The Coronavirus is spreading across the globe and so is a certain dread towards virtual school days. Communication between students and their teachers is getting worse and many students have issued complaints against increased amounts of homework. Boredom and stress have become just as contagious as the virus and have left many students exhausted and anxious.
Through these trying times, however, many have found comfort in TV shows, be it on HBO, Amazon Prime, or the much-loved Netflix: a streaming platform with over 165 million users worldwide. On the flip-side, some not-so-new information has suggested that some of the shows on these services might be more advantageous than previously thought.
In 2016, DIRECTV published a study which indicated that people who watch comedies, such as "Friends", "The Simpsons", and "South Park" are more likely to do better on standardized testing. However, because many SATs were canceled this year and considering the fact that many colleges are starting to value them less and less, I decided to ask the students at EARJ about individual courses instead.
From the information collected, students at EARJ who watched information-based shows, such as “Vox’s: Explained”, “Jeopardy!” and documentary-style shows such as “American Crime Story” were more likely to have a GPA of 94 - 100+ struggling only with courses like Philosophy and Portuguese while having Math as one of their strongest courses. Similarly, students who watched shows which required the viewer’s utmost attention, such as “Sherlock” and “Doctor Who”, were more likely to test between 90% - 95% on a given test and were more probable to do well in English than any other subject. Higher-testing Portuguese was the most commonly identified struggle. Incidentally, only one of the TV shows in a pool of 12 was in Portuguese, which might indicate a correlation between TV shows and performance in classes.
From the information gathered, it seemed that these shows maximized the viewers’ potential to learn or absorb information, a skill which now, more than ever, is critical for doing well in classes. Although TV shows are not the only factor in students' performances, there is some science behind the experiment, which might make it not only valuable to students but to anyone who needs an extra push to study or to learn.
Information-based shows like “Explained”, “Jeopardy!”, and “American Crime Story” were made with the sole intention to teach. With “Jeopardy!”, the viewer interacts with Alex Trebek and the contestants, trying to test his/her knowledge. “Jeopardy!” simultaneously incentivizes its viewers to study up for the next episode, something explored in the “Jeopardy! Learning Effect”. Avid “Jeopardy!” fans, like David Sorrell, say that Jeopardy helped him focus more on subjects such as “...history, politics and all kinds of trivia.”
Similarly, “Explained” and “American Crime Story” emphasized the aspect of teaching more subtly—“Explained” relates the subjects taught to real-world scenarios, and “American Crime Story” vividly retells crime-related historical happenings, humanizing both the felons and victims. By having the viewer feel connected or emotionally invested in the show, information-based and documentary-style shows are able to teach the viewer interesting topics while keeping them engaged.
On the other end of the spectrum were those who started the whole article; "Friends" lovers. Although it initially seemed as though these students would do better in individual courses, those who listed "Friends" as one of their favorite shows fell anywhere between 75% - 94% as their grade point average; a staggering gap. Most participants who liked "Friends", however, were between the 78% - 85% margin, which, when compared to subjectively “smarter” participants made sense; "Friends" doesn’t teach the viewer biology or trig, but it does have many benefits in other fields.
When it came to watching "Friends", psychologist Marc Hekster noticed how, “...the characters in the show repeatedly [have worries], which then get repaired and soothed, usually in the context of other relationships in their lives. Complex problems are made the focus of each episode, and then they are resolved within the relationships which are the essence of the shows.” The show rewires viewers’ brains making them less stressed and possibly emotionally smarter.
Be it coincidence, science, or anything in between, TV shows are an integral feature of who we are as people. To watch certain shows just to become “smarter” and not feel a connection isn’t worth your time. So watch as much "Friends", "BBB", and anything else that feels right. You shouldn’t have to compromise your binge-watching experiences for shows that aren’t for you! Remember, the only sure-fire strategy that will improve your grades is to study hard, so get to studying!
Clark, T. (2020, January 24). Netflix is still growing wildly, but its market share has fallen to an estimated 19% as new competitors emerge. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-market-share-of-global-streaming-subscribers-dropping-ampere-2020-1
Lee, V. (2013, September 24). 8 Brilliant TV Shows That Will Make You Smarter ... Retrieved from https://movies.allwomenstalk.com/brilliant-tv-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter/showall/
The Jeopardy! Learning Effect: J!Buzz. (2017, June 3). Retrieved from http://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/fan-jeffect/jeopardy-learning-effect
Watching FRIENDS is good for your brain, claims researcher - Times of India. (2019, April 22). Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/watching-friends-is-good-for-your-brain-claims-researcher/articleshow/68990933.cms
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