Movies and television shows are known to dramatize many aspects of life, especially high school. Because of this, many kids come in with preconceived notions about their school day. “Going into high school, I thought it was going to be like High School Musical and all of those movies about high school,” said Kaleigh Arnett-Harris, sophomore.
Movies like Mean Girls and High School Musical depict specific people ruling the entire school. In reality, there are many groups of well-known, popular people but none of them “rule the school” like the characters in these movies.
Pop culture has created the idea that drama is a constant in school, there are many secrets, and the hallways are like a fashion show. However, drama does exist but it’s not always as over the top as on screen. “I think [movies and TV shows] portray certain aspects of school to be harder than they are. On-screen, it can seem like there’s more bullying but it’s not actually the case in real life,” said Nathan Lamm, freshman.
Because of Hollywood, some students think that high school will be an endless cycle of parties, heartbreak, and some kind of life-defining glow-up. For most people, this is not the case and it can make students feel like they’re doing something wrong. “High school [in movies] is usually seen as super fun and the actual work part of it is never shown. But when you get to high school, you just have all of the schoolwork. Which isn’t as fun as movies make it seem” said Arnett-Harris.
While high school may not come with background music and dramatic plot twists, it will be a vital place for four years of a student’s life. Making the most of it and enjoying the time spent around peers, teachers, and friends is what matters more than living up to movie-like standards.
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