In the past seven years, Euphoria has turned into one of the most popular television shows in mainstream media. Audiences follow a group of high school friends leading very real and extremely raw lives, the series touches on relationships, mental health, identity, addiction, and social media— allowing fans to find a piece of themselves within the dramatic show. Many viewers like me have tuned in due to its honesty, but it’s hard to ignore the amount of significant controversy it has sparked. 

The most obvious debatable trait of Euphoria is its use of enough graphic imagery to earn a content warning at the beginning of every episode. The show contains glamorously gruesome shots of drug use, sex, and violence. While all of these scenes are widely normalized in television, critics raise the point that these specific characters are minors, and depictions of these topics involving children can create a delusional youth culture based on risky behavior with little consequence. Despite Euphoria’s maturity rating, commentators still feel uncomfortable by those who are portrayed as mature shown in the show. 

All of this aside, the show is popular for a reason. Many topics like drug abuse have silently affected teenagers in ways they are reluctant to discuss. Mental health and self esteem are realistically explored, touching people personally or emotionally. The main character/narrator Rue Bennet often gives insights on what substance abuse does to someone stuck in high school, and breaks down the stigma around ‘refusing’ to recover. This not only helps viewers relate to the media in front of them, but also understand challenges faced by young students in modern times. 

While this all sounds positive, Euphoria has been accused on multiple occasions of promoting taboo conversations in a fantastical way. Even though the show brings a lot of recognition to the topics at hand, it doesn’t always do a good job portraying consequences. The idolization of characters makes some issues like drugs, teenage pornography, and general illegal activity look fun or even admirable to its more impressionable audiences. The show’s diverse range of intense storylines has uplifted many struggling viewers, but it has also enabled or normalized many people’s dangerous actions. 

I have personally been obsessed with this show since I was 12 years old. The visual aesthetics, complex characters, and beautiful monologues have kept me entertained for years. But whenever I rewatch the show today knowing what I know now, it just doesn’t feel the same. Viewing it as a young girl changed my perspective on teenhood; Euphoria became my personal bible on high school and what to expect. This set me up for a world of hurt as I navigated middle school where I found validation in struggling and acting older than I really was. I eventually figured out as a freshman that while the show did mirror teenage life, it also exaggerated it into a palatable and entertaining experience. 

It’s safe to say that Euphoria has had a complex effect on different audiences. While its controversial content has sparked uncomfortable conversations, the show continues to raise awareness on social and mental health issues affecting many high school students today. Like all art, Euphoria’s impact varies person to person, whether you interpret its meaning or explore its maturity in a critical way.