The show that opens a door to a world of intense authenticity. The show that dives into the mind of an addict suffering from mental health disorders. The show that is meant to serve as a guide for young adults and teach a lesson about coping in the real world. Euphoria. 

The raw aspects within this film are meant to connect with younger generations who basically live digitally and are influenced by the unfiltered internet on a daily basis. Euphoria speaks reality’s truths of all the ups and downs of being a 21st-century teenager, including the pressure of having to live up to certain acceptable standards while balancing a healthy mentality. 

Nowadays, because older generations cannot relate to the current world adolescents live in, parents can only protect their kids to a certain extent. Instead of hiding this explicit world, Euphoria opens a door to it to allow kids to make a choice for themselves. 

The writer and creator of the show, Sam Levinson, used his own experiences with anxiety, addiction, and depression as the vision for Euphoria: “I think that’s part of why, when you look at young people, anxiety rates are higher [and] depression is higher,” Levinson acknowledged, “there’s no one to talk to about it.” 

The National Institutes of Health recognize that nearly one in three adolescents will experience an anxiety disorder. The American Association notes the top concerns among young adults, in order of significance, being anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. 

Most teenagers battling these mental health issues often feel as though they are alone due to the inability of articulating their feelings. The reality displayed in Euphoria is supposed to serve as something relatable by expressing these tempestuous feelings which others may be experiencing. 

In contrast, the provocative content within the show has brought up some conflicting viewpoints involving its intentions. Some tend to believe that the plot is promoting said behaviors as a new normal for all teenagers and that It might instill fear among those who claim they cannot relate to any aspects of this world, causing them to feel as though this lifestyle is inescapable. 

However, the purpose of Euphoria is not to display content that falls within people’s comfort zones, rather it is to illustrate an honest and raw outlook on the depths of addiction and mental disorders. It unveils the consequences of the excitement and rush of adrenaline which this generation craves and the ugly pressures of being an adolescent that no one speaks of. Behind all of these eventful scenes, It carries a deeper lesson overall involving coping in the real world and learning from mistakes. 

Quite a few students from the Quakertown High School have watched this show and were able to take something away from it. In particular, Keishla Rodriguez, a seventeen-year-old senior, pointed out, “after finishing the first season of Euphoria, I realized how empowering the authenticity can be when illustrating the life our generation lives in. I think you definitely have to have a certain mindset in order to really be able to take away the underlying messages within the show.”

While it is true that not all adolescents can say that they can particularly relate to the mature content, one cannot deny the show’s role in spreading awareness and turning teen stereotypes into a reality. Ultimately, searching for one’s own identity is a common task of modern-day teens, as Euphoria takes it to the next level by elucidating genuine challenges that come along with being a part of a digitally native generation.