It seems that high school students live off of Netflix, binge watching shows whenever they have the time. “Friends” and “How I Met Your Mother” are two shows that grab many people’s attention as well as the majority of their screen time. Both shows feature ensemble casts in simple, amusing, twenty two minute-long episodes. As the shows are rather similar, I was surprised to find that most people have strong feelings towards one or the other. I decided to investigate.

“Friends” first premiered in 1994. All nine seasons are now readily available for viewers to take in at any time on Netflix. Twenty-something year old best friends and NYC neighbors Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Monica are entertaining to watch, drawing viewers into the show with their antics and relationships.

When giving their preference for this show, many students said that the connection between the characters was simply amazing.

“Friends” is a wonderful lighthearted show that never fails to make me smile,” senior Julia Labich said. “The characters have a special unbreakable bond which makes the show so amazing.”

The characters of “Friends,” along with the creative writing and storytelling aspect of the show, have students hooked.

“Friends” is a classic show you can never go wrong with,” sophomore Emma Fellenbaum said.

“How I Met Your Mother” first aired in 2005 and has been a hit ever since. “How I Met Your Mother” entails the story of how Ted Mosby met his wife through his adventures with his friends, Barney, Marshall, Lily and Robin. With a similar plot to Friends, “How I Met Your Mother” scrutinizes early adulthood in New York City.

“How I Met Your Mother” has a very enjoyable plotline,” freshman Jordan Manousos said. “Plus, Barney Stinson makes that show truly unique.”

Those students who prefered “How I Met Your Mother” spoke more about the plot line and comedic aspect of the show. Also, most importantly, everyone’s favorite character, Barney Stinson.

Barney Stinson is a suit loving, promiscuous man who simply keeps the show interesting. Throughout the series, Barney always accepts new outrageous challenges and tries to accept them at new extremes.

“They both are very good,” senior Matt Hayes said. “…but “How I Met Your Mother” is my generation of jokes.”

“It’s one of the only shows that makes me laugh by myself,” senior Shawn Sullivan said.

If these two shows are so similar, how could one simply choose a favorite? Many students struggled choosing between the two popular sitcoms.

“It’s like picking a favorite child, you just can’t do it,” junior Cristina Guarino said.

Both shows explore the challenges of early adulthood, one relating to millennials while the other is a simple classic.

“How I Met Your Mother” takes the formula “Friends” started and made it better and improved on it entirely,” senior Jack Shaw said.