Hi everyone, my name is Layla! I’m a senior here at EBHS and as the year comes to a close, like many other second semester seniors I’ve been reminiscing about my time in high school.
When I was a kid, movies like High School Musical, 10 Things I Hate About You and Geek Charming shaped my perception of high school. Evidently high school in the real world is very different from the dramatic portrayals on Disney Channel but this re-watching binge prompted a curiosity of how media that depicts high school students shapes our experiences and expectations today.
Recently on social media there has been a resurgence of a “candid aesthetic,” with people of our generation ditching phone cameras for film and digital cameras. Styles from the eras they hail from are coming back strong and people are longing now more than ever for a time before the internet and phones.
Movies, songs, and tv shows from our childhoods and even before our time as kids can create a sense of nostalgia or longing for growing up in a different time. The glamourized image we see of the past causes many to reflect unrealistic expectations onto our reality.
In this project I’ll be exploring the idea of how high school and its representation in the media has changed over time and along with that how this media prompts students to feel nostalgia for a time before our own. Join me as I reflect on my time in high school and take a look back in time to high school experiences of the past.