An alarm goes off, reminding viewers of a special occasion. They shift and start to make their way into the living room holding a wide assortment of snacks. They turn on the TV and switch the channel to Peacock. But rather than watch football or any other sport, they start streaming the Olympics. 

The Paris 2024 Olympics Games broke many records including becoming the first Games to achieve full gender parity and the first Summer Games to have two countries tie for the gold medal count. It also marked a staggering increase in viewership with an increase of 82% after the 2020 Tokyo Games and it garnered an average of 30.6 million viewers across NBCU’s streaming platforms.

Despite the impressive amount of viewers, at LTHS, the amount of people who watched the Olympics varied. A survey in my Statistics class showed that only five students out of a total of 19 consistently watched the Olympics. So is the Olympics popularity among young adults dwindling?

Senior Pritika Kharkwal discussed how her busy schedule interfered with her ability to watch the Olympics.

“I just personally was very busy at that time,” Kharkwal said. ”I had gotten back from travel and just didn’t get a chance.”

Terry McGill, Government teacher and football coach, explained how desensitization to talented athletes could influence students’ decision to watch the Games.

“Probably because the sports we have [here] in America, a lot of them would win gold,” McGill said. “We have an abundance of talent here, so we’re used to seeing talented athletes perform.” 

Kharkwal explained how technology takes snapshots of important moments, so students may be attempting to substitute replays for the live experience.

“I think it may actually be the fact that you can get YouTube shorts or replays of particular Olympics moments that are major, so the motivation to watch it live may decrease,” Kharkwal said. “Regardless, watching a game [in] real time is a whole different experience!”

In contrast, senior Anishka Desai watched the Olympics with her family and elaborated on its immense popularity.

“I did watch the Olympics, as I do every four years. I just think it’s been a tradition in our family,” Desai said. “I feel like it’s hard to kinda miss out on it. Everyone’s talking about it. Every news article is talking about it. So I feel like it’s just, it’s a given, you know.”

The Olympics showcased numerous athletes’ talents and Desai followed Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee’s journey in particular. Desai explained how Lee’s comeback after battling kidney disease inspires her. 

“She was able to recover from something like that and perform,” Desai said. “And not only just perform, but perform incredibly and get a gold medal which I think is super great, super cool. And I think I definitely look up to her in that way.”

All in all, the Olympics stands for resounding ideals more important than sports. The Paris 2024 Olympics chose the slogan “Games Wide Open” to show the importance of inclusion and equality. Kharkwal described the Olympics’ overall significance. 

“It symbolizes inclusion and as we see all players coming in with their country’s colors and uniforms, we see that they are brought together with their common love for the particular sport they are playing,” Kharkwal said. “So the Olympics, in a time where people may be polarized, have different opinions, in my opinion, the Olympics breaks barriers between people.”