When initially asked how television is in my life, it was surprising that I could not come up with a sufficient answer to the question. I was aware that television was very present in my life, as between Netflix, OnDemand, and good ole fashioned live watching, much of my time is spent sitting in front of some sort of screen. However, rather than having a quick answer to how television is in my life, it led me to pay closer attention to what I watch, how I watch, where I watch, and with whom I watch television with, as these factors significantly affect my television watching habits. Television itself is a staple of our culture today, so much so that it is nearly impossible to walk down a street or walk into a home without encountering a live television, “Television is a daily fact of existence for many today—from its role as electronic roommate and white noise device.” (Murphy, 7)

While there are an endless number of television programs that fall into every genre from soap-opera to zombie-apocalypse, what we choose to watch on television can have an effect on us that is not readily apparent. The shows we choose to watch, and the characters and their actions that star and support in them shape us in a way—stronger and easier—than much others. Especially today, well into what many call another “Golden Age of Television,” that popularity and both cultural and personal impact of television is at an all-time high. Started by shows such as The Sopranos and The Wire and continued by the likes of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Walking Dead, despite the rise in DVR and services such as Netflix, certain episodes of these shows remain to be an event. An event that you gather with friends to eagerly watch Rick Grimes lead his group through another town overrun by walkers, or to see how Don Draper will keep his alcohol-fueled and womanizing life on the rails.

The characters in the shows we love, from Draper’s drink of choice to Rescue Me’s Tommy Gavin’s dark humor, to Entourage’s Ari Gold and his quick-firing of insults, we who watch these shows go on to imitate—sometimes purposely, sometimes not—these character and their quirks. When examining how the shows that I’ve watched—which is many—have potentially affected my character, I have certainly noticed traits adopted from the small screen. More so, many quotes from television have established themselves as permanent staples between my friends and I. This having been said, television is a consistent and unconditionally-loving friend that is not just always there when I need it, but makes me a more interesting person while bring together friends along the way.