By the time a student enters college, he or she has watched thousands of hours of TV. In the streaming era, much of this viewing comes in nontraditional ways, especially on phones and computers. There is also increased competition from other types of video, especially YouTube and TikTok videos and Twitch streaming. Especially with all of the different outlets competing for your eyeballs, all TV shows aren’t created equal. What TV shows are college students watching? It turns out that even in this era of fragmented viewing patterns, niche programs, and limitless video options, college students are watching many of the same shows, often older shows, on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Peacock. According to surveys, Netflix is the number one destination for students to watch their favorite shows. Almost one-half of all college students watch Netflix, more than cable, Hulu, and Amazon Prime combined.
TV-Shows You Will Enjoy Watching as a Student
So what are college students like you watching? If you believe the surveys, there are a few key shows that nearly every college student watches and loves.
- The Office. The classic NBC sitcom began life as a remake of a British sitcom back when today’s college students were still in grade school, but the antics of the office dwellers at Dunder-Mifflin have become a staple of college life. Across majors, across geographic boundaries, and for a decade now, The Office has been one of the biggest shows among college kids. The show is more popular with girls than guys and it’s most popular with business, communication, mathematics, biology, and other natural science majors. However, across the board, The Office is the most watched, and most loved show. How the move from Netflix to Peacock for reruns of The Office will affect students’ viewing remains to be seen.
- Game of Thrones. Before it’s finale, Game of Thrones was the top-ranked show among college guys and second among college girls. It has since fallen in the rankings with no new episodes left to show, but anticipation for the upcoming prequel series House of the Dragon has kept interest in the series alive. With its lavish production design, seemingly complex storylines, and fantasy elements, the series seemed custom-made for college students to obsess and binge. It is, however, interesting how quickly the world’s biggest show seems to have faded after a conclusion than many students found disappointing.
- Parks and Recreation. Like The Office, the defunct NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation has a loyal streaming following among college students, and for similar reasons. Another workplace comedy with a dry sense of humor, a love of absurd situations, and a message about the kind of mundane experiences students will encounter after college, Parks and Rec meets many of the same entertainment needs as The Office. But it also is a more aspirational show with a somewhat more positive message and less bleak assessment of life after school.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Another NBC sitcom making the list—notice a trend?—is an absurdist workplace ensemble comedy. This time, the action takes place in a police station and follows a group of loveable cops as they work to improve policing in Brooklyn and keep New York safe. The show’s rapid-fire jokes and sharp wit are well-attuned to the college demographic, and the show’s star, Andy Samberg, has been a favorite with college-aged guys since his Saturday Night Live days, back when most college kids were still in elementary school.
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The fifth most popular show among college students is yet another ensemble sitcom, this time about a group of friends in Philadelphia and the comedic situations they find themselves in. The show’s outrageous humor appeals to the college mindset, and it’s no surprise that the FX staple has found a strong following at colleges and universities.
How TV-shows Are Important for Students
Interestingly, the shows favored by college guys and girls both start with The Office and Game of Thrones, but college girls favor Grey’s Anatomy and Parks and Rec, while guys like Sunny and Bojack Horseman. Since girls tend to watch more TV than guys, the overall list favors their choices.
It is widely accepted that students should watch less TV. Not even less, they should just stop streaming TV-shows at all and concentrate on educational activities, sports, socializing, etc. Maybe it would work somewhere in a dream world, but definitely not in reality. For decades, movies, shows, and books have been the best distractions possible, and sometimes a good distraction is what you need. Also, quality TV shows, like the ones listed above, also have educational value.
We live in a world of context, not the world of workbooks and written assignments. To address different situations in life, as well as different essay topics, you need to broaden your horizons and enrich your context. Topics discussed and lived through in TV-shows help you do it in a non-invasive, fun way. Obviously, if you spend your days from morning till night just scrolling through your favorite movies, this context won’t be enough to finish your education, receive a diploma and do good in life. However, adding some fun and quality distraction before you get too tired with your writing assignments (not after!) is a right choice, and it helps to beat procrastination. Nearly 500 years ago, Swiss physician and chemist Paracelsus said: “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing, not a poison.”
If you need more time for streaming your favorite show, you might find that your essays are cutting into the time you have available to binge-watch. If that’s the case, you might want to find someone who can be writing papers for you online while you watch your favorite show. A service like Write My Paper Hub can connect you with experts who can help. Paying someone to write a paper for you is a great way to buy back time for other assignments, a job, or even just binge-watching your next Netflix obsession. When you need extra time, consider outsourcing your hardest essay challenges to the people who can help you achieve your essay goals.
