As a child brought up in the 1960s and ‘70s, I remember the
old time soap operas. Shows such as “Days
of Our Lives”, “Dark Shadows” and “General Hospital” bring back memories. I could go on and on, but you get my
point. My mom didn’t watch these, but I
do remember them very vividly just the same.
Today we have what I like to call the “21st
Century Soap Operas.” Shows like “The Walking Dead” with Andrew Lincoln. BBC’s
“Sherlock”, starring my daughter’s favorite, Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch, Also,
“Sleepy Hallow”, staring Tom Mison and last but certainly not least, “Supernatural”,
with Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins. Again, I could go on with more shows, but
those are just a few. The things these
shows have in common are plenty of drama, good looking, sexy men and fan girls
that go crazy over both the shows and these men.
My daughter, who is now 20, has made many new and close
friends through these shows and her computer. The young people today tweet, blog
and are on Tumblr. They also text each
other during these shows with the friends they have made through multi media. They cry, complain and scream together. They discuss and pass along pictures via the Internet
about their favorite shows and the men they are literally “falling in love”
with.
Back in my day, we “fell in love” with guys like Donny
Osmond and David Cassidy. We had posters
on our walls from Tiger Beat Magazine and 16 Magazine. My daughter has posters on her wall as well,
although they didn’t come from a magazine.
They came from being ordered via computer. For instance she has a big poster of Benedict
Cumberbatch on her wall like I had of Donny Osmond, although mine came from a
magazine and hers came in the mail from ordering it through a computer. Everything
seems to be done through the computer—including watching TV shows with a friend
you met on the Internet. Who, by the way,
probably lives in another state. The
kids tweet and text during the show as if their friend is sitting right next to
them and in a sense I suppose they are.
My daughter has a friend in New Jersey whom she has never met in person.
They text constantly. They are now best friends. It’s a new day and age for sure and it’s interesting
to observe; technology has changed so much since I was a young girl myself.
The stars of these shows also tweet during their episodes as
well, which creates more of an interest and yes even a frenzy from time to time.
Misha Collins from “Supernatural” is a
perfect example of a star who tweets to his fans. It’s a way to talk directly to their fans without
being in the same room and that is quite amazing when you think about it.
This interpersonal contact via social media is also good
advertising for the star’s show and creates more interest when you get a
personal quote directly from the stars themselves as you watch their latest
episode with them. No waiting for the
next teen magazine to hit the stands!
When I was a young girl my friends and I would run to the
corner store to get the newest edition of a teen magazine. We would read it from cover to cover, pull
out all the pictures of the guys we were in love with, and hang them on our
doors and walls. Now with the computer
it has opened up a bigger world and you find more people with similar interests.
One thing leads to another, but a common thread today has
become the computer. I think it has made
shows even more popular. The stars of these
shows tweet and that piques even more interest for both the actor as well as for
the TV show. This is also the new 21st
century way of advertising and marketing a show, and provides a direct link to
the fans who love them. I can’t imagine
seeing a tweet from my teenage crush, Donny Osmond, back in the late 1960s or
early ‘70s. I would have lost my mind
the way these girls and guys do today when their favorite star tweets—especially
to them. Somehow tweeting seems
more personal and a way to better know the show and the stars.
I believe the computer
today is a double-edged sword. It can be
used for good and bad, like everything else in life. Although my daughter has made wonderful and
close friends through the computer and these TV shows, you still must be
careful. I think my opinion is that in
this instance it’s been more of a positive than a negative in our home, to have
the Internet play such a prominent role in day-to-day life. These TV shows are drama-packed and full of
excitement just like the young generation who loves and watches them each week.
The Internet keeps the fans’ interest and allows the stars to keep in touch
with their fan base in a safe environment.
It also allows young people like my daughter to make new friends she
would never meet otherwise. It opens a
whole new world we never had in my generation.
Is this more good than bad? It’s your call, but in this instance I say
it’s more of a good thing.
Long gone are the days of walking up to the corner store to
buy the latest teen magazine. Those were
the good old days, but we must remember that these are the good old days
for our children. Each generation
becomes more advanced and things continue to change like they always do. That’s how life has always been. Technology advances and that’s the way it
should be. The next generation will be
even more advanced with exciting new technology always changing. Yes, these are indeed the “good old days” for
our children and these are the memories that will remain with them for the rest
of their lives.
May everyone’s memories keep them forever young and I don’t
think there is anything wrong with that!
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