Escapism Is A State Of Mind

After a long day of work or school, people tend to put on their comfort show to have peace of mind and relax their brains. Often it is inferred that the show could be comforting; That one might drift off and fantasize what life would be like if they had a life like their chosen comfort show. When one gets to the point that they fantasize it’s defined as escapism. Escapism is seeking a distraction or relief when the realities of life become too much.

The type of shows that society tends to navigate towards to escape their realities commonly collate with when life is easy and carefree. In other words, they watch shows that remind them of their childhood. The shows do not just have to be about their childhood but something that is not too far off from their reality but just enough that one can escape.

Like everything else Covid boosted entrepreneurship, DIY, and couch potatoes. With couch potatoes, they watch TV all day not moving. Escapism was most prominent during the most historical period. Imagine the world shutting down and nothing to do but stay in the house watch TV and eat. Well, that’s what people did and escapism came in full swing. All the time to dream about how life was when the world was open and interact with people. The only way to see the outside is by looking at TV shows where people interact and can be outside. The chart below shows what TV show ratings were boosted during COVID-19. Which demonstrates the type of shows people watched to escape reality.

One of the shows that I watch when college gets to be too much or just life in general is called A Different World. It’s based on the 90s about college students that go to an HBCU. Throughout the seasons it follows the storyline of the five main characters as they go through life in college. It’s far off to the point that I was not born in the 90’s and the social issues that were important to them are not so dire now. Their clothes were so casual-chic and baggy outfits and their financial situations are not so different from what college students financials are now. There’s this one character her name is Whitley and she’s rich, snobby, and thinks she’s superior to everyone but elegantly poised. Then she falls in love with someone that is the complete opposite of her but brings out the best in her.

Escapism can be anything that causes you relief and distracts you from unpleasant realities. In this case, TV is the most common example of escapism and how it operates. Whenever you have a bad day think about what relaxes you but don’t do it too much or you will fall into the trance of dreaming away your problems. Every once in a while imagining how life would be is not so bad if you can differentiate the reality.

References

Notebook, D. V. (2023, August 31). The Psychology of Escapism: Why Do People Choose to Escape? Medium. https://davincisnotebook.medium.com/the-psychology-of-escapism-why-do-people-choose-to-escape-7379977f075b

infographic: In Times of Crisis, Americans Binged “Comfort Food TV.” (n.d.). Statista Infographics. https://www.statista.com/chart/23940/most-streamed-tv-series-in-the-united-states/