During the most recent summers, “Love Island USA” has quickly become one of the most talked-about reality TV shows, especially with the high school community, which includes the students of NDB. Everyone is included in the conversation, whether they are watching the season fully or just forming opinions based on TikTok videos. Either way, many teens are following not only the show itself but also the cast members of past seasons.
At Notre Dame, the conversations about this popular show will surface sporadically, from quick updates to conversations around the lunch tables. While some people have been watching for many seasons, some have only been watching since the show gained more popularity with season 6 and have been very involved with the villa drama.
“I haven’t really watched the show, so I don’t know what everyone is talking about all the time, but I am definitely interested, and I think it is fun,” said freshman Alexia Pratt. “ I think my favorite person on the show would be Amaya, though, because she is so lively and happy all the time.”
Especially when new episodes of the show air almost every single night of the season, it allows for new material to be discussed each day. Love Island becomes a constant, reliable and steady source of entertainment for students who enjoy it. Overall, what seems to interest viewers the most is the balance between dating, challenges, and unexpected twists as bombshells enter the villa and previous islanders get eliminated.
“My favorite islanders are either Huda or Olandiria, and I think that Jeremiah needed to leave,” sophomore Rayya Bazlamit shared. “I think I like the drama more than the challenges because it is more interesting to me. My favorite scene and episode from this season was the one where they had the babies and they had to take care of them in their couple.”
For some of the upperclassmen and underclassmen, Love Island has become less about the hype for the show in general and more about the habit of staying updated with what is happening in the villa. Some like comparing different cast members from different seasons. Talking about the villa dynamic, the tense moments, the big drama scenes, and some classic tests like Casa Amor and other similar crazy, unexpected twists and turns.
“I watched it through mainly clips on social media, but my favorite couple was probably Amaya and Bryan because they had a really genuine connection in the show, even though they are not together anymore,” responded junior Gaby Colorado.
Some students, particularly seniors, have more perspective on the show and watch it more as a relaxing activity rather than a nail-biting, intense experience, as some other students do. They seem to be watching more casually than in previous years.
“Hannah and Charlie,” said senior Laila Daheb. “Because Hannah had such a strong connection with him, and if Charlie stayed on the show, then I think that they would end up together,” she added. “I started watching before it became more popular, but now that it is popular, I am happy because now I can talk about it with more people.”
While not every student is watching “Love Island USA”, it’s clear that the show has made its way into the rotation of teen-friendly reality TV. Whether they’re following along closely or just catching clips on TikTok, many students have at least heard of the villa and have an opinion about who should stay, who should go, and who’s not being honest with their feelings.
