Acting as a portal to escape the mundanity of everyday life, fictional works have long provided a way to travel to imaginary realms. Literature, film, music and other media allow individuals to experience catharsis. For a short time, the door to alternate universes is unlocked, allowing individuals to immerse themselves in new and exciting worlds.
Escapism withstands the test of time; its prominence being generational. Individuals relish in its comfort, recognizing its status as an accessible luxury.
Each era has contained its own wave of specific relevant franchises, along with methods of accessing them. Over the past decades, Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter and Disney have all revolutionized the domain of fiction, amassing millions of viewers.
Methods of viewing content from such franchises are no longer limited to just movie theaters or drive-ins as they were in the past— fans are now able to indulge these projects on a multitude of streaming platforms such as Disney+, Netflix and Hulu.
In the past, fans could only passively experience their favorite forms of media, but advances in technology have made it possible to bring these worlds to life.
In 1971, the Walt Disney theme park opened to its fans, operating as both a tourist attraction and an amusement park. People visit their favorite Disney movies, and characters come to life in this place. Nowadays, people recognized as “Disney Adults” are frequent visitors of this park. They go there to escape to the worlds they loved and grew up seeing on screens.
For fans of Star Wars and Marvel, some conventions breathe life into the fictional worlds loved by so many. Comic-Con, hosted annually, allows fans to delve further into their favorite planets. They can also participate in conventions such as Star Wars celebrations. The popularity of cosplay has also increased, as people look for ways to experience the media they consume in a more immersive way.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new form of escapism emerged. It was a lonely time when many things were uncertain. Most people could not see their friends, and many turned to the platform Tiktok for comfort and entertainment.
TikTok began to see a rise in content being produced on niche interests. As people spent time alone, they rekindled their love for new and old things alike. Some found comfort in fitness, while others found joy in trying new recipes and cooking, reading and creating BookTok. Others escaped to the likings of Hogwarts, Panam and Divergent.
Harry Potter especially saw a resurgence in popularity, particularly on TikTok, as fans created mini movie-like pieces and edited themselves into scenes from the beloved series. With technology, many could escape in a way they had never done before. Through TikTok, the topic of reality shifting became prominent, with many wanting to shift to the world of Harry Potter, and many claimed they had.
Senior Caity Burke is an avid member of Harry Potter tok. “I found comfort in being able to connect with others who were dealing with the effects of COVID while being able to escape to any world at any given time from my phone.”
Generation Z has a unique experience with escapism, leveraging technology to escape to new and exciting worlds in a way that previous generations could not.
