With summer in full swing, I have enjoyed the extra free time. One of my favorite things to do has been staying up late with friends and watching cheesy movies and TV shows based on high schoolers. 

     So far, the only thing I have learned through the TV show Glee and the High School Musical movie series is that when people are upset and need to get motivated, they break out into song and dance. While that may be fun for some people, I cannot imagine a person actually doing that in high school. 

     Other shows like Riverdale show unrealistic standards of how people dress, act and talk to others. Also, it’s apparently normal for a group of teenagers to solve multiple crimes like there are no police around. 

     While these shows and movies were addicting for me to watch because of how laughably entertaining they were, they do not truly depict what it is like to be in high school. 

     What bugs me the most is the facilities. Whenever I watch something based on high schoolers, most of the time, the schools always seem massive, bright and way too cheery. While there are times to be peppy at high school, 7:30 in the morning after you just rolled out of bed is not one of those times. Also, there always seems to be school colors everywhere. Maybe it’s because Kaneland’s colors are black and white, but for some reason, in the movies and TV shows, there tend to be banners, pillars and even lunch tables that match the school colors. 

     What sometimes is hard to realize when you’re lost in a show is that these are sets created by incredibly talented professionals, and the actors are often not in actual schools. Yes, they may shoot a few scenes here and there in real high schools, but a lot of the time, they do not.

     Also, there are unrealistic beauty standards for the actors playing high school students. For example, Chase Stokes plays 16-year-old John B from the popular TV show Outer Banks on Netflix, and he is 28 years old in real life. 

     A lot of the time, people who play high school characters are older. While this is not always the case, the actor or actress who plays in a TV show or movie will look different because they have people working with them to make their makeup and hair flawless and get them ready for production. 

     While these types of movies and TV shows are fun to enjoy, you have to remember it is not real life. Do not have crazy high expectations because of what you see on the screen. So, live in the moment and enjoy high school because it may be even better than what you watch.