After a stressful day of classes, it’s pretty common to flip on the television and turn off your mind for a little while. But while some students are watching shows aimed for their demographic, such as “Entourage” and “Scrubs,” others are harboring a secret love for “Hannah Montana” or “iCarly,” shows made for the awkward age between childhood and adolescence — the “tween.”

Dr. Ryan Vaughan, a Binghamton University English professor and television enthusiast, says that college students are drawn to tween shows because they have always been given the option of watching them.

“When I was a kid, there were three networks; you watched what your parents watched.” Vaughan said. “Starting in the early ’90s with the emergence of Nickelodeon and Disney, this generation was the first to be specifically marketed to from a young age.”

It may be that college students enjoy returning to the types of shows they were raised on, what they remember and identify with as part of the simpler days of childhood.

“It’s comfortable. It’s safe,” Vaughan said. “The nostalgia factor plays a huge role.”

On Facebook, the No. 1 social networking Web site, especially among college students, nearly half a million people publicly flaunt their love by being a fan of “Hannah Montana,” while about 2 million have joined groups dedicated to “Spongebob Squarepants.” Thousands more proudly list Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” as one of their favorite TV shows.

These days, especially with the recent addition of Disney Channel and The N to campus cable, you have about as much chance of finding your roommate watching a “Life With Derek” marathon as you would “Gossip Girl” or “Grey’s Anatomy.” While shows like “Derek” are clearly geared toward the tween set, they have consistently attracted masses of older fans.

Some say the appeal of tween shows comes primarily from their ability to provide a much-welcomed escape from the pressures of schoolwork. It seems older fans have come to view these programs as a carefree break from reality.

“College is very stressful,” freshman Jeanette Paez said. “Those type of mindless, young and kind of unrealistic shows can be a funny and campy release. They’re lighthearted, unlike all the other ‘age appropriate’ shows. They remind people of a time when there wasn’t all of this pressure.”

Many dispute the claim that tween shows are meant to be enjoyed only by the young, saying instead that the shows are accessible to all age groups. Nj Agwuna, a freshman theater major, became a fan of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” when her younger sister began watching it regularly.

“’iCarly’ is quirky,” Agwuna said. “It’s not too young. I don’t feel like I’m watching a tween show.”