At a stage in life where everyone expects you to start growing up, start taking on responsibilities, and start becoming an adult, it can be pretty nerve wracking, especially if you’ve practically been treated as a child for the entirety of your life up until now. Now, your academic life really does affect what sort of future you will have, you don’t have as much time to indulge in your favorite activities while also working, and these days all you feel is tired, lethargic and, for some, depressed.
Some find solace in pressure, it can be their driving motivation to success. Perhaps it’s not solace, but rather the bitter comfort of knowing that the challenge you trudge through is only beneficial to you. Others may find consolation in things kinder, such as memories of when times were sweeter, or when they were just more naive to the world. Regardless, it’s good practice to be kind to yourself, perhaps relishing in playful juvenility to heal or speak to your ‘inner child,’ even if it is metaphysical and otherwise, not really real. There are a multitude of ways you can connect with your inner child, and nothing and no one should stop you from seeking solace in it.
Every generation becomes old enough to get swayed by the nostalgia effect at some point. Can you remember what sorts of things you liked as a child? Many people grew up watching television shows or something similar; cartoons like “Arthur” or sitcoms like “Hannah Montana” were watched among millions of children– some grown ups still do too. “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” is an animated cartoon series made by Hasbro that, while made for young girls aged 4-12, has garnered quite a large following of boys, adults and men. Many fans discovered the show as adults as well and fell in love with the show from the lens of a more mature audience. But for folks who grew up watching the show as kids, it can be nostalgic watching it in the lenses of a much more grown up ‘child’ and reminiscing and realizing all the jokes and references fallen on your younger you’s ears.
Television shows are the most accessible and widely known form of entertainment for both children and families, so it’s very easy to rewatch children shows without much scrutiny over being
judged, even under the pretense of just being “bored.” It’s also easy material. For the most part you won’t feel pressured to be good at watching TV like you would other hobbies. It’s a comforting medium of pleasure for many people; you just need your eyes and ears. And sometimes, just one will do. But shows aren’t the only thing you might’ve interacted with as a child. Toys, figurines and plushies are associated with childishness; that many adults purchase it for their own use. Kind of like games; even if the majority of game players (board, video, etc.) are adults, it will always be received with an air of immaturity. And so what?
To the ones who still disapprove, what is so wrong about being a child? To be innocent, kind-hearted. To forget for a moment about actual ‘adult’ problems that bring pain and suffering. Of course, it comes with the cost of naivety, immaturity and other reckless behavior seen in children. Eventually, everyone has to grow up. You can’t be a child forever. The transition may be bitter for some, but good medicine often tastes bitter. It can be a bit selfish to act awry also, to not hold grown-up responsibility when others are fighting so hard to be capable adults, to be mature, to maintain the status quo (assuming, innocently, that the status quo is for good) for the next generation of adults: the current, actual children. But in a world where people are quick to be cruel and quicker to be oppressive, perhaps the small joys in a life full of strife, of reminiscing about the past, aren’t so bad.
