SpongeBob SquarePants first aired in 1999. Ever since that date, parents everywhere have been going wild keeping their children away from the show. It's even linked to causing short term attention and learning problems in 4-year-olds. A Nickelodeon spokesman, David Bittler, claims it's for children aged 6-11. But let's be honest with ourselves, SpongeBob should be targeted for college students aged 18-22.
Personally, I have never related more to SpongeBob than I have as a college student.
When you try making friends but you want to act like a normal human.
When you have to take general electives in order to graduate.
When it's time to pay rent.
After you've had a traumatizing experience in class, like crying during a presentation or falling in front of the entire class.
When the professor goes over the syllabus and says that your final exam will be cumulative and worth 60% of your final grade.
After what feels like an eternity of writing a paper for class and this is all you've come up with.
Looking at your final grades and then emailing your professor asking for extra credit opportunities.
When you wake up with a killer hangover after a night at the bars.
But despite all of these connections we have to SpongeBob SquarePants in general, as college students, most of us can relate with Squidward Tentacles on a more spiritual level.
When you're just feeling unappreciated.
When you're in a group project.
Having a part time job and taking 15 credit hours.
The older I get the more I find myself relating to SpongeBob SquarePants. I'm picking up on jokes and comments I never would've understood as a child. So when I hear that SpongeBob SquarePants is aimed towards 6-11 year olds, I laugh, because honestly, it's target audience should be easily amused and stressed out college students. A lot like the person reading this article.
