College is often framed as the time in life when people are supposed to figure out who they are, what career they want and what their future will look like. The reality is that many young adults feel uncertain about their finances, relationships, careers and identities.
Shows like “Sex and the City,” “Adults” and “Gilmore Girls” offer glimpses into what life after college might actually look like. From navigating friendships and dating to figuring out careers and independence, these shows give college students the opportunity to imagine their futures while relating to the mistakes that characters make along the way.
For Isabella Carter, a senior education major from Chicago, watching “Adults” offered her a way to consider life after graduation without getting too caught up in the stress of what comes next.
“As a senior, I can get pretty stressed thinking about postgrad and being a ‘real’ adult,” Carter said. “Having comedic shows to play out the ups and downs of adult life like breakups, tough jobs, friend drama, etc. can almost feel like a trial run.”
Luke Dulaney, a junior biochemistry major from Long Beach, Miss., also sees himself in the characters in “Adults.” Watching them navigate difficult situations and, ultimately, move forward makes the uncertainty of growing up feel more manageable.
“I feel like college students can see bits of themselves in the characters,” Dulaney said. “It’s appealing because it’s satisfying to watch these people navigate these problems and come out on top. It gives you something to look forward to.”
Carter also relates to the everyday mistakes and struggles of characters portrayed in television.
“Part of the fun of watching TV is watching characters get into insane situations and go, ‘OMG, I would totally do that,’” Carter said. “I love rewatching ‘Gilmore Girls’ because Rory has experienced life at every one of my ages.”
Part of that appeal of watching these shows is the freedom of adulthood that is painted on TV. Dulaney said that independence is a main component in what makes these stories so interesting to college students, from characters choosing their own careers, dating who they want and living life on their own terms.
“Adulthood, to younger me, was like freedom and, in each of these shows, I see someone making their own decisions and getting to navigate life for themselves,” Dulaney said.
However, the version of adulthood shown on TV can sometimes fall short of accurately portraying reality. Stylish apartments, exciting social lives and seemingly endless nights out can make growing up look glamorous, even when the characters are dealing with the same uncertainty many young adults experience.
“I thought college was going to be people throwing frisbees in the quad and never going to class because of movies like ‘Pitch Perfect,’” Carter said. “I think college and adulthood definitely used to be more glamorized in media in the past than it is now.”
The reality of college — much like adulthood — is not always as effortless as it appears on-screen. Between classes, work and financial responsibilities, everyday life can contrast from what TV portrays. Even shows that capture relatable experiences can present an idealistic version of reality that is difficult to recreate.
That contrast is especially noticeable in shows like “Sex and the City,” where main character Carrie Bradshaw’s designer wardrobe, New York City apartment and active social life create a romanticized version of adulthood.
Conner Campbell, a sophomore international studies and French student from Ocean Springs, Miss., started watching “Sex and the City” during her freshman year as she experienced independence in a new town for the first time. Although the lavish clothes, apartments and scenery are what initially caught her eye, she realized that Bradshaw’s lifestyle is not as easily attainable today.
“Carrie Bradshaw lived in a single-person apartment in NYC and (having) $40,000 in designer shoes while her main income was writing a weekly article,” Campbell said. “The notion of being able to live the lifestyle that she did as a once-a-week writer is no longer accessible today — going out every night, eating out, (wearing) designer clothes and not having to work a full-time job.”
Not only has the economy drastically changed since the release of “Sex and the City,” making current frills harder to obtain, but technological advancements have also posed a challenge to many young adults’ social lives.
“In ‘Sex and the City,’ people called one another and met up frequently,” Campbell said. “In today’s age, it’s really easy to text for a few days and rarely meet up.”
Nevertheless, Carter believes that TV has started to balance the realistic side of adulthood alongside its more fanciful moments.
“I think shows have gotten a lot better about portraying adulthood in a comedic way versus completely romanticizing it,” Carter said. “We can’t all be Carrie Bradshaw walking around in $400 shoes, but we can be embarrassing ourselves at a bar and living with our best friends, like in ‘Adults.’”
The appeal of newer shows is that they make room for the awkward and unglamorous parts of adulting. Rather than presenting adulthood as a perfect lifestyle to achieve, they show people making mistakes, struggling with relationships and relying on their friends.
“I think there’s real and romanticized aspects like in all shows, but what makes them so watchable is how real they can be,” Dulaney said. “Most of the characters’ problems are similar to something I’ve faced or probably will face.”
The balance between fantasy and reality is what keeps viewers invested in these coming-of-age stories.
Sherrod Willbanks, a junior finance major from Birmingham, Ala., views these shows as offering college students positive outlooks on their postgrad lives.
“While these shows are postgrad, a lot of the issues, especially around friendships and romantic relationships, are still applicable and relatable to college viewers’ lives today,” Willbanks said. “It makes us able to see ourselves in the characters through their struggles and successes, and then see a life we could live in the next ten years.”
For Emily Desanto, a psychology and journalism student from Southaven, Miss., growing up in the South limited her perspective of what her adult years would look like. She often associated adulthood with having a career or starting a family, but watching the women in these series make their own decisions motivated her to view her future in a different light.
“After watching shows like ‘Sex and the City,’ I’ve realized that’s not the only path,” Desanto said. “The women in the series are still figuring their (lives) out and what they want for themselves.”
The characters’ struggles can be reassuring for viewers who feel pressure to have everything figured out. College students approaching graduation often face an expectation to know exactly what their plans are for postgrad life. Watching fictional characters make mistakes and take different paths offers a reminder that growing up is rarely a straightforward process.
That connection goes beyond relating to a character’s experiences. Many young adults see themselves in the characters they watch on TV, often describing themselves as a ‘Carrie’ or a ‘Miranda’ (another “Sex and the City” character) based on whose personality they identify with the most. For college students, seeing parts of themselves reflected on-screen can make the transition to adulthood feel more familiar and the lives they aspire to more attainable.
“Miranda is my girl,” Willbanks said. “She is very driven, loves her friends and has a hard time opening up and adjusting to others. I relate because I see myself having that same future and also see the same mistakes I’ve made so far in a more adult context.”
The future may not look exactly like a TV show, and real life rarely comes with a perfectly curated wardrobe or a high-rise apartment in the city. But the uncertainty, changing relationships and pressure to figure things out are familiar to anyone approaching a new chapter of life.
“These series show that you don’t have to have everything figured out as soon as you become an adult. Even in adulthood you’re still growing and changing,” Desanto said.
