WHY DON'T I SEE MY OWN LIFE ON SCREEN?

Are our experiences less valid if they don't compare to what we see in films and books?

- By LORECELLE VILLAROYA

Red cups. Nightouts. Lockers. Have you used, experienced, and seen these in high school? Some have. But I sure didn't. And for most of my teenage life, I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out the issue lies in the media I consumed, not the life I got to live the life that I apparently have missed out on living.

Looking back, I didn't get to drink from red cups during parties thrown at one of my classmates' houses. I could barely get out of the house after school.

Nor did I experience nightouts. Instead of blinding disco lights and blasting music, I had to contend with long commutes and bustling streets. I felt I was missing out. Contrary to the scenic bus rides where the main characters ponder life with music blasting in their headphones, I was barely sitting comfortably in a jeepney during rush hour. It was always a test of will and leg strength to prevent myself from slipping.

But one night, in that very jeep ride, I realized I wasn't missing out. And no, I wasn't blasting music in my ears and staring at the window. Firstly, because you can't lean on jeepney windows. And secondly, you might get robbed.

Regardless, it's in the jeepney that I realized it's the accessibility of Western media and our exposure to it that made teenage life look sparkly and enticing, contrary to mine. The books and films we consume tend to echo this life. And it makes ours look dull just because it's different.