always, or perhaps rarely, go as planned and that it’s okay. Not only did Hannah Montana emphasize that nobody’s perfect, but it showed us the importance of true friendship and the inevitable consequences of keeping secrets.

But I’d like to elaborate on one my favorite series that proudly defines my youth — Kim Possible. Following a star cheerleader who lives a double life as a heroine who can do anything, the show tackles gender norms and proves to young girls it’s okay to diverge from the crowd and be an overachiever. 

We also learned that it’s cool to be smart and that technology is super useful. Who knew we were gaining so much confidence and empowerment from our beloved cartoon redhead?

It’s fair to say we have quite a few more life experiences now than what we had a decade ago. By peering into our pasts, we learn more about shows in a new and different light. 

There will always be scenes that will make our eyes roll because of how terribly unrealistic they are. And while we would often be expected to root for the hero of the story, we may find ourselves feeling rebellious and occasionally empathize with the villain. Nevertheless, these shows remain to be just as entertaining to us now as when we were eight years old.

The start of a new semester can be overwhelming, and sometimes, it can be absolutely essential to unwind and take a break. What better way to do that than to enjoy a bowl of Cheerios while watching an episode of your favorite TV show from back in the day? 

Tags

childhood, nostalgia, TV

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