Opinion: `Euphoria’ isn’t as dangerous – or great – as people say it is
‘Euphoria’ has proven to be neither a danger to teens, as parents fear or an accurate depiction of life for teenagers.
February 25, 2022
With parents calling the show catastrophic to America’s youth and the director calling it a representation of the life of an American teenager, the HBO series Euphoria actually has proven to be neither.
Euphoria’s first season was released in 2019, with the director Sam Levinson in an interview with eNews claiming he “was just trying to capture that kind of heightened sense of emotion, when you’re young and how relationships feel.” The show definitely captures a wide array of emotions; however, the relationships exhibited are far more extreme than most high school students would have.
Because of the heightened sense of drama, the widespread parental argument that the show is teaching their kids to go down the wrong path simply does not apply. The show definitely has an “out of this world” feel to it due to the makeup and overall vibe. However, one cannot argue that the show glamorizes abuse, because the lives of the characters are altogether quite sad.
Euphoria, however, is not all parties. The show does portray the effects of addiction on an individual and how their addiction may affect their family. Specifically, in Season 2, viewers see how Rue’s addiction has a full grip on her life, and how her sister and mom have been drastically affected.
Moreover, Euphoria, is considered one of the first major television shows to really represent the lives of trans kids. Through the character Jules, viewers who have no concept of what trans kids go through can gain some insight into the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ community.
Levinson is correct in saying that the show has characters “constantly trying to navigate this world of just heightened emotion and trying to either enhance the joy or kind of dampen the sadness or the darkness of it.”
To explain, each character does have an addiction: Rue’s drug abuse, Cassie’s craving for love, Jule’s yearning for validation, and so on. Obviously, teens can go through these same struggles, but the storylines are too lavish for a normal teenager. The characters are supposed to be juniors and seniors in high school; however, their experiences are far too mature for a 16-year-old.
In reality, teens watch the show more or less for the drama. One can argue that the characters actually warn young viewers about the dangers of drugs, as well as send the message that one should not rely on others for happiness.
With the Season 2 finale premiering this Sunday, viewers can experience the controversy for themselves.
