Why do I get influenced after watching movies?

Narrative transportation. This is defined as the “phenomenon whereby audience members feel so involved in a storyline that it can influence their attitudes and behavior in reality, even after they have finished watching a film or reading a story”, according to PsychologistWorld.com.

Apparently, we all unconsciously mimic the behavior of people who surround us, especially if we like them or consider them as authority. This might explain why if I watch a really good show, all of a sudden I’m the villain or some random cabbage seller. 

Maybe that’s also why I grew up thinking I would be some kind of scientist…or Barbie. 

I also have some habits and traits that I’ve picked up from people who used to bully me in the past. I think I liked them much more than I hated them, like I knew there was a part of me that was missing and I just had to figure it out by watching them bully me? That doesn’t make any sense. 

But I also see a part of me that mirrors the behaviors of my friends. They would always sit straight and fix their clothes to be proportionate and well-presentable. I do the same now; I am way more conscious of my looks than I was when I was 12. 

Sometimes I go through different phases based on what dramas I watch. If I watch a sci-fi drama I treat my life like a sci-fi drama. Actually, the only dramas that don’t affect me are romance. Those don’t count at all. 

This led me to wonder if people’s personal habits or personalities were even personal anymore, or if they were molded by their environments. 

Not only is it critical to observe and break down your own habits and how they might reflect or mirror the people you hang around the most, but think about how others perceive your habits. Are you a good or bad influence on someone you know?

So maybe the quote that the people you surround yourself with say more to a person than your own specific personality is true. Not only does it aid in giving better impressions to new connections, but it’ll impact your own mood and mindset overall.