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"Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, 'Euphoria,' chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world...”
This is a small excerpt from a recent release from D.A.R.E. - the well-known drug awareness and prevention school program founded in 1983. Actors and producers from the show have responded, saying that Euphoria is portraying the reality of drug addiction and showing its harmful effects. Today, we’re going to look at the claims from both sides and give you our take on Euphoria’s depiction of drug addiction.
“A very special episode...” This phrase started being used in the late 70’s and early 80’s to describe specific episodes of popular family comedies which the typically lighthearted stories took on a more serious tone in order to tackle important social issues of the day. From “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Mr. Belvedere” to “Saved by the Bell” and “Boy Meets World,” many shows featured these one-off episodes dealing with stories covering domestic violence, sexual assault and drug use. The goal was to use popular shows and beloved characters in order to convey an important message about these dangerous situations and, in some cases, they were very successful. In 1983, a 9 year old boy was able to report a child molester who had been victimizing him for the past year after watching a rerun of the Diff’rent Strokes episode called “The Bicycle Man” which dealt with this difficult to talk about topic.* So, is Euphoria doing the same thing with it’s weekly depictions of extreme drug use, toxic relationships and sexual abuse?
Well, D.A.R.E. is saying, “No.” Unlike the “Very Special Episode” format, Euphoria is not taking a time out from their typically lighthearted stories to shine a light on an important topic, Euphoria is from beginning to end, focusing on the very worst possibilities of teen life and magnifying them as its primary source of entertainment. They are building their audience off of voyeurism, giving a salacious peek into the lives of what are supposed to be average teens. Now, don’t get me wrong; Euphoria is not the only show to have done this, just the latest in an increasing line of popular entertainment which seem to be trying to outdo one another in how far they are willing to go.
Not only is Euphoria depicting these extreme situations as regular occurrences in their teen characters' lives, but they are doing it with a star that many teens and younger have grown up watching. Zendaya is easily one of the most well-known actresses of her generation. From her early work as a Disney channel star to her portrayal as MJ in last years top grossing movie, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Zendaya is extremely popular across multiple age demographics. Boasting over 130 million followers on instagram alone, she is an actress, a singer and a fashion model and for 16 episodes in 2 seasons, she has been seen partying, using drugs, having sex and justifying her behavior to herself with lines like, “The world’s coming to an end and I haven’t even graduated high school yet...” Zendaya, by the sheer fact that she is Zendaya, makes drug use look hot to the millions of young people watching. Her character Rue even describes why she continues to chase the high after her first overdose, saying, “"Everything stops . . . everything you feel, and wish, and want to forget, it all just sinks." Faced with the inevitable hopelessness of the world crashing down around her, Rue finds her only sense of peace in getting high. With the current state of affairs over the past couple of years, there may be more and more teens who empathize with Rue’s sentiments and take her view as a license to try drugs.
Over the past 10 years, I have been able to speak to thousands of teens in middle school and high school about building healthy relationships. One of the questions that I have asked them is, “Why do teenagers date?” You can imagine, I have heard a lot of answers to this question ranging from clout chasing, to experience, to trying not to be lonely and, of course, sex. Multiple times over the past 2-3 years, however, I have had students tell me that they know people who date for drugs and it has become an increasingly common response. The world our young people are growing up in today is selling them on the idea that they can live however they want to live, make whatever choice they want and not only like there are no consequences but that they should be celebrated for it. Then, when the consequences do come, they’re told verbatim that, “The world is coming to an end and they haven’t even graduated high school yet,” and the best way out is to get high so that, “everything stops.” In 2022, this is a message that shouldn’t need to be said but sadly, is probably needed now more than ever; Drugs are not a way out. The high you are chasing is only temporary but the toll it takes on your life, your relationships and your future are immeasurable. If you are already using or know someone who is, please reach out now to the resources in your area who are waiting to help. Your life and your future are worth it.
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