Sacred Heart students have spent this past summer hooked on horribly good shows. Each week, watchers stay up late to catch the release of the newest episode, before running to social media to take sides and share their inevitable disappointment. Despite the critiques and moments of cringe, the cycle repeats weekly.

”The Summer I Turned Pretty” has taken center stage in this trend. Ever since the release of season three in July, the show has gained even more traction for its especially questionable film choices. However, its captivating quality and suspenseful endings keep watchers eager for more. “It is such an addictive show with so many emotional twists and turns,” Hayes Kappler ‘27 declares. 

Every Wednesday episode is the main topic among high school students, who commonly discuss their complaints. Carmella Schiavo ‘26 explains, “It’s terrible, but I can’t stop watching! The best part is talking about how bad the new episode was with my friends each week.” 

As the final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” approaches its end, watchers feel an increased pressure to follow the new episodes. Mrs. Marissa Beck, a science teacher at the Prep, watches the show with her son, partially out of a fear of getting out of the loop. “You get hooked, and you have to know how it will finish. The most recent episode was so stupid, but I had to watch it to stay caught up.”

This intense fear of missing out, as well as the fierce community formed around “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” begs the question: do people watch these shows for the actual entertainment, or the opportunity for connection in an increasingly digitalized community?