Graphic by Anjali Rao-Herel ‘22
By Woodlief McCabe ‘23
Features Reporter
November, 29th edition
New Media
Have you been listening to the same playlist or album over and over? Watching and rewatching the same TV show? Playing the same video game you’ve beaten before? We’re all kind of stuck. The tangible stuckness of being in our homes with the same people all day may be impacting the types of media we are interested in consuming. When life is unclear, we tend to lean toward and stick to what makes us comfortable. Even though listening to Mitski every night is making me sad, I do it because I still know all the words, and it’s familiar to me. When we end up stuck, we can start to feel helpless and depressed.
If you’re looking for a way to begin breaking out of this emotional trap, start by introducing new media into your day. It could be a show that a friend has been recommending to you forever or a musician you’ve heard a few times who has more songs to discover. If you don’t know where to start, you could look for critics’ lists of the best albums, shows, games or movies of the year. Now is the time of year when those lists are compiled, so why not use them for suggestions? You could also swap out the TV shows you’re rewatching or the books you’re rereading for classics that you weren’t previously interested in. I am finally watching “Breaking Bad,” and I’m not worried about finishing it before a new season comes out since the series ended years ago.
You could also consider looking into new forms of media you haven’t had the chance to explore. Graphic novels, comics and video games can all be enjoyed at a beginner’s level, so do a little research and find the genre that would be most interesting to you. Streaming platforms like Twitch are also a great way to learn about a new interest. You can find people streaming pretty much anything. Streams also have comment sections in which you can ask questions and interact with creators and the community.
Need some recommendations? Here are some of mine:
Albums: “SAWAYAMA” by Rina Sawayama, “Electra Heart” by MARINA, “Good News” by Megan Thee Stallion
TV Shows: “Documentary Now!,” “Santa Clarita Diet,” “Zone Blanche” (this is a French show on Netflix, you will need subtitles or dubbing)
Books: “Helter Skelter” by Vincent Bugliosi (TW: it’s about the Manson murders), “Ghosts of Heaven” by Marcus Sedgewick, “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi (graphic novel)
Podcast: “Lexicon Valley”
Movies: “The Farewell,” “Misery” (Steven King adaptation), “Mad Max: Fury Road”
Video Games: Outer Worlds, Baba is You, Portal
Another great way to find a form of media you might like is to talk to your friends, coworkers or strangers (from 6 feet away). Ask about what they’ve been watching, reading or listening to and you might get some great suggestions.