#7: Binge Watching

Think of me as an explorer of a different spectrum when it comes to subscribing or streaming movies and video series. Most of the time I stretch out in my bed, turn on a random television series, and probably pass out from exhaustion or general disinterest. I guess you can say I binge subconsciously for the background noise. If I actually feel like seriously watching something, my innate instinct is to check the "Comedy" category of Netflix for something good. My next option would be "Drama" simply because of the context that comes with the word. When I think of dramas I think of nail biting, breath holding, mind numbing stories with several probably predictable themes; I mean, let's be honest, if there is no tension or cliff hanger then the plot just sort of melts away. Then there's "Horror", but after that I just search the home screen option for what they think is best.

Even though I am a part of the Netflix and Chill demographic, I mostly keep it PG-13, and I'm not talking about the ratings [insert unsettling laugh here]. But outside of my love life, I recently found myself scheduling binges with my friends. Since they all have different personalities and interests, my friends often introduce me to some awesome productions that I would have normally just looked over. Even though I do enjoy my alone time, binge watching becomes 10 times better when you have a friend to make side comments with. Sometimes, when my friends and I binge a TV series, we like to predict the next episodes while we analyze the connections between what we just saw. A couple of sodas, some Ramen noodles, and maybe even a bag or two of popcorn later, and we realized we just had some of the best moments of our lives bonding through hours of lost time.

Almost a year ago, my best friend and I would rush back to our dorm room for an AHS session otherwise known as American Horror Story. At the time AHS was still fairly popular. On Netflix they only had seasons 1-5, and naturally we started at 4 because we were never the most traditional human beings. The real reason was because my best friend had heard about "Freak Show" before, and since each season is a completely different story, it really didn't matter which order they were watched. I feel like if we had watched them in the order they were made, I would have appreciated season 4 more than I did. Consequently, my favorite had to be season 3: "Coven". I often binge watch with my friend Britney. She likes to watch more lively and animated shows like anime, actions, and comedies unlike my best friend who would prefer something more serious feeling like dramas and Sci-Fi/fantasy. Not too long ago I began venturing back into anime, and I plan to watch Seven Deadly Sins with Britney because she surprisingly had never watched it before. We also started watching Atlanta from Hulu, we have binged several Poppy videos on YouTube, and we found her after binge watching a series of theoretical shorts called Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.

When I'm alone I like to re-watch classics which are sort of cultural staples that Netflix continues to host. I took it upon myself to binge watch Family Guy, American Dad, and Futurama because they are considered as vintage and commonly known. One of my favorite vintage television shows of all time would have to be A Different World! I was seriously devastated when I made it to the last episode because I didn't want it to end and I didn't know where to go next. It was just that good! Another understated and underappreciated, but popular, Netflix series that I loved was Dear White People. Every episode was formulated to keep you wanting more while delivering a strong and empowering message to society. A similar binge that everyone (especially in my dorm) was raving about in the beginning of this semester was She's Gotta Have It (2017). This is a TV series created by Spike Lee adapted from the movie She'sGotta Have it (1986) also written and directed by Spike Lee. All three of these shows have the common element of basing either college students or young adults that face the struggles of life and growing up. The stars are also black or African American, just like myself, and they are mostly intellectual in several aspect even though they are ultimately confused and learning new things.

Although I don't know anyone else's personal habits, I feel like the things we watch reflect something within ourselves. Maybe we subconsciously use it to play out situations that we could possibly go through or have already been. This could be why we binge watch and create bonds or connections with the characters. We could also be using the shows or videos to escape from reality and live through them. I know that when I watch my favorite shows, no matter how many times I watch it, I can still evoke the same narcissistic emotions as the first time compared to basically feeling nothing when I binge watching something that barely relates to me.

#6: Global Trends

Gamifying Behavior Change | Mariam Adil | TEDxYouth@ColumbiaHeights

West African Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Educational Specialist Mariam Adil has a dream of enlightening not only her country but the world to new challenges and ways of thinking. Alumna Mariam Adil is the founder of The Gaming Revolution of Inspiring (or International) Development otherwise known as GRID. This is a social venture that creates low-cost mobile games that are played by people around the world to change stereotypes and serve as educational resources according to GW Hatchet. Believe it or not this large inner-web of latter cognition began with just a day-dream in an economics class back in 2013. Today we see Adil in her prime as a game developer and team leader, nearing a total of 9 productions. However, this is a side job to her position as an operations analyst for the World Bank.

By setting a target towards maturation, she opens mental doors for people who have never had the chance to be reached. Adil worked with UNICEF Pakistan to spread the games through workshops with students where the group provides information on the topic and encourages attendees to download. GRID games are accessible as mobile applications which target a younger or more complicated demographic. Adil’s games are free on the App Store for both iPhone and Android users. This ongoing trend of "faster and cheaper" enhances the attraction of low-cost and free applications which increases the chances of downloads. In fact Adil brought up a shocking revelation that "we are looking at a world where people have mobile phones, even if they don’t have toilets," so the importance of entertainment and connections is definitely a high priority.

Mariam Adil is on a mission for the success of others. She told GW Hatchet "I want to have many, many games, solve several different problems and really become a pioneer in the use of games to inspire behavior change and to solve problems not only in the West but around the world." Adil is currently working with George Mason University on a new game that educates users on endometriosis, a painful disorder when the lining of the uterus grows on the outside, and their target audience is women in the United States. Adil said she is also working on games related to climate change, student loans, financial literacy and youth employment. Not only does she exemplify a super hero for unconsciousness, she is sort of the kind of kindred light that the world currently needs.