Throughout my four years at Sierra Vista High School, life swung between intense challenges and triumphs to match the years. Yet, one constant remained: the presence of the media. From video games to television, the media provided a foundation for resilience, not just entertainment. The media helped construct my identity, influencing my worldview and the values I cherish today.
My freshman year arrived with a unique brand of social discomfort, yet it proved to be an illuminating period. During this time, I gravitated toward David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, a novel spanning multiple centuries and diverse perspectives. Spanning five centuries, the novel tackles slavery, social exclusion, corporate corruption, elderly entrapment, clone rebellion, and tribal survival; it perfectly touches on the impurities of human life and the revolving issues people ignore while also supporting the theory of reincarnation. Cloud Atlas also supports the idea that lives are intertwined as each protagonist across these eras bears the same comet birthmark. Ultimately, the novel transformed my perspective on the world; it made me more aware of the social, economic, historical, and political injustices in our world while also making me more appreciative of the life I live. Quotes like, “You say you’re ‘depressed’ – all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective – it just means you’re human.” inspired me to keep going in life in depressive moments because the book did not alienate these feelings, instead Mitchell wrote about rebellion and kindness can inspire those in despair. As Mitchell said himself, “The better organized the state, the duller its humanity.”
Once sophomore year rolled around, a shift toward the sentimental with the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy took over. While my life was surrounded by survival at this point, my junior year in school surrounded the vulnerability of being known. Watching Lara Jean Covey navigate the terrifying transition from private thoughts to public relationships resonated with me deeply. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before taught me the importance of intentionality and the beauty of “growing up” without losing one’s sense of self. Those movies influenced the way I value my friendships and family. The trilogy showed me that writing your own narrative is better than letting others guess who I am. The films gave me the courage to be more open with the people I cherish, proving that sometimes the scariest thing is not a monster, but telling someone how you truly feel. The films taught me to “follow my own heart” rather than deferring to the expectations of friends or family.
By junior year, the “awkwardness” of graduation approaching morphed into a deeper, more internal reflection, and I found myself immersed in the foggy, psychological world of Silent Hill 2. Unlike other games, this was not about being a hero; it was about facing the “monsters” born from our own guilt, grief, and subconscious. Navigating the town of Silent Hill taught me that the battles we are most afraid of are often the vulnerable pieces we try to hide from ourselves. Silent Hill 2 influenced me to look inward and be more honest about my own emotions. The game made me realize that everyone is carrying a heavy “fog” of their own, and having empathy for the internal battles people fight was a lesson that changed the way I interact with everyone around me.
Finally, the grit of Sons of Anarchy defined my senior year. As I prepare to leave the structure of high school, I carry the deep resonance of themes like legacy, brotherhood, and the weight of my own choices. Watching the internal struggle of characters trying to balance their personal morals against the demands of their “club” made me think about my own loyalty and the kind of person I want to be in the “real world.” Sons of Anarchy redefined my understanding of strength and devotion while teaching me that life is not always simple certainties. Sometimes life is about protecting the people I love, which requires a level of toughness I did not know I had.
All these stories and games were not just distractions; they were the blueprints for my life. From the reincarnations of Cloud Atlas to the final rides in Sons of Anarchy. While the media might be fictional, this growth represents the emotional intelligence and perspective I will carry past graduation and through every life landmark.
