“This Is Us,” the Golden Globe and Emmy award winning NBC series, has captured the hearts and minds of America. This heartwarming series depicts the childhood, memories and perceptions of middle-aged twins, Kate and Kevin, and their adopted brother, Randall. It explores emotional topics, such as family functions and dysfunctions, coping mechanisms, loss, and evaluations of personal self-worth in an up and down roller coaster fashion. While viewers tend to focus on the intense emotionality of the show, “This Is Us” covers a wide variety of moral, and social issues. Racism, the injustices of the foster care system, obesity, addiction, and eating disorders are just a few of the many social issues addressed throughout “This is Us.”

The show is so much more than a tear-filled pity party. Viewers can connect to a character on a personal level. If viewers allow themselves to feel and embrace these connections, it is easier to gain a deeper understanding of oneself. For example, many individuals have a difficult time analyzing the ways in which they cope with memories or situations. Does one deal with stress by coping with addiction, like Kevin, by internalizing self-hate, like Kate, or by trying to perfect and control all life’s other events, like Randall?

Even though, this magnification of psychological and emotional tendencies, and the discussion of social issues are what make the series entertaining and binge-worthy, it is also what makes it a useful tool for college students. As college students, we often forget that it is important to take time during our busy schedules to reflect on ourselves, our situations and our emotions. It is this lack of reflection that leaves so many of us overwhelmed, depressed, and exhausted. “This Is Us,” gives a well-deserved break from reality, while also providing us with an outlet to sift through all of the feelings, and emotions that swarm our minds.

Also, the series keeps viewers readily aware of the strides we, as a society, have to take to better the world, and all who live in it. It is easy to forget that we are not the only people on this planet, and that our location is not the center of the earth. “This Is Us” volunteers an opportunity to make us aware of other individuals’ realities and perceptions… It aims to keep us humble.

There is no doubting the power of such a beautiful and influential story. “This Is Us” has given viewers the insight into themselves that they never thought they could have without paying meet with a professional. On top of that, it is just an all-around great show that trumps many, if not all, of the drama series released within this past year. It deserves a tub of popcorn, a box of tissues and some time out of your day. After all, this is not just a show, this is us.