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6 shows every true fangirl/boy should know
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Star Trek (NBC) 1966-1969 Episode: Devil In The Dark Original airdate: March 9, 1967 Shown from left: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy - photo by Amanda Taylor
There are a few TV shows you should be aware of that have shaped the pop culture of today shows as celebrated now as they were 50 years ago when they premiered and shows that have influenced television in a major way.

Here are six TV shows every fangirl or boy should know:

Star Trek 1966-1969

The Premise: A group of scientists goes to explore the Milky Way galaxy in the 2260s aboard the Starship Enterprise. Along the way, they defend freedom and justice and the United Federation of Planets.

The Power: Arguably the most influential science-fiction TV show in history, "Star Trek" has been a huge success since its first season. It perfected the genre by using fiction to address real-world current events like discrimination and human rights, and is often credited with showing TVs first interracial kiss. Now there are five additional "Star Trek" series and 12 movies.

The Problematic: Thats a lot of "Star Trek!"

Twin Peaks 1990-1991

The Premise: A young girl turns up dead under mysterious circumstances in what appears to be a quiet little town in the Pacific Northwest.

The Power: Its such a spookily spectacular show, with a cast that is giving the kooky vibe their all. If you are a fan of TV that showcases horror or suspense or anything experimental (The X-Files, Fringe, Lost), you owe "Twin Peaks" a debt of gratitude. The risk-taking in the writing and execution of the show paved the way for many more like it.

The Problematic: The show did not have much sustainability, and went a little off the rails in the second season, before being canceled.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1997-2003

The Premise: A teen girl finds out she has been chosen to fight vampires and the mystical forces of evil that congregate in her small hometown, which also happens to be the Hellmouth.

The Power: Girl power, first of all, but more so, it teaches us about real friendship. The show is about Buffy, but it is just as much the journey of her best friends. Fondly called the Scoobies by fans and the gang themselves, they are endearing to the point of ridiculousness. If I could choose my friend group, Id choose them. Plus, this show launched Joss Whedon. And if youre a nerd, you know exactly how important that is.

The Problematic: Some of the special effects are definitely dated, especially a certain adorable redheads werewolf costume. But they get better as the show goes on, and by the time you fall in love with the characters, you hardly care.

Doctor Who 2005-Present

The Premise: A guy from space brings his TARDIS to come travel around through time and space with a usually-pretty female companion. They also fight bad guys.

The Power: This show has staying power. The series started in the '60s, and the new seasons that started back up in 2005 equal 826 episodes. The show explores history through the galaxy, although every actor on the show is British, which is weird. Its one of Englands greatest television exports to American pop culture.

The Problematic: The Doctor is always a straight white man. For no reason whatsoever.

Community 2009-2015

The Premise: A bunch of weirdos find themselves in a study group at Greendale Community College, where they often unwittingly act out scenarios that look suspiciously like existing pop culture.

The Power: Perhaps an unconventional must-see nerd TV choice, "Community" is for people who live in the real world and wish they didnt. Making good meta-TV that features realistic and likeable characters while being snappy, witty and not using a laugh track is a challenge. The Community team completely rose to the occasion.

The Problematic: Season 4, which they call The Gas Leak Season is not good.

Supernatural 2005-Present

The Premise: Two brothers criss-cross the country fighting monsters, demons and general evil. Both brothers are very, very good-looking.

The Power: Something about the simple, instinctual way Sam and Dean Winchester live their lives, sacrificing normalcy in order to save the world over and over (and over and over) appeals to a huge number of people huge enough to get the show into its 12th Season starting this fall.

The Problematic: The lack of female characters in general, who if introduced, are often used as props, plot devices or killed horribly.

So, fanpeople, what did we miss? We'd love to hear your arguments for "Battlestar Galactica," "Firefly," "Sherlock" and more. Let us know in the comments what other shows you would add as essential "fanpeople" shows.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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