On March 11, 2020 COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and the following Friday, March 13 is when schools around the country decided to teach through Zoom and adapt to a new way of life. Quarantine was the new normal in the world, staying at home was the new cool. But with quarantine came a whole new level of boredom that meant watching every show and movie on Netflix at least twice. 

A new question arose: what do you do when you have nothing to do?

When students now have COVID they are told to stay home from school for 10 days, so what do you do on those days? 

“During quarantine, I have mostly used TikTok and Snapchat. I use TikTok because it keeps me preoccupied and not bored when sitting at home and doing nothing, “ Maria Walters ‘22 said. “I mainly use Snapchat to keep up with what is going on in school, in life, and talk to my friends about homework and what they are doing.” 

Instagram, Snapchat, and Netflix are commonly used during the stay at home, but TikTok has become the fan-favorite.

“I mostly go on Tik Tok and Instagram during my free time,” Caroline Flermoen ‘23 said. “TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are used mainly to keep up and in touch with your friends and the outside world in general.” 

During the 10 days, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok aren’t the only means of entertainment. Platforms like Hulu, Netflix, or HBO Max are what are most commonly used for shows and movies. 

“Right now I mainly use Hulu because they have a lot of free movies such as Spiderman and Harry Potter and I love both of those series,” Walters said. “However, my go-to app for watching shows is Netflix and because they always change up their shows and have good original series.”And with such a wide variety of options and genres of shows, you can’t be let down when you are looking for a new show…

“Currently I am watching Euphoria, Queer Eye, and Designated Survivor,” Flermoen said. “I would recommend them all! I also watched the movie Don’t Look Up which I would highly recommend.”

Even our teachers have great recommendations for a new show or movie to watch. 

“When I’m sick, I always seem to watch Westerns,” Latin teacher Jason Albaugh said. 

“Something about wide vistas and simple good vs. evil stories is nice with a cup of soup. Try a classic like The Ox-Bow Incident, Tombstone, or A Fistful of Dollars. In a pinch, most of Star Wars is just a western, except in space.”

A common theme that teachers suggest for movies and shows is action-packed and thrilling to watch. 

“‘V for Vendetta‘ (2005). In a future British tyranny, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of “V,” plots to overthrow it with the help of a young woman,” social studies teacher Pierre Sirois said. 

“Any movie that has a struggle against tyranny is pure gold. “ 

When you seem to have finished all movies and shows on every platform, what do you do next? Pick up a game.

“Fortnite. Want to get told, “YOUR TRASH KID” by an 11-year old as he turns into a 17-story skyscraper in 2.3 seconds, while you just try to figure out what weapon you’re holding? Look no further! At least it’s free,” social studies teacher Casey Smith said. 

Whether you pick up your phone to scroll through TikTok, lay in bed to watch ‘V for Vendetta’, or pick up Fornite so you can finally show up high school kids, there is always something to do. Just don’t get too stressed,“take care of yourself and take care of others,” counselor Elle Burgess said. “At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”