Similarly, indulging in the binge-watching urges of "Riverdale" provided an escape from reality, but it also made me aware of the glamorization of certain behaviours and unrealistic depictions of high school life. This awareness encouraged me to the critically analyze media messages and question the impact they might have on shaping societal norms and expectations.

By analyzing these impacts of my go-to TV shows, I am reminded of the dual nature of my media consumption — while these shows can be enjoyable and engaging, it is essential that I remain vigilant about the influence it has on my perceptions and behaviours. Through evaluating the content I consume, I can navigate my media choices more consciously and contribute to a healthier media environment.

Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and the series "Euphoria" offer a intriguing parallel perspective. "The Handmaid's Tale" tells the story of a dystopian society where women are stripped of their autonomy and reduced to reproduction "machines". This theme resonates deeply with the struggles depicted in "Euphoria" where teenage girls navigate social pressures and expectation that seek to control and regulate their bodies and identities. Analyzing these two texts/medias side by each I can draw connections between the oppression of Gilead and the subtler forms of social control present in the modern high school setting of "Euphoria", allowing me to reflect on the ways in which power structures and hierarchies shape individual identity.

"Milk and Honey" explores human experience with rawness and vulnerability, focusing on universal themes of loss, love, trauma, healing, and empowerment. Through poetry, the author examines human emotions, revealing the complexities of our relationships and our joyney toward self-acceptance. The book reflects on the desire for love, connection, and healing, as well as the pain and resilience inherent in the human experience.

"The Midnight Library" on the other hand, tells a fictional narrative that explores the concepts of regret and desire to feel fulfilled in live. Though Nora Seed, the protagonist, the story uncovers the idea of alternate realities and the opportunity to explore different lives and choice. It examines the desire to find purpose, meaning and happiness, as well as the complexities of decision making and the consequences of our choices as humans. Ultimately, it suggests that human desires are complex and often interconnected with our perceptions of success, regret, and fulfillment.

Both texts reveal that being human entails feeling a range of emotions, desires, and experiences. They highlight our collective human longing for love, connection, purpose, as well as the challenges that come with navigating these.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout Finch challenges traditional gender norms with her tomboyish behaviour and resistance to fit into to societal expectations of femininity, highlighting the struggle against gender roles and the desire for personal freedom. Atticus Finch, as a single father, raises Scout and her brother Jem with an emphasis on moral integrity and equality, challenging the conventional male role of the time.

In "Bridgerton," the female characters live in a patriarchal society where their value is often tied to marriage and social status. Characters like Lady Danbury display strength, challenging the constraints placed upon her by a male-dominated society.

Both works, through their exploration of women's experiences and resistance to societal pressures, reveal deeper truths about the human desire for autonomy and equality, shedding light on the struggle against oppressive norms and what it means to find identity and justice in a world often resistant to change.