Documentaries have been a part of society and the entertainment industry for a number of years; but upon deeper inspection, there is much more to documentaries than just entertainment.
For those in Generation Z, television was simply a large part of growing up or a major source of influence in their childhood.
Within the television channels, popular options for kids growing up were Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon, but there are also the less popular Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and History Channel.
These TV channels were one of the prime sources of knowledge we as children received when parents were busy, after school or simply just before dinnertime; and in some channels, documentaries provided us with basic knowledge of history, sciences, and even the trivia which might have even sparked the interest in our careers.
Yet, why is there shunning toward documentaries? Why are documentaries oftentimes associated with boredom or wasting time?
Watch that documentary. Ignore that stereotype associated with documentaries; after all, they aren’t always boring.
After a hard day at work or school, we often want to relax and clear our mind by doing something such as watching includes Netflix and Youtube, so why not fully indulge in a documentary?
Benefits include expanding your knowledge on a topic and they are also good forms of entertainment. Everyone has their own preference of what is entertaining to them.
But some popular documentaries today that could be found easily on Netflix are “The Bundy Tapes,” “The Kalief Browder Story,” “Planet Earth,” “Fyre,” “Why Are We Getting So Fat?” and so on.
This list is just a simple start for anyone who is interested in broadening their horizons and interests. Can’t find your topic on Netflix? Try HULU or Amazon Prime.
Documentaries can unite families after dinner, personalize what may otherwise be seen as uninteresting facts to enlighten the common people, or even remind us of events in history.
Maybe you can look into a documentary about Amanda Knox and start thinking about different court cases that have made nationwide news.
Inspiration may derive from these channels, for the people grew up watching these documentaries showcasing the beauty of science, the importance of history, or the impact of literature.
Documentaries have served as more than just kickback shows, but to inform the public as well.
Johnny Reyes, a freshman marine biology student said, “I watch documentaries for the information alongside, the different pictures that I get exposed to.” Reyes continued, “My favorite genre is animal documentaries, simply because I learn a lot about the animals, and I get to see what they look like, how they behave, etc.” For some, watching documentaries is another form of learning more about his subject of interest, in an entertaining way.
Breasia Love, a freshman business student, also commented on the subject. Love said, “Documentaries, to me, shows what’s beyond what the world sees on an everyday basis. I normally watch documentaries of the rise and fall of celebrities.”
Love continued, “By watching a variety of documentaries, I get to learn about the hidden lifestyles of animals or people, and to basically obtain knowledge of the things I’m interested in.”
Information is always good to have and being able to acquire it in different ways such as reading, documentaries, radios or art is special.
Every person is different, which shows that every learner is different. In the case of documentaries, the information is personified in ways that are relatable and easy to comprehend and watch.
Lynn Siracusa, Ph.D., a professor of English, said, “Documentaries are informative, [and they] tell us about things we may not have known before.”
Siracusa added, “They may also personalize things that are being presented, to create more personal connections rather than just reading about them.”
Documentaries are simply another method of expanding our knowledge about the world, the beauty and history it carries, and that can be beneficial to any individual that is remotely interested.
Also, when it comes to expanding our knowledge and wanting to retain information, watching documentaries may act as a fun and interesting way for visual learners.
Watching a story and getting an explanation of the topic at focus may be better than reading those 60 pages for your history class.
Now, it is important to read your homework and study hard, but sometimes documentaries that coincide with the topic can act as a back up for remembering the facts.
Hopefully, after reading this, your ideas about documentaries aren’t so negative. Next time you are bored, try to watch a documentary. Maybe even keep it on for background noise; if you do, you might not regret it. As a student, it is important to kick your feet up and relax every once in a while.
Therefore, watching documentaries during free time is certainly a viable, smart way of fusing entertainment with knowledge.
IMAGE TAKEN from Netflix.com
