Alexis Fisher confesses she has fallen out of regular contact with her grandmother because she is overwhelmed by the amount of television shows she needs to keep up with. Although she keeps track of the day and times of her favorite shows on the notes section of her iPhone, Fisher recently forgot to call and wish her grandma a happy 92nd birthday, which may very well have been her last.
The amount of television Fisher watches each day has accumulated from an innocuous two hours to a mind-numbing twenty hours since she has come to college. “When I was living at home, Grandma and I spent lots of time together. I don’t think she realizes that college students are very busy, especially at a school like U of M” explains Fisher. “Students now have so many responsibilities. I have no time to complete all of my OWLs for Chem, write a one page reading response, study for my French exam, watch an entire five seasons of whatever new show I discover on Netflix, and have a conversation with my grandmother.”
She continues, “Grandma called me last week to ask if I got the care package she sent me, but I just couldn’t pick up. I was in a total depression after the conclusion of season eight of Entourage. I ate all the homemade fudge she sent me and cried into the blanket she crocheted. I hadn’t even been able to attend a lecture in over a week, I was so upset. I don’t think Grandma really understands how demanding college life is.
Originally published Feb. 2014
