6 Times ‘Looking For Alaska’ Totally Got What It Was Like To Be A Teen In The ’00s
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Being a teen in the ‘00s was a unique experience. We were the first generation to grow up with the internet, without the 24/7 connectivity of today. Social media was barely a thing, and we relied on our imagination and chaotic teen energy to fuel our adventures.
Looking for Alaska perfectly captures that wild vibe and will make you want to go back to that time of early iPods and staying up all night. Here’s everything that sent us into a spiral of nostalgia when we watched it on Stan.
#1 Having a “spot”
Image: Alfonso Bresciani / Hulu
The gang – Alaska, Pudge, The Colonel, and Takumi – have their go-to hangout spot down at the over bridge on their school’s campus. It’s where they hide their booze, smoke, talk shit, and generally just pass time. But it’s their place. As teens, we all had that one spot we’d always be drawn to with our mates. Even if it was just one particular park bench, the food court at the local shopping centre, or that one cafe that’d let you sit there for hours, it was yours and that felt special.
#2 The bizarre adventures
Image: Alfonso Bresciani / Hulu
As adults, we tend to look back at our teen years with rose-coloured glasses. It’s hard not to fondly remember all the stupid things we used to get up to with our friends. Sometimes, it was just staying home and watching Laguna Beach all night. But some nights would devolve into strange adventures that would come about just because we were looking for something to do.
When you don’t have the internet, you gotta get creative with your activities. Alaska, Pudge, and co all get up to some bizarre adventures that seriously made us wistful for our youth.
#3 The music
Image: Alfonso Bresciani / Hulu
Music in the ‘00s can pretty much be described as “The OC soundtrack vibes”. It was melancholy, sometimes kinda emo, with dramatic lyrics that made perfect fodder for MSN Messenger screen names. Back before Spotify, we had to load up iPod Nanos with all our favourite tunes, and we had major crushes on skinny dudes in bands. That was truly a golden age for music, and the soundtrack for Looking for Alaska will zoom you right back to that time.
#4 Terrible dates
Image: Alfonso Bresciani / Hulu
Though nothing could be worse than Miles’ getting-concussed-then-vomiting first-date experience with Lara, we all suffered through our fair share of awkward dates as a teen. You’d spend 30 minutes internally debating whether you should hold their hand, only to find it gross and clammy. There was the worry of what to wear and where to go, the stilted conversation and bad kissing. Chances are some of your friends tagged along to spy on you. Gotta say, this is one thing we’re glad to leave in the past.
#5 The passion
Image: Alfonso Bresciani / Hulu
Damn, I would love to have just a fraction of the passion that I had back when I was 16. I feel like we all just cared about everything way more than we do now. Every argument felt like the end of the world, every crush felt like eternal love, and we would be ready to fight to the death for the things we believed in. Alaska, with her wide spectrum of emotions and willingness to fight everyone about the patriarchy, is as typical a ‘00s teen as you can get.
#6 The friendships
Teenage friendships are undeniably the strongest forces on this planet. They’re so intense and can develop over such a short period of time. Sure, they could often be dramatic as hell. You could get into a huge fight with your BFF, which felt like the worst thing ever, but the next day you’d be drawn back together again. The core four in Looking for Alaska are together pretty much 24/7 and weather a lot of shit. But even through betrayals, that strong teen bond gets them through.
Can we please go back to 2005? Thanks.
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