Monthly Archives: March 2021

As March draws to a close, it’s been a year since the first phase of quarantine that essentially put everyone’s lives on hold. Since then, alfresco dining, masks and virtual meetings have become the new normal. However, many students find pockets of happiness in the past.

“A common piece of advice when studying is to associate a fact or piece of material with a physical object or saying. Another is to chew gum while studying and chewing the same flavor during the test, ”said Colin Leonelli, second year biology student. “Just as these physical or sensory objects can be related to fact or material, things that were a big part of our childhood can take us back to that time in our life. A time that for most people was much happier and easier than life right now. “

One of the primary ways that students escape the present is by watching popular elementary school movies and TV shows. Zeynep Gul, sophomore architecture student, regularly reviews favorite Disney movies like “The Princess and the Frog” and “Wizards of Waverly Place”.

“They make me feel comfortable,” Gul said. “The introductory Disney sound gives me chills sometimes, and I feel a pure joy remembering how exciting it was to watch these movies for the first time.”

Streaming services like Netflix, Disney +, and Amazon Prime Video made it easy for students to enjoy shows from their childhoods. Apparently, every time a new 2010s show is added to a streaming service, social media is abuzz for the next week over people’s enthusiasm to rewatch their favorite show.

The series of Nickelodeon shows added to Netflix began in November with “Victorious” and continued with “iCarly” in February. This month, “Big Time Rush” was added.

“It’s funny to watch the episodes again while including a lot of jokes that came through my mind as a kid,” Leonelli said. “It also relaxes unconsciously [me] and bring me happiness.

On TikTok, the stars of various popular 2000s shows have been active in creating content related to the show, delighting fans of all ages.

“I saw the cast of ‘High School Musical’ doing the choreography of ‘We’re All In This Set’ and it made me smile,” said Amanda Laurent, second year behavioral neuroscience student. “Also, I recently saw an Arwin TikTok of ‘[The] Sequel to Zack and Cody’s Life ‘wearing his costume and all being awkward. It’s pretty healthy.

Stars like Avan Jogia of “Victorious” and Kaycee Stroh of “High School Musical” have created content related to their most popular projects while posting unrelated regular content.

“I was really surprised because these are the characters we grew up with, and seeing them as their own character on social media was surprisingly informative,” Gul said.

Whether it’s a simple 60-second TikTok or multiple seasons of a show, those joyful moments that spring from nostalgia are a feeling many crave more than ever. A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that longing can be triggered by feelings of loneliness and sadness, but at the same time, it can increase optimism.

“During the pandemic, we gained more free time as well as the stress and anxiety of not knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Gul said. “In this sense, children’s entertainment is a reliable source of support for those who choose to escape reality. ”

Watching such light shows like “Spongebob” and “iCarly” can instill feelings of hope and a sense of comfort for stressed college-age students, not only because of the carefree nature of the shows, but also because of the nostalgic feeling. that accompanies them, according to Gul.

Although many students cite nostalgia for the pandemic as the reason for their recent consumption of children’s media, the recency of the situation means there is no proven link between the two. Instead, people tend to reflect on the media they enjoyed in their past, said Kristopher Cannon, associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies.

“There is a way that the memories of [bonding over media] will be something that could be the signal for a change, ”Cannon said, contextualizing the phenomenon of nostalgia present in today’s media industry. “As more and more content is produced, in the sense that there is no limit to the amount of programming or original content created, it makes it all the more difficult for people to experience this genre. of collective engagement with a text which then generates a culture and collective memory of which one can be nostalgic.

The next time you need a helping hand or you’re having a rough day, try pleasing your inner child and let the laughing tracks of childhood sitcoms ease your mind.

“Growing up and discovering new things is great,” said Leonelli. “But it’s always nice to find the carefree state of mind of a child.”

U.S. high school students can get free digital access to the New York Times until September 1, 2021.

Has TikTok ever inspired you to read a book?

How do you decide what culture or entertainment you want to immerse yourself in next, whether it’s a new TV series, album, or video game? Who do you trust in your entourage, or on social networks, to give you the best recommendations?

In “How Crying on TikTok Sells Books”, Elizabeth A. Harris writes about the growing influence of “BookTok” videos – on readers, publishers and bestseller lists:

An app known for offering short videos on everything from dance moves to fashion tips, cooking tutorials, and fun skits, TikTok isn’t an obvious destination for the book buzz. But videos made mostly by teenage and 20-something women dominate a growing niche under the #BookTok hashtag, where users recommend books, record reading time intervals, or openly sob into the camera after an emotionally overwhelming ending.

These videos are starting to sell a lot of books, and many creators are just as surprised as everyone else.

“I want people to feel how I feel,” said Mireille Lee, 15, who started @alifeofliterature in February with her sister, Elodie, 13, and who now has nearly 200,000 subscribers. “At school, people don’t really recognize books, which is really boring.

Many Barnes & Noble sites in the United States have set up BookTok tables displaying titles such as “They Both Die at the End”, “The Cruel Prince”, “A Little Life” and others that have gone viral . However, there is no corresponding Instagram or Twitter table, as no other social media platform seems to move the copies like TikTok does.

“These creators aren’t afraid to be open and emotional about books that make them cry and sob or scream or get so angry that they throw it across the room, and that becomes this very moving video of 45 seconds that people connect with immediately, ”said Shannon DeVito, director of books at Barnes & Noble. “We haven’t seen this type of crazy sales – I mean tens of thousands of copies a month – with other social media formats.”

The Lee sisters, who live in Brighton, England, started making BookTok videos as they were bored at home during the pandemic. Many of their posts look like tiny movie trailers, where images scroll across the screen to a moody soundtrack.

The vast majority of BookTok videos are organically produced, posted by enthusiastic young readers. For publishers, it’s been an unexpected jolt: An industry that depends on people getting lost in print reaping dividends from a digital app designed for fleeting attention span. Now publishers are starting to get the hang of it, reaching out to those with big following to offer free books or payment in exchange for advertising their titles. (The Lee sisters have received books from authors but have not yet been contacted by the publishers or paid for their publications.)

The article highlights a few qualities shared by some popular videos from BookTok:

Many popular TikTok users have strategies for maximizing views. They can use background songs that are already performing well on the app, for example, use TikTok’s analytics to see what time of day their posts are performing best, and try to put videos up on a regular schedule. But it’s still difficult to predict what will take off.

“The ideas that take me 30 seconds to come up with, these work really well, and the ones I work on for days or hours, those completely tank,” said Pauline Juan, a student who, at 25 years old , said to feel “a little older” than many on BookTok. “But the most popular videos are about books that make you cry. If you cry in front of the camera, your point of view increases! “

Most of BookTok’s favorites are books that sold well when they were first published, and some are winners, such as “The Song of Achilles,” which won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2012, a prestigious award for The fiction. The novel tells of the Greek myth of Achilles as a romance between him and his companion Patroclus. It doesn’t have a happy ending.

“Hey, this is the first day I read ‘The Achilles Song’,” 20-year-old Chicago-based Ayman Chaudhary posted on TikTok, holding the book next to his Burberry patterned hijab and smiling face.

“And I’m the one who finishes it!” She yells into the camera, the onscreen captions helpfully describing “dramatic wailing and screaming.” The video, which has been viewed over 150,000 times, is approximately 7 seconds long.

The hashtag #songofachilles has 19 million views on TikTok.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

• Before reading the article, did you know BookTok? What attraction, if any, does it have in store for you to find book recommendations on TikTok? What about recommendations for other forms of culture and entertainment?

• Did you read more books for fun during the pandemic? If not, what activities have been your favorite hobbies lately?

• The teens behind @alifeofliterature use the slogan “convince you to read books based on their aesthetics” and avoid talking about books. The author of the article likens his publications to “small movie trailers”. Why do you think so many people love the publications and buy the books themselves? Why do you think @alifeofliterature’s approach works?

• Do you post videos on TikTok? If so, have you ever suggested books to read or TV shows to watch, or made other recommendations? If not, is there anything in the article that makes you more likely to share things you like or don’t like with the world? To explain.

• According to the article, the articles on the books that made the recommender cry are very popular. Why do you think it is? Are you drawn to works of art that arouse strong emotions?

• Another recent article, “Kaia, Kendall and EmRata Take a Page from Oprah,” reports on the success of online book clubs hosted by well-known actresses and models. Does celebrity support make you want to read a particular book? Are you drawn to the books that are in fashion now? Would you like to join a virtual book club?

About student opinion

• Find all of our student opinion questions in this column.
• Do you have an idea for a student opinion question? Tell us about it.
• Learn more about using our free daily writing prompts for distance learning.

Students 13 and over in the US and UK, and 16 and over elsewhere, are welcome to comment. All comments are moderated by The Learning Network staff, but remember that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

By: Mohnish Singh

Tarun Khanna has been a familiar face on Indian television for two decades now. He made his first major TV appearance as Sameer in Star Plus’ Kabhi Aaye Na Judaai (2001-2003). The actor went on to play a variety of characters in several hit shows.

He is also known to have played Lord Shiva in more than half a dozen mythological shows, including Karmaphal Daata Shani (2016-2018), Paramavatar Shri Krishna (2017-2020) and RadhaKrishn (2018-present).

“I think it’s a privilege to get into this costume. Every time I do that, I thank God for taking on this role, ”Khanna told Eastern Eye when we met her on the sets of her next webcast. Geisha.

In this interview, Tarun Khanna told us about his new show Geisha, what he wouldn’t want to remember about 2020, the mediocrity of TV content, why he has no plans to quit TV despite its content losing its luster by the day, and so much more.

How was 2020 for you?

I didn’t shoot for three months. I fired for the last time on the 18th^e March and resumption of filming on the 22^sd June 2020. So I didn’t shoot for three months and four days, to be more precise, which was actually a welcome break. I have a lot of time to spend with my family. My son recently turned 7 and this was my first time spending three full months with him. It was heaven for me.

What wouldn’t you like to remember about 2020?

I am unhappy with the way things have been handled. The government screwed it up. It wasn’t helping people. People didn’t get their wages for about three months. And when organizations finally started paying their employees, salaries were cut by 50%. What has our government done about it? Has there been a drop in rent for an unprecedented period? Did the government step in and force all landlords to reduce their rent by 50%? Has he cut gasoline prices by 50%? So what has our government done? There was a time when I was very supportive of our government. But now I realized he was only looking after his special interests, and I’m not happy at all.

Tell us about your next show Geisha?

A new streaming media platform called Digiflix is ​​coming very soon. Geisha will be broadcast on this platform. I think the team are planning to launch the platform in April, and they are creating a bank of about 9 shows. They have already produced two shows; Geisha is third in the row. The manufacturers are very new, but they work very professionally. I don’t feel like I’m working with new people.

What are you playing in Geisha?

Geisha is a thriller where I play a cop, who investigates a case, which is the crux of the story. My character name is Rajveer Shekhawat. He’s a 40-year-old single cop. He has no faults as such, but he is not married. He is frustrated because of the same and his frustration leads to a number of comedic situations as well.

Even after playing various characters on television, you are mostly remembered by audiences for your mythological roles. Do you think television easily stereotypes actors?

Yes of course. The level of mediocrity that you find on Indian TV is something you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Indian television is worse than our government. I am amazed at the mediocrity of Indian TV shows. I have a question for all creative directors: what are you guys doing? I’m not saying the whole industry is like that. There are also some good people.

What do you hate the most about television?

The dumbest thing you may notice on Indian shows is that only the male and female lead roles are born with brains and the rest of the cast are presented as a brainless, mindless bunch. If the police have arrived to investigate something, they will only speak to Bahu who is the protagonist. The rest of the family will stand around her, looking puzzled. I’m asking you where is this happening? This can only happen on Indian television. I wonder how our innocent audience falls prey to such content. They might not know that manufacturers are building bungalows after bungalows by putting on such shitty shows. I feel why producers who have a lot of money and power can’t do something right. I’m happy to see them grow up and build new bungalows, but isn’t it their responsibility to do at least a few good shows that they can be proud of?

Do you think media streaming is going to pose a serious threat to television?

Television is already on its deathbed. TV show budgets have been slashed. Believe me, television will become redundant in five years. The way streaming platforms expand their market, television is doomed to go out of business sooner or later. It’s a do or die for television. The makers will have to wake up and smell the coffee. If they don’t act now and improve the quality of their content, no one will be able to stop their downfall. They put on such shitty shows, I can’t tell you.

Isn’t there a silver lining?

There are creators who try to put on good shows and stand out from the crowd. For example Tony Singh and Divya Singh from DJ’s Creative Unit. In 2003, they produced a show called Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi which sort of revolutionized the entire content landscape on Indian television. People have tried to replicate his success but no show could create the kind of impact Jassi… made. The creators think they are doing what the audience loves to watch. I am of the opinion that if you do not do good shows, how can the taste of the audience improve. They don’t have great shows to choose from.

In your opinion, media streaming is the way to go.

The only problem I find with OTT platforms is that they rely too much on flop movie actors. They should know for sure that audiences rejected them in the movies for a reason. How can their magic work in streaming shows if it doesn’t work wonders in movies? If they were so talented, why didn’t their charm work on the big screen? Actors who failed in movies are joining OTT in a big way. Another problem, in my opinion, is the casting of casting directors. Sometimes the cast is completely wrong and inappropriate. A girl who can’t even act was playing a superstar on a high profile show I watched a while back.

Is there an actor who really impressed you on a web show?

Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal. Ali Fazal is a mine of talents. He’s a very good actor who can give a lot of so-called superstars his money’s worth. They can’t even stand in front of him. He’s at that level. This boy has serious talent. The same goes for Pankaj Tripathi. It is a household name today. He is the modern day Naseeruddin Shah.

Will the television take a step back for you?

Not at all! My kitchen is still running from Radha krishn what I do on Star Bharat. Playing the role of Lord Shiva is a privilege. He is the God of the Gods.

Let me tell you an interesting story. There was this big-ticket show on Lord Shiva that I had auditioned for. I didn’t get the part, the other guy who auditioned with me did. Later, I was chosen to play Ravan in this same show. I played the part in all honesty. However, I still wondered why couldn’t I play Shiva? Where did I miss? I later realized that it was God’s plan for me to play Ravan. I changed the way people normally looked at Ravan’s character before. Earlier there was this perception that Ravan should look like a devil with a belly and all. I was the first actor to play Ravan who didn’t look like a proverbial demon. Then they came up with the idea that good-looking actors can also play a villain like Ravan convincingly. You only have to stick a mustache. After that, I played Shiva in eight TV shows. I think it’s a privilege to step into this costume. Every time I do, I thank God for playing this role. I will never say no on television.