The senior class of 2025 has been through a lot. But one thing that has been with them through it all is entertainment. From movies, to music and TV, these forms of media have shaped a generation but why were they so important.
Being born between the years of 2006-2007 the senior class lived through an interesting time when it comes to entertainment. From the switch from cable television to streaming services, and the evolution of the internet, they experienced a wide variety and new accessibility to media that other generations never had.
When they were kids, animated movie hits such as “Frozen,” “Wall-E,” and “Shrek” all made their mark on their childhood. Inspiring them and the choices that they’ve made throughout their childhood.
Senior Emma Enslow says, “I feel like in each movie there was a lesson behind it.”
Since then movies like “Barbie” have brought the senior class together through a shared interest and online trends.
Movies haven’t been the only form of entertainment that these seniors have taken part in. Due to them being in between types of technology many grew up watching television compared to apps like Tik Tok or for some YouTube. TV shows like “Teen Titans Go!,” “Spongebob Squarepants,” and “ICARLY ” shaped the way the senior class saw the world along with giving them funny plots and characters.
By the time middle school rolled around they had front row seats to the rise of streaming services and the internet. With streaming taking over cable television, the show “Stranger Things” took this year’s senior class by storm becoming one of the most watched shows among them. Another show that rised in popularity around this time due to streaming was “The Office” sementing it as a comedic staple within the generation. But these weren’t the only things getting popular, many found themselves resorting back to shows made for younger audiences, for example “Bluey” became a comfort show for many during a time when comfort was needed. Now as high schoolers they still find themselves going back and rewatching shows from their childhood.
“They showed me how I should be living my life in certain ways,” Enslow says.
Perhaps more than any other generation, the class of 2025 lived online. Tik Tok, in particular, has become a dominant force in many of their lives. Memes, challenges, comedy sketches and trends replaced traditional TV. YouTube being one of the first social media platforms many joined, produced internet personalities like MrBeast and PewDiePie which were wildly popular with their formally young audience. These online celebrities became household names shaping the views and actions of the senior class. Social media wasn’t just entertainment anymore it was an identity. Instagram and Snapchat defined the social lives of many of this year’s seniors.
As they step into adulthood, the class of 2025 carries with them a scrapbook of internet references, a plethora of iconic TV shows and the claim of some of the most important movies ever made. The movies, shows and apps that entertained them now echo who they are as a class and who they may become in the future. Being one of the first to be raised on the internet, yet still having the memories of playing outside and watching traditional TV is something not many younger classes get to say.