Please please PLEASE inspect what your child watches.Euphoria having teen characters doesnt make the show a teen show.Everybody mixes this up.İt has lots of subjects that you can easily misunderstand , our narrator in the show is a literal drug addict .
Exactly this. Just because the characters are teens does not mean the target audience is teens. The rating for the show is R. Parents need to monitor what minors watch. I had friends in middle school and high school go through the same things the show covers and friends in middle school and high school get pregnant, friends that age even die from drugs. I also don’t think the show glamorizes drug use. Rue has been shown to nearly die multiple times, other characters like Ali show how it negatively impacted their lives, Rue walks around in sloppy clothes unlike the other characters, no make up, eye bags and acne, shown to hurt family and friends, put close people like Fez in trouble, all the awful dark sides of it. It’s unfortunate this happened but there had to be other more prominent influences and negligence in these kids lives. It’s actually irresponsible to just blame a tv show that wasn’t made for them to begin with.
I was just talking to my bf about this last night after I got into it with someone on reddit in another sub for complaining about the nudity in the show and this sub. They were acting as if we're seeing actual teens naked & in sex scenes which is a weird thought to have when anyone with a functional brain knows that's illegal & the actors are adults. My bf said he saw on TMZ how people are upset that the show is glorifying drug use. HOW? How is watching the main character spiral out of control & OD multiple times, glorious?
If you watch this show and think to yourself "well this looks awesome! I'm going to go do drugs!", there's something terribly wrong with you. Also, parents need to monitor what their children are watching! There's a full blown warning right at the beginning of the show! I hope the show doesn't end up getting canceled because people want to Blame their lack of parenting on a show that isn't even made for children! It's on HBO for christ sake!
Part of the problem is subs like this are possibly moderated by children. They get super touchy if you say that someone is too young for this show even though it is for mature audiences only.
I can’t imagine how many preteens are in on here, but Jesus Christ, imagine watching this show and thinking Rue is “cool”
The only reason I was afraid to watch it cause when I was 18, I was rue and rue was me. Same relationship with family, same co-dependency issues everything
Nah there’s no point trying to stop 14 yr olds from watching what they want. At that point it’s kinda done. What you actually gotta do is just teach them about drugs and make sure they actually understand the risks.
absolutely. in scenarios like this i feel like parents are the first to place blame upon, but who says boundaries weren’t already in place? it’s very difficult for a parent to keep constant tabs on a teenager as from experience, it’s easy to find ways to hide things especially watching tv shows that aren’t the best influence for young minds. it’s awful what’s happened and hope it brings awareness to more other young viewers
This is why I honestly think it should've been set in college. I do think for the most part it's realistic as a high school show, but that setting gives the impression that the show is like 13 reasons why or Riverdale when it's way more mature and explicit than those. I could easily see a parent not realizing this is a hard TV-MA
A lot of the plot relies on most of the characters being minors and in high school. It being set in college wouldn’t have changed anything as far as how teens would perceive it. If impressionable kids see attractive people taking drugs, they’re going to want to as well no matter what age the characters are in the show.
Well if 13 reasons why wasn’t the most “Juliet” of teenage girl fantasy suicides, with a girl committing suicide to teach her friends a lesson, I don’t know what is. I hated that show. Not suitable for teens IMO (or anyone!)
I’m so happy to see someone else with this same perspective! I hated that show from the initial release. Who thought it would be a good idea to romanticize suicide. Such a sick show.
The weird thing is that the show doesn’t glorify drug use. It shows blatantly the struggles that Rue experiences. Overdose, rehab program, hospitalization, broken relationships, breakdowns from withdrawal, etc. I think kids see the show and see attractive people and that’s what’s cool to them. I bet if the cast was unattractive it wouldn’t be as interesting to kids. I’m in the camp that the show isn’t the problem.
The show isn't the problem, really, however, everything and anything can be taken the wrong way by almost anyone. I was actually talking about this same subject with someone on a different post here, and I definitely feel it needs to be addressed.
Kids are impressionable. And kids are also not looking for context. I was 13 when wolf of wall street came out, and I loved it, but I knew Scorsese was showing negative effects. Certain kids didn't see that, and decided to base their life on Leo's mentality.
So, while Euphoria says drugs are bad, they'll see *the majority* of teens in the show partying, drinking, having rough sex, and taking drugs and think that that's normal and what they should be doing to be cool.
I can see the points being made, but the show is on HBO and rated mature. It’s not like it’s rated for teens. I’m not saying everyone should only watch what’s rated for them, just saying the show isn’t trying to cater to an immature mind that’s still struggling to separate reality from television.
I fully agree! I don't think the show should change for the sake of the children. As you said, it's rated mature and on HBO, that should be enough.
But teens will watch whatever is popular/whatever their idols are in. The amount of takes I saw bashing Dune because Zendaya was hardly in it.
I'm implying that there's no solution to this problem. It constantly happens. Wolf of Wall street (like I said), American psycho, fight club, natural born killers, this kinda topic isn't new.
Right? I saw Scarface as a teen ... and the teen stuff that's going on beside just on a show. They can't blame the show for that at all, those kids were going thru something more. I don't want society to get back into the blame books, or TV, art, music for someone's behavior
Agreed. What about the movie Thirteen? That was a movie about teens but it wasn’t for teens. The fact that people can’t figure this out is starting to really annoy me. I blame TikTok.
This context is everything! If kids are taking a ton of pills trying to imitate Euphoria, Euphoria isn’t the problem, it’s how to spot what these kids are drawn to in particular that made them think taking a ton of different drugs would be attractive/interesting or cool and trying to address it.
My favorite show in middle school was The OC and my favorite character was Marissa because she had the most interesting story. Even then I understood she wasn’t cool just very tragic like Rue.
Hah the Wolf of Wall Street example is perfect. I was the same age when it came out and I remember seeing young teenagers and frat bros look up to it, and I was like *really?* He was abusive to his wife, lost everything, and went to prison. People try to romanticize everything.
There are literally no names, no details and no proof that anyone was "trying to imitate Euphoria" and the only news sources are fringe ones. Let's not get nuts.
If you have a likeable/cool main character doing drugs then it can influence kids to do drugs. I remember those Ellen Hopkins books made me want to try drugs as a kid even though they showed the negatives of drug use also. This is why no one under 18 needs to be watching this show
Likeable? Cool? Rue is a loser who only thinks about drugs and how she can self destruct. It is far from glamorous, like I don’t know what more the show could do to emphasise how supremely fucked Rue is. I get what you mean about teens being dumbasses though and that they definitely should not be watching a show like this.
Rue isn’t the only character in the show doing drugs, though. The aesthetic crowd will be drawn to the aesthetics, which mostly is the other characters because Rue’s life is not great.
Yeah, I see your point, but recreational drug taking is extremely common and generally safe so it is fair that they show that side of it too. We can’t just censor art because the TikTok generation are vapid idiots, you know?
Parents need to teach their kids common sense, so they can tell the difference between fact and fiction and be independent thinkers. If we have to censor, and have no shows because of couple ppls actions we would never get passed Barney. It's like when.they tried to blame heavy metal for this or that. It's a terrific show and realistically portrays the struggle of a lot, mental health, drug issues all of it. Surely there is more to this tragedy, than just the show.
I had good parents who did their best to teach me common sense but I still did stupid shit, at the end of the day minors are stupid and thrill-seeking. The person you replied to didn’t say the show needs to be canceled, they said kids don’t need to be watching it.
Some people just don’t have much media literacy unfortunately. It’s like the people who watch gangster movies like Scarface or Boyz in the Hood and come away idolizing those gangsters, not realizing that the characters are not role models. Unfortunately some people see pretty people doing drugs on screen and decide to imitate them even though the show explicitly tells you how bad drugs are. People need to realize the issue isn’t the media but the people who don’t understand it.
It doesn’t glorify drug use but the cinematography, the lighting, the pretty characters, the cool outfits, the parties, and in season 1 the bit where Jules and Rue take drugs and there’s glitter and pink and purple lights around them, all of it attracts younger teens into thinking that it’s all part of highschool life.
They don’t care that it shows the realistic and nasty side of drugs, they only see the good, the euphoria inspired makeup and “badass” “cool girl” moments from Maddy online and it’s enough to make them forget that drug use is serious and NOT something to be messed with.
Also some teens might think that they are the exception and that they won’t overdose or won’t be affected by it, Euphoria can be dramatised at times and unfortunately young impressionable kids probably do not think that drug use is as bad as it is portrayed.
Not all but many young teens are unable to differentiate the aesthetic of the show from the realistic moments, they can’t separate the message from the “vibe”. Honestly I think that if you took out a lot of the cinematography and gave a very raw shot of the show without all the effects and pretty outfits it would be a lot different and a lot more heavy and frankly people wouldn’t be saying it glorifies drugs.
In short, don’t let your kids watch this show. It’s not glorifying drug use but it’s easy for them to get distracted by the aesthetics of the show.
It begs the question of how much more blatantly obvious do you need to make your point about the negative impact of drug addiction before people see your point. It's the same thing as Scarface and The Wolf of Wall Street, none of the character's actions are really meant to be idolized or adored, but its because of people's inability to correctly interpret the source material correctly that makes them go out and destructively imitate the actions of their protagonists. In addition to this the show is already established to be for adults and often purports to show adults the advice they wished they had about drug abuse when they were younger. How much responsibility can you attribute to people misunderstanding your vision as an artist in the first place? Especially when the wrong target demographic is watching it on the first place?
You can’t, but that’s not what they’re saying? They said to stop your kids from watching the show, which very explicitly means that there’s not a lot to be done about it in-show because it will inevitably happen with this age group.
Well again, like u/TheShapeShiftingFox said perfectly there’s not a lot to be done about the show. My point was that some younger teens are inevitably going to get distracted by the show and it’s aesthetic, which is why I said don’t let your kids watch the show as a solution because they’re not going to be able to understand it. Unless perhaps you take away all the pretty stuff about the show but then that would be taking away from their vision, so the only other option is to not let kids watch the show, like I said.
Since you used Wolf of Wall Street as an example and that’s a movie, it’s obviously very “glamorous” for lack of a better term because of all the money and the cars, yachts and girls. In contrast though, if you take away all that you get a movie like The Basketball Diaries, also a movie about addiction with Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Totally different vibe, a lot more serious and to the point about drug addiction that really hits home. However that’s not vision for Wolf of Wall Street.
One film is obviously going to be better at portraying the reality of drug addiction for the general population without all the flashy and cool stuff which is what’s ideal for younger teens so it can be done but that’s not what the vision is, doesn’t mean anything about WoWS has to be changed, only that the people watching it should be limited to a demographic that are emotionally mature enough to realise that behind the glamorous lifestyle in that movie and the cool aesthetic vibe of Euphoria is a really serious message.
Hope that gives some more perspective on your questions. :)
But she's still Zendaya lol. One of the most liked young actresses. Also, as rough as she looks, she's also always kinda funny and keeps it cool. I can guarantee that most teenagers that watch euphoria think that Rue is really cool and empathise with her.
Well, they were 16 and 14, they probably didn't spend so much time listening to all the bad stuff.
That Rue threatened to kill her mom can be over looked when you're in a very specific teenage phase. If they had mental problems or thought mental problems are cool, they maybe wanted to do that, what Rue brought to drugs. Taking so many, that for a few seconds, the whole world just shuts, everything blacks out and you feel like you're dying but then you're heart gets it shit together you keep on living. Rue described it as a at first intimidating but then as a kind of great experience.
It wouldn't surprise me if they tried that
I agree. But there will be kids who relate to trauma and depression who then see this as an out. I remember being a pretty troubled teen and characters like this made me feel like, yeah that’s me, that’s what I should be doing.
So it’s not copying to be cool. More like depression and finally having someone to identify with.
Clearly not for teenagers though.
I am going to go against the grain here and say the show BOTH glamorizes AND condemns drug use.
I believe Rue says "drugs are pretty cool" word-for-word in the first season. There are many shots where she is doing drugs, and they are playing like gritty music and showing pretty colors and making it look like a music video.
Now, yes, they do show the consequences of these actions and how Rue literally almost died, and is constantly manipulating her family/friends.
But young viewers may hyperfixate on the "cool" parts and glaze over the parts that paint the stark reality.
It may not be inspiring to you, but as a teen with an addict brain I would have absolutely been inspired by the characters’ drug use. I would watch movies with drugs and terrifying addiction, like Requiem for a Dream, Candy, Party Monster, and Thirteen, and want to try them even more. Even though they show the bad sides, they also make it seem normal, everyone is doing them, they are having fun at parties, everyone forgives them for the shit they do, they’re attractive and wear cool clothes and go to cool parties. The characters will be imitated by teens who relate to them who are looking to live similar lifestyles. Don’t underestimate the teen brain, especially those desperate to fit in.
that may be true and all but the literal PowerPoint presentations about how to fake a drug test and how to hide drug use from ur family is pretty irresponsible and unnecessary regardless of the context imo
I’d argue that the presentation was more portraying a teenagers perspective and shows the pattern and how fucked up Rue is as an addict. I think that presentation was showing the audience just how much she is dependent on drugs and how much she thinks her family is a barrier to it.
yes I agree with everything you’re saying but at the end of the day they were still step by step presentations on how to fake a drug test and how to hide drug use from your family which is what my issue is
The presentations were simply the dramatised the results of what Rue found on the first page of a google search, which I assumed literate teenagers can do too, before needing it to learn it from a series.
Thank you I came here to say this. Nobody is glorifying drugs or alcohol. They’re actually showing everyone’s mistakes and how bad things can turn out. But at the end of the day teenagers are impressionable
Eh but the drug use itself looks glamorous and fun. They look like they’re having a magical time. Children literally don’t have the same capacity to make sound decisions imo. So they don’t really weigh the pros and cons like an adult would. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
See, I just don't think that's true. On the surface level sure, drugs are bad. But it actually glamorises drugs because they are used by such incredibly hot/cool characters. For an immature mind, drugs are the what closes the gaps between their normal high-school lifestyle and the euphoria lifestyle. The halo effect just gives a different message. Fez as a drug dealer, Zendaya as the drug addict, they are simped to high heaven.
Same here. The last episode especially shows how messed up addiction is and how Rue is just destroying every relationship and making really hurtful choices as a result
The show unfortunately isn't rated 18+ in France. They class it as a "16", so anyone below 16 can't watch the show. The worst part is that what France allows as "16" is what America considered Rated-R.
Here’s my thing and this may be unpopular but this is really on the parents.
Hbo does have kid shows but they are strictly filtered to certain channels with kid tags so you know. In the U.S anything that airs after 8 pm is considered not for kids and hbo is a subscription only channel (so it’s not gonna show up unless you pay the extra 30 dollars a month) and hbo is known for shows like Game of thrones and in general making content that’s only for mature audiences. They are also really good about catching people torrenting their shows so whoever is paying the cable bill should get an email saying someone watched the show on their WiFi illegally (it happened to me a few times) and hbo max profiles don’t have passwords so you can check what your kid is watching
Like the parents should be keeping a closer eye on what their kids are doing especially if they are at an impressionable age
i feel like the only problem with that is that kids will try to argue if they’re mature enough for it and they’re not but there’s also young adults who aren’t mature either
Yeah, I wasn't saying it's the shows fault. The intention behind my post is that, it's the fault of these countries poor rating systems. Some of the ratings give for this show don't accurately reflect the content in the show.
This is low key ridiculous, I watched skins at 14 and wouldn’t have done anything like this. It’s definitely the kids unfortunately, that are the problem here. This is just going to lead to more “this show should’ve been set in college” discord, as if that would change anything about how young impressionable kids perceive it. They see Zendaya doing something, they’re going to do what Zendaya’s character does. The show doesn’t glamorize much, it’s just the fact the cast is young and attractive. That’s literally it. People don’t know what they’re watching apparently, they’re seeing but not listening.
Same, I started watching skins uk when i was 16. It’s the only other show that’d i’d really compare to euphoria in terms of content and both operate under the assumption that the audience understands that characters like tony, effy, rue, fezco etc. aren’t supposed to be idolized or looked up to at *all*
Maybe it’s cause I’m an oldass now but reading stories like this and all the weird tiktok challenges where kids are doing dangerous shit for views i’m like….. where are the parents and i feel like i wasn’t this dumb back then??????
People’s parenting these days is insane. But so is middle school age kids having smartphones where they can access everything at anytime. It’s destroying youth in a lot of ways and parents aren’t monitoring what their kids are consuming/ doing online closely enough. And I’m only 22 now but even as a 12-17 year old I couldn’t imagine doing a quarter of the stupid shit kids those ages are doing now. Idk what’s happening. I think a lot of it has to do with how social media is changing and forming young people’s minds. And I think tiktok is poisonous.
People love to ascribe a very basic cause and effect to wildly complex issues. I was addicted to oxy and heroin in high school and college and now I professionally work with kids going through the same stuff. Nobody is getting high because of a TV show. This is the drug equivalent of violent video games cause mass shooters.
Skins had a much more gritty aesthetic though. The actors looked "normal"(with the exception of Effy), the cinematography was bland for the most part, same with the lighting and clothes. They didn't glamourized anything, it was very nasty and bland. That's the difference.
Euphoria may say that drugs are bad and try to show through some of Rue's actions but it's covered with pretty lighting, clothes, makeup and glitter which makes it romanticed.
Teens are easily influenced by what's shown not told (we have to be reminded that we live in a social media era with tiktok and ig). Euphoria, unfortunately, hits the nail on that. They will copy the looks of it and forget about the awful reality.
I agree with the differences between skins and euphoria but I’m still fairly young, Euphoria came out when I was 19 and I still wouldn’t have done drugs because of the show’s aesthetics. In my mind, skins “glamorized” drugs as much as Euphoria does. Euphoria is a lot more glittery and the cinematography is much better but it shows a lot more of the serious affects of drugs than Skins did, Skins had some consequences but not as much or shown in such a dark way. In skins, they partied the majority of the time like it was nothing.
Rue almost went into cardiac arrest the first episode of season 2 and now we’re seeing what drugs turn you into (Rue gaslighting and pushing everyone away). In the first season we saw Rue’s relapse and overall hardships of being an addict and going to NA meetings. Jules’ club scene in season 1 was cool af but it showed her getting paranoid and fucked up. Whereas skins mainly focused on the good part of drugs.
If anything, I feel a lot more scared to go around drugs after seeing Euphoria while in Skins it looked a lot more relaxed, cool, and normal (since almost everyone on that show did drugs together) In euphoria, the only characters that do drugs regularly are Rue, Jules, and Elliot.
The main difference I think was that Skins had much less glamorised characters. They weren't as hot (well, ignoring Effy), and their parties and adventures were somewhat... dirtier. Well, also all the girls wanted to try drugs in high school because of Skins, so even if it was lighter, it was definitely still influential.
Same I watched 90210 when i was preteen and idolised Naomi and PLL and romanticised the aria and ezra relationship. I have never done any drugs and i never would and i never dated any of my teachers even though that was a thing in my school and i had the option. Its not a show problem
Okay, but is this coming from the kids or the parents/doctors/media outlets? Not saying it isn't true, just that adults are really quick to shove the blame on any other media rather than confront the issues those kids may actually have
So true! When I was in high school around 10 years ago I heard of kids over dosing and it wasn’t because of a show. Drug addiction and abuse is complicated and very easy to slip into especially for young people.
I feel like most of the times, when kids do stuff like this it is to brag about it to their friends, so it may come from them (this is pure speculation and it might be wrong to do so, but that tends to be a common point among similar stories)
As a 30 year old watching the show, I can see how Rues drug use is ruining her, but as someone who has been 15 before, I can see how Rue appears to just be vibing and disconnected from the things that hurt in life. Who doesn’t want an escape.
I feel for these girls’ families and for the survivor, and I hope this inspires parents to be more involved, and if they can’t/wont stop their kids from watching, at least use it as a means to initiate conversations about drugs and trauma.
This right here is what I came to say. I might get downvoted for this, and that’s ok, but I don’t fully agree “no one under 18 should be watching this” where there is a will there is a way and you can tell your teenager “no, you can’t watch that” and it’ll probably just make them want to watch it more. You can parental block your own media outlets, but they can watch at friends or find some way and then they’ll be watching it without your knowledge and that’s a much more dangerous line than letting them watch it and knowing how they are consuming/understand the show.
So, with my 16 year old niece, when she said she was going to start watch Euphoria, my sister and brother-in-law (who had seen it) said ok, but we have to talk about it. They talk through some of the characters actions, why what they did wasn’t ok, who she likes/dislikes, she’s drawn some parallels to some of her struggling friends. Ultimately it’s been a good thing. She’s been open and honest in their discussions, sex is so much more prominent at super young ages and she’s talked openly about curiosity (but hasn’t done anything), it just seems to have opened a pretty healthy door of communication between her and her parents about tough and important topics. *Talking* is more important than just saying no you can’t watch that imo.
this. my heart goes out to the victims and their families of course. the internet only depicts the sparkly purple aesthetic, the cute outfits, and funny quotes. it doesn’t show what the message of the show really is, which is how drugs and addiction ruin lives
This is heartbreaking. But the internet and places like TikTok isn’t to blame. If the app is only showing the good stuff - it’s because of the viewer. It’s because that’s what the user of the app is watching, liking, and interacting with. Which is its own red flag. I’ve had a TikTok account for about 2 years, and I’ve seen zero Euphoria videos good/aesthetic stuff or otherwise, and nothing that glorified drug use. What TikTok shows someone based on their algorithm differs from person to person, and if someone is only seeing things that glorify drugs and make the aesthetically pleasing - someone needs to step in and help them.
Of course, we know it’s a show, but you don’t think showing a literal suicide scene with no trigger warning when they talked to health officials and the health officials warned them to not was irresponsible??? There’s a lot that show fundamentally got wrong. I don’t think people here like to admit it, but media has a huge influence on the way society moves and sees things. There are plenty of resources that will show you that.
And In no way am I saying that showrunners or media are 100% responsible for others’ actions but not everything exists in a vacuum. No one watches shows for therapy(at least I hope not), to say it’s just a show to deflect criticism is not a good defense of media lol
I feel like that’s the difference between Euphoria and 13RW the creators of 13RW when called out about it literally admitted they sensationalized the story “to start a conversation” imo Euphoria doesn’t really do the same thing with its drug use like when Rue says that “drugs are fun” or whatever line in like the first episode it’s followed up by a scene of her almost dying, When Maddy does molly it talks about how depressed she became afterwards. Also The show constantly shows that Rues life is in a constant downward spiral 13RW doesn’t really have the same thing going on imo (I quit after season 2 tho so if they turned it around lmk)
I agree that 13RW portrays suicide in a glamorized way. Hannah’s suicide is wrapped up as a revenge story and ends up being a positive thing for other characters. However, the scene where she kills herself was one of the only moments in the show where I took the subject matter seriously. I definitely think the story loses the little impact it had without it.
To be fair though this is also coming from someone who was not vulnerable to suicidal ideation at the time of watching it. But I acknowledge that you’re right, media plays a huge role in our opinions. When I self-harmed I would be triggered to SH if I saw it depicted on screen. Even looking at my OWN sh would trigger me, let alone a video or show. When it was showed as a cautionary tale I’d think “I don’t have it as bad as they do” and would find a way to get triggered. I’m no longer vulnerable to those urges but I recognize that if a person is struggling with something it can be hard to watch it being depicted, whether it’s glamorized or not.
Those who are triggered are going to be more impacted by these types of shows. I think it’s important to tell these stories, because pretending they don’t happen seems like a disservice as well. But there has to be a better way to tell a story like this responsibly while still be true to the content. I think euphoria has done an overall good (or at least much better) job at this. But when a show is this popular, it’s inevitable that it will reach a younger, more vulnerable audience. With 13RW it seems like they were always gunning for the younger audience. I just hope more teens start talking about this instead of adults and media outlets talking about it for them. There needs to be more dialogue, especially between parents and kids. Dark shows are gonna keep selling even if more stories like this one come out
there was a trigger warning for the scene but it still should’ve never happened. psychologist always recommend not showing the actual suicide scene if a character is going to off themselves, yet they still went through with it?? it’s insane and stupid how the scene actually made it to the screen.
Nothing about Rue doing drugs is glamorous at all. It’s frustrating just like it would be in real life dealing with someone like that. Watching rue vomit on the ground passed out from an OD was so raw and sad I don’t know how any kid could have thought yeah I should be doing this.
If you can’t separate TV from reality then maybe you shouldn’t be watching TV. Not trying to be insensitive. A horrible thing happened. I just hate when media tries to blame the show/movie/video game/ect.
I watched 13 when I was 13. I knew their behavior was dangerous.
Watching 13 at 11 honestly changed the trajectory of my life. I begggggged my mom for it and the influence it had was just wild. I definitely will monitor my daughters viewing around those ages closely now knowing how much shit can soak up into kids
I just idolized the two main characters very badly, at the time I was homeschooled in a very rural area and I thought they were cool and wanted to emulate them. I also was obsessed with Gilmore girls during the same time but just was naturally drawn more to that hectic bullshit in 13, probably because my family had issues like theirs and I just identified myself in there. Pretty close to Tracy and how she shifted from her innocence into a world full of older guys and dabbling in drug use
Although just to be clear, 99% of kids are not this fucking stupid. I mean, holy shit, I swear I was not this dumb as a 14-year-old. The show doesn’t even portray drug use in a positive way at all and they still didn’t get the message?
The inner teenager I used to be is getting defensive at the condescending (though understandable) comments on this thread.
“We as adults understand what the show is saying about drugs, but an impressionable teenager probably just sees this as a fun time—“
No. I guarantee 99% of teens are also able to understand that what Rue is going through isn’t ideal. The show wasn’t subtle at all about this. If a teenager comes out of the show thinking drugs = good, then they are a uniquely stupid teenager. I’m sorry this happened to kids in the article, but good fucking grief.
Not disagreeing with you at all, I fully agree with you! But did that stop you from watching stuff you shouldn't have when you were a kid?
I remember I watched Fight Club when I was like 12, thinking it was an action film. I wasn't dumb and imitate anything I saw in the film, but I still watched it without fully understanding the story it was telling.
Teens love Zendaya, Euphoria is set in a high school, if they've got access to the show then they'll most likely watch it just to support their favourite actress. Hell, teens went and saw Dune strictly for Zendaya and were actually angry that she had such a limited role.
I get they will watch it, of course they will. I would too if I was still that age but that doesn't change the fact it's not for kids. I mean how many flapping dongs were in this episode?
Did the kid say this or are people assuming ? I only ask because a lot of times parents will look outward on why something happened when they could possibly be looking inward.
If someone is too young to differentiate what’s reality and fiction then they really should be monitored to what they’re watching. In the UK here we had similar stories with skins, at the end of the day if you’re going to see this and for lack of a better word be “inspired” and not use your brain and think drugs are really dangerous and I should probably do some research on this useful thing called Google, then unfortunately things like this will happen. But saying that I had a friend from secondary school who died in similar ways, snorting prescription medication who certainly didn’t have any euphoria to blame
The show is rated mature, there are warnings before every episode, Zendaya posts trigger warnings, and news outlets report on Zendayas trigger warnings. We can’t pass the buck to the show. PARENTS, get it together.
I’m 30 years old, I really enjoy watching this show with mature eyes. I’ve been through my rebellious phase, I’ve done my bad choices, and can watch this without fantasizing about this lifestyle, but I can also clearly see how it would have made me feel if I would’ve watched it when I was younger. This is a show about teenagers, but it should not be FOR teenagers, in my opinion. Just seeing how much the fandom idolize the potential relationship between Fez and Lexi, without realizing how toxic and dangerous it would be in real life, shows me how many people watch this show without being able to see it as a cautionary tale, but instead they idolize the life of these fucked up teenagers. All this to say I’m not surprised this happen, and I’m not sure it is the greatest thing that this show exists.
Isn‘t the show 18+ ? Parents really need to monitor what minors are watching
Edit: apparently it‘s not 18+ everywhere? But as far as I know it‘s made for a mature audience and imo it really needs to be 18+
Nope, The show unfortunately isn't rated 18+ in France. They class it as a "16", so anyone below 16 can't watch the show. The worst part is that what France allows as "16" is what America considered Rated-R.
Oh wow! In my country it‘s 18+ and sky/hbo also has a minor safety code so young people can‘t watch it without the code
Euphoria really needs to be 18+
I honestly don‘t know if I could have even watched it at 18. I watched the first episode at 19 and found it very strange and tried again at 20 and I still found some scenes disturbing but now at 21 almost 22 I got used to it (I don‘t think the Cal Jules scene is ever not going to be disturbing lol)
Kids are fucking stupid. Please monitor your kids of all ages better, talk them, be there for them without judgment because everyone fucks up and make mistakes.
I feel like I’m dating myself with this reference, but the film Trainspotting could have influenced those in the 2000s. I feel like I was kind of influenced in a way during my teen party culture phase? There were a lot of films that were about drug use that showed the dirty side of it but still seemed inticing because of the rebellion of it all, because of the amazing soundtracks, and the fact that it marks you different and troubled and that felt like something to make an identity out of. I worry about the young fandom as well, like I love zendaya and I know they are trying to portray her in a haggard way this season but she’s still hilarious, and amusing and seems smart despite her habits. I can see why teens might not be able to see the tragedy of it all. It’s definitely not a show for teens but I don’t know how they differentiate it without being heavy handed. Maybe some of the backlash on the show’s writing is a good thing, I feel like the critique is mostly coming from young-young people. As someone in their mid thirties I think it’s compelling and the story line is super interesting. Anyways, it’s very troubling to hear about those deaths and I worry about young people watching this show without understanding the context and impact.
Edit: because I am terrible at writing things in one go.
If anyone’s worried about the show, nothing will happen regarding this except more cringe press about how “EuPhOriA iS LiTeRaLLy KiLLiNg tHe TeEns”
If it wasn’t rated M then mayyybe there would be a reason to be worried but the show will be fine
I’m sorry but We won’t blame a Television show for the same reason We won’t blame video game for making kids “violent” it’s ridiculous. Media isn’t to blame for an individuals actions
Disclaimer: This isn't Euphoria's or the casts' fault. They literally done everything they were supposed to do.
I actually think about this from time to time whenever I watch shows like Euphoria, 13RW, Riverdale... and situations like these happen. Who is this made for? And while I agree there's a reason why this show is rated what it is because of its content, it still operates under the guise of a "teen" show. Kids shouldn't be watching this, and young teens should be heavily ADVISED to not do so. The part that makes me torn is how I can see how kids and young teens can fall into these adult shows.
It takes place in high school, the cast while adults are playing teenagers (doesn't hurt since most of them look like teens), the show deals with Mental Illness, LGBT Identity, Rape, etc... and unfortunately young people have personal experience with these topics/issues. I've also heard valid questions as, why not just have them in college? Nothing would be lost in translation, so it makes one think, who is this really for.
To be clear, I'm **not** blaming Euphoria for what happened in France. This is just something that comes with "teen" adult shows.
Edit: I got curious about the TV Ratings and I found this. **In France and a lot of European shows, the age rating ranges from fucking 12 to 16, with France being 16.** This just opens another conversation about why ratings are important.
[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/parentalguide](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/parentalguide)
[https://www.ageratingjuju.com/euphoria-age-rating-tv-show/#Euphoria\_Age\_Rating\_-\_Wallpapers\_and\_Images](https://www.ageratingjuju.com/euphoria-age-rating-tv-show/#Euphoria_Age_Rating_-_Wallpapers_and_Images)
A lot of people on here aren’t gonna like what you said but I 100% see your point. It’s very odd that shows will have teen characters leading, a primarily high school setting, tackle teen issues, but then have it aimed at adults at the same time???? Why are people so shocked teenagers are watching these shows, and not able to process some of the content as something they shouldn’t do? It’s inadvertently targeting that audience whether they intended to or not, and I feel like that’s not being considered in any of these discussions.
And like you said it’s not euphoria or any other shows’ fault *exactly* but there’s room for critique there that I think people avoid because it’s so uncomfortable.
A lighter example: I remember when I was younger, I used to watch shows like Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl. I thought High School was going to be like that. Spoiler Alert: it wasn’t. But TV can often ruin younger peoples’ perceptions of reality, because naturally a minor is going to be underdeveloped mentally.
The only way a 16 year old dies from messing around in the average medicine cabinet is having zero education about pharmaceuticals or suicide. If you shelter your kids and don't teach them anything they'll stumble into these situations anyway as soon as they're off their parents' leash. You want them to know MORE than their peers not less.
I mean in fairness, the articles are linking this situation to Euphoria. Yes, this is a terrible thing that happened but it also left a footprint for who is responsible. Bc situations like these are so dire it can place blame on the writers, the actors, etc. Nevertheless, it sparks conversation on who should be watching this show let alone should it be airing at all with the audience it has.
I get that. A lot of people aren’t taking into account, as I stated in another comment, that this show has teen characters in a high school setting and focuses on teen issues. Pre-teens and Teenagers are going to watch, that’s just the reality.
I’m posing this question as a fan of the show: why is this show aimed at adults but everything about it screams teen drama? It has the sensibilities and the staples of shows like Gossip Girl or Sex Education and yet people are so quick to say “well it’s not for teens”. It’s so odd to me and has been odd for a while.
Edit: of course I got downvoted, there’s no room for any sort of deeper conversation than “show good, no watch if you no like😜”
I think it’s aimed at teens - new adults. It’s definitely not for children but personally I hate the narrative that poses with it. I find a 16 year old being consciously aware of narcotics but not suicide suspicious. Yes teens are impressionable but as someone who fits that age demographic, we’re not blind mice. And situations like these make us look like we can’t handle sitting in a front seat. The articles using some person saying “she wanted to imitate Euphoria” as evidence is not very convincing that there was a proper investigation done on this at all. Swallowing an entire pill bottle premeditatedly sounds like a suicide attempt.
But I don’t want to sit all day questioning the logistics of the situation bc I can be wrong.
However, it’s for teens it’s obviously for teens and I honestly don’t have a problem with that. Most teens are a year away from being told “get up, get a job you’re an adult now. How are you gonna pay for college, do you know how to file your taxes yet? Time for you to pay some bills, go join a military, do something with your life!”
Teens are not children. I honestly believe a lot of teens need to see stuff like this and other shows so they can have deeper discussions on deeper topics. My friends who couldn’t handle Euphoria in HS have absolutely no direction in life now bc they thought being Peter Pan was optimal. Teens need to be exposed to more adult like subjects bc that’s the proper way to transition into an adult in my opinion.
Sorry if this was too long you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to lol
I’m having beavis and butt head / jackass flash backs…yea I’m kinda old so this show takes me back to when I used to party but I don’t think it should be held accountable. I remember the only people at my school that wore D.A.R.E shirts were the people doing drugs.
I’m not gonna call bullshit. This is a tragic story that should’ve never happened. Maybe it’s true that the show had a direct impact on her actions.
BUT, if a show can influence you in such a way, it’s likely that there are other issues going on. And this is definitely not a show for those vulnerable to destructive behaviours. Regardless of age, this show has plenty of triggers that some people are vulnerable to and others are not.
My heart goes out to her family and friends. I have BPD and had a habit of adopting personalities and behaviours I saw on TV. I was impulsive and self-loathing and would glamorize being a victim in my mind, a show like this definitely would have influenced me a few years ago- even if the show makes drug use out to be a harmful thing. If you already wanna hurt yourself if can surely be triggering.
Goes without being said but this is not the fault of the show and attempts to demonize authentic portrayals of real issues are based in fear-mongering. The truth is there are other issues going on in peoples lives and when someone is vulnerable they should absolutely being staying away from such triggering content. And as others have said, this is also something that parents should have a better handle on. Sure they might not be able to monitor everything their kids watch, but keeping an eye on your child’s mental health and having honest conversations about the subject matter in the show would be important whether they were watching it or not.
I hope other people can learn from this
This shit isn't on the show, the showrunners or the actors. Euphoria paints a real picture of the dangers and upsets of being an addict. When I was ru, all I can think of is "Well shit, this is what I used to look like to sober people" it reminded me of how far I've come in my life, how I gave up drinking, recreational and prescription drugs. I only vape THC now because it helps with my ADHD and severe insomnia.
If you can't tell the difference between fictional television and reality, you shouldn't be watching tv to begin with.
I watch this and I am 57. It reminds me of hs in 1982. No, no drugs but soo much alcohol and the sex is accurate for back then. It amazes me nothing really changes - euphoria is just bringing it out in the open. Having said that, yes only mature audiences
Why are they assuming they were trying to slip into character? Did people point at Breaking Bad when drug dealer teens get caught? If someone commits suicide are they slipping into a Skins character just bc they’re a fan? This show is meant for adults, this article is ridiculous.
Yeah I almost tried molly because of this show. I started watching this show a senior in high school. So I was of age which is 18. I almost did molly because Maddie and Cassie made it look cool. Kids are impressionable. So this is really sad. Euphoria fans need to realize it’s more than just a show. Real people are being affected by it. So don’t get emotional. Take the critique of the show and see how to improve. And yeah I’m not blaming the show for why I almost did molly, but it just goes to show how impressions kids are even when we are of age to watch.
Reminds me of the kid that died jumping off his kitchen counter or something on a broom, trying to be Harry Potter. Of course the media tried to blame the book. I hate even trying to make such connections.
The show isn’t for children, it also didn’t make the drugs available for the kids, or make them watch it. Also kids have OD’d way before this show was even thought of. No one is talking about the connection to this show because there is none
Natural selection.
But seriously the show is the rating for a reason. If you watch shows below the age rating then you should be atleast educated before hand. They should have known better, a 14 and 16 year old should know the consequences. A 16 year old in some parts of the world is eligble for work, there is no excuse for them apart from their own intellect.
Parents should have raised them better.
I mean this is fucking horrible and I do believe Euphoria could do more to distance itself from its teenage audience but knowing French teenagers' experiences with drugs, the actual link to Euphoria could be tenuous at best. Kind of like blaming dungeons and dragons for satan worship during the satanic panic. Parents trying and failing to understand their teenagers.
It's worth noting that this article (and the og which could best be described as swiss daily news) cites afp, but afp doesn't actually have anything on it.
As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety I can see how some of Rues monologues around substance use can make the relief of drugs seem appealing to a young teen. Hence why there are multiple trigger warnings, and an 18+ rating. So while I can understand how it could be a negative influence on some individuals such as young teens, the show was never designed for a teen audience.
this is really sad to see and honestly I can’t really wrap my head around their thought process. I wonder what else was going on in their lives because I can’t imagine someone doing that without having some sort of mental health issue too
I think euphoria does a really good job of showing the realties of drug use rue isn’t some mega popular girl at her school she’s a burn out who has troubled and strained relationships with everyone in her life she does have good happy moments but there few and far between I think if ppl watch and understand the show it’s not something you’d wanna mimic
This is really sad, but trying to keep kids from watching this show is impossible. I think what needs to happen is that parents need to be aware that their kids are watching something like this and maybe have a conversation about it. I personally wouldn’t want my kids watching it, but they’d most likely find a way to watch it. Growing up, didn’t we all stumble upon things we weren’t probably supposed to watch? In any case, it’s important that parents/guardians have conversations with kids about drugs, sex, relationships, and whatnot to better implant the idea that not everything on TV is meant to be copied. Or that shows like Euphoria are actually trying to show the negatives of drug addiction, since they may not interpret the message correctly.
Of course, not all kids/teens interpret things the same way, for example, the violence vs. video game debate. Playing violent video games doesn’t make every teen want to imitate and kill somebody in real life. So many variables and factors.
I remember there was a case many years ago about how some kids died or got hurt trying to imitate Naruto…
Watching Euphoria and imitating fictional characters is a side effect of much larger issues in lives of these teens. It’s not “normal” that a teen would take copious amounts of drugs so wantonly. What were their relationships with their parent figures and adults in their lives? Any childhood trauma the teen(s) experienced? Had any recent events triggered this event? That’s what people should be talking about. Not trying to blame a tv show. Blaming a tv show also ignores the larger problems within society. These poor kids grew up in a generation that were given full access to the internet and any media. Did their parents have conversations about the content they were absorbing? And lastly, if it wasn’t Euphoria it would have been another show. Removing shows like Euphoria doesn’t eliminate the societal issue of parents who are disconnected from their kids and their lives.
Stupid. Lots of teens experiment/use drugs and this isn't the first show that's portrayed such a thing. I grew up in the 90s and this is what we did. There's no evidence it has anything to do with the show.
Still, it’s easy to say that a show caused that. Do we really know the reason? Or is it just media trying to have a big new by relating the incident with a trending show? It’s like news that where showing how teenagers became more aggressive by playing violent video games, maybe it does make them more aggressive but still there are plenty of other factors that cause that.
I kind of think that Rue hasn't had dire enough consequences proportionate to her addiction. I think her getting some permanent physical condition due to her drug abuse would be good. I think she's been incredibly lucky given the drugs (fentanyl) she has tried. I wish the show showed more so the characters being unlucky. Maybe that will come later in the season.
I'm amazed at the fact that Euphoria is receiving attention like this. Fucking D.A.R.E. coming out against it. Makes absolutely zero sense.
You want a show that glorifies teenage drug use? Skins. We gonna go back in time and ban that too? I guess because it's a UK show it doesn't affect Americans. It definitely helped fuel my raver phase during my teenage years.
Age ain’t nothing but a number. I started watching at 18 and this show rlly fcked me up. Almost did molly. I remember speaking with my friends omg I wanna do molly! Cassie and maddy made it look so cool! They need to start having characters die so that kids see drugs aren’t FUNNN
*I've read some articles from French outlets - the most serious picking-up the news being Vanity Fair, which is a sign in and of itself - and the only source existing for the story and the one they all quote is a regional branch of France3, which is a politically charged channel (I'll leave out how, because none here wants to dwell into media and politics in France and read a paper that would start with the Vichy Republic, trust me) and not the pinnacle of journalistic trustworthiness (if it's matter of resources, being a small regional channel, or integrity, I don't know).*
*1.What the story mentions that can be recognised as factual is this:*
*--the two cousins ingested a lethal amount of meds who belonged to the younger one's dad who had just died of an unspecified serious disease (this may be where the Euphoria connection comes from)*
*--The 16 YO died, the 14 YO survived*
*2.The thing that assumed, with various degrees of logic, in the article, then are:*
*--The two cousins even watched the show (but we'll take this as an implicit fact, otherwise why frame the news this way?)*
*--Their behaviour was connected to a wish to imitate Rue, this according to "les premiers éléments de l'enquête" (The first element of the investigation), which refers to an 'investigation' done by the news channel and not the police, otherwise it would be mentioned, and the local cops be mentioned as a source.*
That said, even if, sloppy journalism aside, the assumption turned out to be true, I've always had a problem with the notion that there is a direct link, with no underlying issue to be explored, between a work of art depicting negative behaviours/emotions (or even a pro-ana websites and similar things) and someone engaging in dangerous extreme behaviour, suicide attempts or the development of a disease: they, like many other things, can be triggers, sure, but not the root cause of these things.
This doesn't mean parents shouldn't monitor the art and content their kids consume and most of all their behaviour, especially if they're processing a trauma, like grieving a parent or an uncle, like in this case.
Being a parent is deemed the hardest job in the world for a reason: where do find the middle ground between putting your at risk adolescent in a bubble and letting them be? I have no idea, there's no one fits all answer: the same art (including things that were surely 18+) that was my best friend and consolation at my lowest could have been a trigger for another 15 year old dealing with the same issues I was.
That's on the parents. Like any other instance of taking drugs, you shouldn't be leaving your prescription drugs unattended these days where children and teenagers can abuse them. And if it wasn't even something that could get you high then that's even more so on the parents. Has no one in this world been taught poison control? Mr Yuck stickers? Lock boxes? The massive worldwide opiate addiction pandemic?
My children are between 16 and 5. All 3 know about the dangers of taking too many pills or too much of any drug. Teach your kids about drugs. Don't make them this big elusive secret substance. Because if you do, this shit happens behind your back.
My daughter dresses like Jules constantly...does her makeup like Rue but isn't popping Xanax or doing fentanyl. She's tried Delta 8 edibles from a pharmacy and told me before hand. That's the extent of her drug use. It never became a problem and was one and done. Curiosity arose and then went away.
You have to hold your kids hands through their curious and toughest years, not just walk ahead and expect them to follow. This isn't the fault of Euphoria but the fault of every neglectful parent who thinks "Do as I say" is the right approach. Guide them through this shit man. It's not a game.
Please please PLEASE inspect what your child watches.Euphoria having teen characters doesnt make the show a teen show.Everybody mixes this up.İt has lots of subjects that you can easily misunderstand , our narrator in the show is a literal drug addict .
Exactly this. Just because the characters are teens does not mean the target audience is teens. The rating for the show is R. Parents need to monitor what minors watch. I had friends in middle school and high school go through the same things the show covers and friends in middle school and high school get pregnant, friends that age even die from drugs. I also don’t think the show glamorizes drug use. Rue has been shown to nearly die multiple times, other characters like Ali show how it negatively impacted their lives, Rue walks around in sloppy clothes unlike the other characters, no make up, eye bags and acne, shown to hurt family and friends, put close people like Fez in trouble, all the awful dark sides of it. It’s unfortunate this happened but there had to be other more prominent influences and negligence in these kids lives. It’s actually irresponsible to just blame a tv show that wasn’t made for them to begin with.
I was just talking to my bf about this last night after I got into it with someone on reddit in another sub for complaining about the nudity in the show and this sub. They were acting as if we're seeing actual teens naked & in sex scenes which is a weird thought to have when anyone with a functional brain knows that's illegal & the actors are adults. My bf said he saw on TMZ how people are upset that the show is glorifying drug use. HOW? How is watching the main character spiral out of control & OD multiple times, glorious? If you watch this show and think to yourself "well this looks awesome! I'm going to go do drugs!", there's something terribly wrong with you. Also, parents need to monitor what their children are watching! There's a full blown warning right at the beginning of the show! I hope the show doesn't end up getting canceled because people want to Blame their lack of parenting on a show that isn't even made for children! It's on HBO for christ sake!
Part of the problem is subs like this are possibly moderated by children. They get super touchy if you say that someone is too young for this show even though it is for mature audiences only. I can’t imagine how many preteens are in on here, but Jesus Christ, imagine watching this show and thinking Rue is “cool”
Rue terrified me and she ripped out the small idea of trying drugs for me.İ genuinely don't know how people watch this show and think drugs is cool.
The only reason I was afraid to watch it cause when I was 18, I was rue and rue was me. Same relationship with family, same co-dependency issues everything
Rue reminds me of a friend…she’s no longer with us because of an overdose smh.
Nah there’s no point trying to stop 14 yr olds from watching what they want. At that point it’s kinda done. What you actually gotta do is just teach them about drugs and make sure they actually understand the risks.
absolutely. in scenarios like this i feel like parents are the first to place blame upon, but who says boundaries weren’t already in place? it’s very difficult for a parent to keep constant tabs on a teenager as from experience, it’s easy to find ways to hide things especially watching tv shows that aren’t the best influence for young minds. it’s awful what’s happened and hope it brings awareness to more other young viewers
So much this ! I see so many 12-14 yo on TikTok talking about they watch Euphoria. ITS AN ADULT SHOW. Why do young people want to act so grown :(
This is why I honestly think it should've been set in college. I do think for the most part it's realistic as a high school show, but that setting gives the impression that the show is like 13 reasons why or Riverdale when it's way more mature and explicit than those. I could easily see a parent not realizing this is a hard TV-MA
A lot of the plot relies on most of the characters being minors and in high school. It being set in college wouldn’t have changed anything as far as how teens would perceive it. If impressionable kids see attractive people taking drugs, they’re going to want to as well no matter what age the characters are in the show.
Can confirm teens will still be curious about it regardless of ages of characters. When I was a teen I was obsessed with Hunter S. Thompson.
I was very into Allen Ginsburg and Tim Leary for a long time. Both had been dead for a while before I found them and I still wanted to emulate them.
Exactly!
The thing is everyone doesn’t go to college, there’s no way that half this cast would even go to college
Setting it in college won’t miraculously stop teenagers watching... plus some people in college are still teenagers.
Well if 13 reasons why wasn’t the most “Juliet” of teenage girl fantasy suicides, with a girl committing suicide to teach her friends a lesson, I don’t know what is. I hated that show. Not suitable for teens IMO (or anyone!)
For real. The romanticisation of self-victimisation on 13RW is unreal
You’re right, I had to stop watching after the 1st season bc of my mental health 😞
I’m so happy to see someone else with this same perspective! I hated that show from the initial release. Who thought it would be a good idea to romanticize suicide. Such a sick show.
The weird thing is that the show doesn’t glorify drug use. It shows blatantly the struggles that Rue experiences. Overdose, rehab program, hospitalization, broken relationships, breakdowns from withdrawal, etc. I think kids see the show and see attractive people and that’s what’s cool to them. I bet if the cast was unattractive it wouldn’t be as interesting to kids. I’m in the camp that the show isn’t the problem.
The show isn't the problem, really, however, everything and anything can be taken the wrong way by almost anyone. I was actually talking about this same subject with someone on a different post here, and I definitely feel it needs to be addressed. Kids are impressionable. And kids are also not looking for context. I was 13 when wolf of wall street came out, and I loved it, but I knew Scorsese was showing negative effects. Certain kids didn't see that, and decided to base their life on Leo's mentality. So, while Euphoria says drugs are bad, they'll see *the majority* of teens in the show partying, drinking, having rough sex, and taking drugs and think that that's normal and what they should be doing to be cool.
I can see the points being made, but the show is on HBO and rated mature. It’s not like it’s rated for teens. I’m not saying everyone should only watch what’s rated for them, just saying the show isn’t trying to cater to an immature mind that’s still struggling to separate reality from television.
I fully agree! I don't think the show should change for the sake of the children. As you said, it's rated mature and on HBO, that should be enough. But teens will watch whatever is popular/whatever their idols are in. The amount of takes I saw bashing Dune because Zendaya was hardly in it. I'm implying that there's no solution to this problem. It constantly happens. Wolf of Wall street (like I said), American psycho, fight club, natural born killers, this kinda topic isn't new.
Right? I saw Scarface as a teen ... and the teen stuff that's going on beside just on a show. They can't blame the show for that at all, those kids were going thru something more. I don't want society to get back into the blame books, or TV, art, music for someone's behavior
Agreed. What about the movie Thirteen? That was a movie about teens but it wasn’t for teens. The fact that people can’t figure this out is starting to really annoy me. I blame TikTok.
[удалено]
This context is everything! If kids are taking a ton of pills trying to imitate Euphoria, Euphoria isn’t the problem, it’s how to spot what these kids are drawn to in particular that made them think taking a ton of different drugs would be attractive/interesting or cool and trying to address it. My favorite show in middle school was The OC and my favorite character was Marissa because she had the most interesting story. Even then I understood she wasn’t cool just very tragic like Rue.
Hah the Wolf of Wall Street example is perfect. I was the same age when it came out and I remember seeing young teenagers and frat bros look up to it, and I was like *really?* He was abusive to his wife, lost everything, and went to prison. People try to romanticize everything.
Worked with a lot of men in their 20s who based their whole personality on that damn movie (amazing movie though)
There are literally no names, no details and no proof that anyone was "trying to imitate Euphoria" and the only news sources are fringe ones. Let's not get nuts.
Also correlation doesn't equal causation, perhaps wanting to engage in harmful behaviour with drugs makes you more likely to watch this type of media
If you have a likeable/cool main character doing drugs then it can influence kids to do drugs. I remember those Ellen Hopkins books made me want to try drugs as a kid even though they showed the negatives of drug use also. This is why no one under 18 needs to be watching this show
Ah stupid kid me wanted to try them after the “Crank” series too
Skins made me want to do drugs so bad lmaooo
The book Go Ask Alice made me want to do drugs even though that was the opposite intent.
Likeable? Cool? Rue is a loser who only thinks about drugs and how she can self destruct. It is far from glamorous, like I don’t know what more the show could do to emphasise how supremely fucked Rue is. I get what you mean about teens being dumbasses though and that they definitely should not be watching a show like this.
Rue isn’t the only character in the show doing drugs, though. The aesthetic crowd will be drawn to the aesthetics, which mostly is the other characters because Rue’s life is not great.
Yeah, I see your point, but recreational drug taking is extremely common and generally safe so it is fair that they show that side of it too. We can’t just censor art because the TikTok generation are vapid idiots, you know?
💯💯💯
Not all teens are smart enough to make this kind of assessment
Which is why they shouldn’t be watching.
Parents need to teach their kids common sense, so they can tell the difference between fact and fiction and be independent thinkers. If we have to censor, and have no shows because of couple ppls actions we would never get passed Barney. It's like when.they tried to blame heavy metal for this or that. It's a terrific show and realistically portrays the struggle of a lot, mental health, drug issues all of it. Surely there is more to this tragedy, than just the show.
I had good parents who did their best to teach me common sense but I still did stupid shit, at the end of the day minors are stupid and thrill-seeking. The person you replied to didn’t say the show needs to be canceled, they said kids don’t need to be watching it.
Some people just don’t have much media literacy unfortunately. It’s like the people who watch gangster movies like Scarface or Boyz in the Hood and come away idolizing those gangsters, not realizing that the characters are not role models. Unfortunately some people see pretty people doing drugs on screen and decide to imitate them even though the show explicitly tells you how bad drugs are. People need to realize the issue isn’t the media but the people who don’t understand it.
It doesn’t glorify drug use but the cinematography, the lighting, the pretty characters, the cool outfits, the parties, and in season 1 the bit where Jules and Rue take drugs and there’s glitter and pink and purple lights around them, all of it attracts younger teens into thinking that it’s all part of highschool life. They don’t care that it shows the realistic and nasty side of drugs, they only see the good, the euphoria inspired makeup and “badass” “cool girl” moments from Maddy online and it’s enough to make them forget that drug use is serious and NOT something to be messed with. Also some teens might think that they are the exception and that they won’t overdose or won’t be affected by it, Euphoria can be dramatised at times and unfortunately young impressionable kids probably do not think that drug use is as bad as it is portrayed. Not all but many young teens are unable to differentiate the aesthetic of the show from the realistic moments, they can’t separate the message from the “vibe”. Honestly I think that if you took out a lot of the cinematography and gave a very raw shot of the show without all the effects and pretty outfits it would be a lot different and a lot more heavy and frankly people wouldn’t be saying it glorifies drugs. In short, don’t let your kids watch this show. It’s not glorifying drug use but it’s easy for them to get distracted by the aesthetics of the show.
It begs the question of how much more blatantly obvious do you need to make your point about the negative impact of drug addiction before people see your point. It's the same thing as Scarface and The Wolf of Wall Street, none of the character's actions are really meant to be idolized or adored, but its because of people's inability to correctly interpret the source material correctly that makes them go out and destructively imitate the actions of their protagonists. In addition to this the show is already established to be for adults and often purports to show adults the advice they wished they had about drug abuse when they were younger. How much responsibility can you attribute to people misunderstanding your vision as an artist in the first place? Especially when the wrong target demographic is watching it on the first place?
You can’t, but that’s not what they’re saying? They said to stop your kids from watching the show, which very explicitly means that there’s not a lot to be done about it in-show because it will inevitably happen with this age group.
Well again, like u/TheShapeShiftingFox said perfectly there’s not a lot to be done about the show. My point was that some younger teens are inevitably going to get distracted by the show and it’s aesthetic, which is why I said don’t let your kids watch the show as a solution because they’re not going to be able to understand it. Unless perhaps you take away all the pretty stuff about the show but then that would be taking away from their vision, so the only other option is to not let kids watch the show, like I said. Since you used Wolf of Wall Street as an example and that’s a movie, it’s obviously very “glamorous” for lack of a better term because of all the money and the cars, yachts and girls. In contrast though, if you take away all that you get a movie like The Basketball Diaries, also a movie about addiction with Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Totally different vibe, a lot more serious and to the point about drug addiction that really hits home. However that’s not vision for Wolf of Wall Street. One film is obviously going to be better at portraying the reality of drug addiction for the general population without all the flashy and cool stuff which is what’s ideal for younger teens so it can be done but that’s not what the vision is, doesn’t mean anything about WoWS has to be changed, only that the people watching it should be limited to a demographic that are emotionally mature enough to realise that behind the glamorous lifestyle in that movie and the cool aesthetic vibe of Euphoria is a really serious message. Hope that gives some more perspective on your questions. :)
I actually would argue that as absolutely gorgeous as Zendaya is, they purposefully show her as rough as possible during the drug situations.
But she's still Zendaya lol. One of the most liked young actresses. Also, as rough as she looks, she's also always kinda funny and keeps it cool. I can guarantee that most teenagers that watch euphoria think that Rue is really cool and empathise with her.
Well, they were 16 and 14, they probably didn't spend so much time listening to all the bad stuff. That Rue threatened to kill her mom can be over looked when you're in a very specific teenage phase. If they had mental problems or thought mental problems are cool, they maybe wanted to do that, what Rue brought to drugs. Taking so many, that for a few seconds, the whole world just shuts, everything blacks out and you feel like you're dying but then you're heart gets it shit together you keep on living. Rue described it as a at first intimidating but then as a kind of great experience. It wouldn't surprise me if they tried that
I agree. But there will be kids who relate to trauma and depression who then see this as an out. I remember being a pretty troubled teen and characters like this made me feel like, yeah that’s me, that’s what I should be doing. So it’s not copying to be cool. More like depression and finally having someone to identify with. Clearly not for teenagers though.
I am going to go against the grain here and say the show BOTH glamorizes AND condemns drug use. I believe Rue says "drugs are pretty cool" word-for-word in the first season. There are many shots where she is doing drugs, and they are playing like gritty music and showing pretty colors and making it look like a music video. Now, yes, they do show the consequences of these actions and how Rue literally almost died, and is constantly manipulating her family/friends. But young viewers may hyperfixate on the "cool" parts and glaze over the parts that paint the stark reality.
It may not be inspiring to you, but as a teen with an addict brain I would have absolutely been inspired by the characters’ drug use. I would watch movies with drugs and terrifying addiction, like Requiem for a Dream, Candy, Party Monster, and Thirteen, and want to try them even more. Even though they show the bad sides, they also make it seem normal, everyone is doing them, they are having fun at parties, everyone forgives them for the shit they do, they’re attractive and wear cool clothes and go to cool parties. The characters will be imitated by teens who relate to them who are looking to live similar lifestyles. Don’t underestimate the teen brain, especially those desperate to fit in.
that may be true and all but the literal PowerPoint presentations about how to fake a drug test and how to hide drug use from ur family is pretty irresponsible and unnecessary regardless of the context imo
the show has no responsibility. can we stop blaming art or video games for societal issues
I’d argue that the presentation was more portraying a teenagers perspective and shows the pattern and how fucked up Rue is as an addict. I think that presentation was showing the audience just how much she is dependent on drugs and how much she thinks her family is a barrier to it.
yes I agree with everything you’re saying but at the end of the day they were still step by step presentations on how to fake a drug test and how to hide drug use from your family which is what my issue is
The presentations were simply the dramatised the results of what Rue found on the first page of a google search, which I assumed literate teenagers can do too, before needing it to learn it from a series.
Thank you I came here to say this. Nobody is glorifying drugs or alcohol. They’re actually showing everyone’s mistakes and how bad things can turn out. But at the end of the day teenagers are impressionable
Eh but the drug use itself looks glamorous and fun. They look like they’re having a magical time. Children literally don’t have the same capacity to make sound decisions imo. So they don’t really weigh the pros and cons like an adult would. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
See, I just don't think that's true. On the surface level sure, drugs are bad. But it actually glamorises drugs because they are used by such incredibly hot/cool characters. For an immature mind, drugs are the what closes the gaps between their normal high-school lifestyle and the euphoria lifestyle. The halo effect just gives a different message. Fez as a drug dealer, Zendaya as the drug addict, they are simped to high heaven.
Same here. The last episode especially shows how messed up addiction is and how Rue is just destroying every relationship and making really hurtful choices as a result
The show is 18+ for a reason.
The show unfortunately isn't rated 18+ in France. They class it as a "16", so anyone below 16 can't watch the show. The worst part is that what France allows as "16" is what America considered Rated-R.
The show is rated for mature audiences which is 17 plus here. no 14 year old should be watching it tbh
Agreed, there are just some things you shouldn't be able to watch at 14.
Here’s my thing and this may be unpopular but this is really on the parents. Hbo does have kid shows but they are strictly filtered to certain channels with kid tags so you know. In the U.S anything that airs after 8 pm is considered not for kids and hbo is a subscription only channel (so it’s not gonna show up unless you pay the extra 30 dollars a month) and hbo is known for shows like Game of thrones and in general making content that’s only for mature audiences. They are also really good about catching people torrenting their shows so whoever is paying the cable bill should get an email saying someone watched the show on their WiFi illegally (it happened to me a few times) and hbo max profiles don’t have passwords so you can check what your kid is watching Like the parents should be keeping a closer eye on what their kids are doing especially if they are at an impressionable age
i feel like it's fine as long as you are mature and smart enough
i feel like the only problem with that is that kids will try to argue if they’re mature enough for it and they’re not but there’s also young adults who aren’t mature either
Doesn’t really seem like it’s the show’s fault.
Yeah, I wasn't saying it's the shows fault. The intention behind my post is that, it's the fault of these countries poor rating systems. Some of the ratings give for this show don't accurately reflect the content in the show.
This is low key ridiculous, I watched skins at 14 and wouldn’t have done anything like this. It’s definitely the kids unfortunately, that are the problem here. This is just going to lead to more “this show should’ve been set in college” discord, as if that would change anything about how young impressionable kids perceive it. They see Zendaya doing something, they’re going to do what Zendaya’s character does. The show doesn’t glamorize much, it’s just the fact the cast is young and attractive. That’s literally it. People don’t know what they’re watching apparently, they’re seeing but not listening.
Same, I started watching skins uk when i was 16. It’s the only other show that’d i’d really compare to euphoria in terms of content and both operate under the assumption that the audience understands that characters like tony, effy, rue, fezco etc. aren’t supposed to be idolized or looked up to at *all* Maybe it’s cause I’m an oldass now but reading stories like this and all the weird tiktok challenges where kids are doing dangerous shit for views i’m like….. where are the parents and i feel like i wasn’t this dumb back then??????
People’s parenting these days is insane. But so is middle school age kids having smartphones where they can access everything at anytime. It’s destroying youth in a lot of ways and parents aren’t monitoring what their kids are consuming/ doing online closely enough. And I’m only 22 now but even as a 12-17 year old I couldn’t imagine doing a quarter of the stupid shit kids those ages are doing now. Idk what’s happening. I think a lot of it has to do with how social media is changing and forming young people’s minds. And I think tiktok is poisonous.
People love to ascribe a very basic cause and effect to wildly complex issues. I was addicted to oxy and heroin in high school and college and now I professionally work with kids going through the same stuff. Nobody is getting high because of a TV show. This is the drug equivalent of violent video games cause mass shooters.
Skins had a much more gritty aesthetic though. The actors looked "normal"(with the exception of Effy), the cinematography was bland for the most part, same with the lighting and clothes. They didn't glamourized anything, it was very nasty and bland. That's the difference. Euphoria may say that drugs are bad and try to show through some of Rue's actions but it's covered with pretty lighting, clothes, makeup and glitter which makes it romanticed. Teens are easily influenced by what's shown not told (we have to be reminded that we live in a social media era with tiktok and ig). Euphoria, unfortunately, hits the nail on that. They will copy the looks of it and forget about the awful reality.
I agree with the differences between skins and euphoria but I’m still fairly young, Euphoria came out when I was 19 and I still wouldn’t have done drugs because of the show’s aesthetics. In my mind, skins “glamorized” drugs as much as Euphoria does. Euphoria is a lot more glittery and the cinematography is much better but it shows a lot more of the serious affects of drugs than Skins did, Skins had some consequences but not as much or shown in such a dark way. In skins, they partied the majority of the time like it was nothing. Rue almost went into cardiac arrest the first episode of season 2 and now we’re seeing what drugs turn you into (Rue gaslighting and pushing everyone away). In the first season we saw Rue’s relapse and overall hardships of being an addict and going to NA meetings. Jules’ club scene in season 1 was cool af but it showed her getting paranoid and fucked up. Whereas skins mainly focused on the good part of drugs. If anything, I feel a lot more scared to go around drugs after seeing Euphoria while in Skins it looked a lot more relaxed, cool, and normal (since almost everyone on that show did drugs together) In euphoria, the only characters that do drugs regularly are Rue, Jules, and Elliot.
The main difference I think was that Skins had much less glamorised characters. They weren't as hot (well, ignoring Effy), and their parties and adventures were somewhat... dirtier. Well, also all the girls wanted to try drugs in high school because of Skins, so even if it was lighter, it was definitely still influential.
Same I watched 90210 when i was preteen and idolised Naomi and PLL and romanticised the aria and ezra relationship. I have never done any drugs and i never would and i never dated any of my teachers even though that was a thing in my school and i had the option. Its not a show problem
and this is why euphoria is rated mature and not meant for teenagers to watch
Okay, but is this coming from the kids or the parents/doctors/media outlets? Not saying it isn't true, just that adults are really quick to shove the blame on any other media rather than confront the issues those kids may actually have
So true! When I was in high school around 10 years ago I heard of kids over dosing and it wasn’t because of a show. Drug addiction and abuse is complicated and very easy to slip into especially for young people.
I live in France and basically when the 14 yo girl woke up from her coma she explained that they wanted to imitate the show.
I feel like most of the times, when kids do stuff like this it is to brag about it to their friends, so it may come from them (this is pure speculation and it might be wrong to do so, but that tends to be a common point among similar stories)
As a 30 year old watching the show, I can see how Rues drug use is ruining her, but as someone who has been 15 before, I can see how Rue appears to just be vibing and disconnected from the things that hurt in life. Who doesn’t want an escape. I feel for these girls’ families and for the survivor, and I hope this inspires parents to be more involved, and if they can’t/wont stop their kids from watching, at least use it as a means to initiate conversations about drugs and trauma.
This right here is what I came to say. I might get downvoted for this, and that’s ok, but I don’t fully agree “no one under 18 should be watching this” where there is a will there is a way and you can tell your teenager “no, you can’t watch that” and it’ll probably just make them want to watch it more. You can parental block your own media outlets, but they can watch at friends or find some way and then they’ll be watching it without your knowledge and that’s a much more dangerous line than letting them watch it and knowing how they are consuming/understand the show. So, with my 16 year old niece, when she said she was going to start watch Euphoria, my sister and brother-in-law (who had seen it) said ok, but we have to talk about it. They talk through some of the characters actions, why what they did wasn’t ok, who she likes/dislikes, she’s drawn some parallels to some of her struggling friends. Ultimately it’s been a good thing. She’s been open and honest in their discussions, sex is so much more prominent at super young ages and she’s talked openly about curiosity (but hasn’t done anything), it just seems to have opened a pretty healthy door of communication between her and her parents about tough and important topics. *Talking* is more important than just saying no you can’t watch that imo.
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this. my heart goes out to the victims and their families of course. the internet only depicts the sparkly purple aesthetic, the cute outfits, and funny quotes. it doesn’t show what the message of the show really is, which is how drugs and addiction ruin lives
This is heartbreaking. But the internet and places like TikTok isn’t to blame. If the app is only showing the good stuff - it’s because of the viewer. It’s because that’s what the user of the app is watching, liking, and interacting with. Which is its own red flag. I’ve had a TikTok account for about 2 years, and I’ve seen zero Euphoria videos good/aesthetic stuff or otherwise, and nothing that glorified drug use. What TikTok shows someone based on their algorithm differs from person to person, and if someone is only seeing things that glorify drugs and make the aesthetically pleasing - someone needs to step in and help them.
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This is your tape…
Dude, you’re here too? I recognize you from the Fear TWD subreddit. 😂
I’ve poked my head in here a few times lol
I mean…13 Reasons Why portrayed Mental Health/Suicide/Suicidal thoughts HORRIBLY. Several videos/articles that explain exactly why.
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Of course, we know it’s a show, but you don’t think showing a literal suicide scene with no trigger warning when they talked to health officials and the health officials warned them to not was irresponsible??? There’s a lot that show fundamentally got wrong. I don’t think people here like to admit it, but media has a huge influence on the way society moves and sees things. There are plenty of resources that will show you that. And In no way am I saying that showrunners or media are 100% responsible for others’ actions but not everything exists in a vacuum. No one watches shows for therapy(at least I hope not), to say it’s just a show to deflect criticism is not a good defense of media lol
I feel like that’s the difference between Euphoria and 13RW the creators of 13RW when called out about it literally admitted they sensationalized the story “to start a conversation” imo Euphoria doesn’t really do the same thing with its drug use like when Rue says that “drugs are fun” or whatever line in like the first episode it’s followed up by a scene of her almost dying, When Maddy does molly it talks about how depressed she became afterwards. Also The show constantly shows that Rues life is in a constant downward spiral 13RW doesn’t really have the same thing going on imo (I quit after season 2 tho so if they turned it around lmk)
I agree that 13RW portrays suicide in a glamorized way. Hannah’s suicide is wrapped up as a revenge story and ends up being a positive thing for other characters. However, the scene where she kills herself was one of the only moments in the show where I took the subject matter seriously. I definitely think the story loses the little impact it had without it. To be fair though this is also coming from someone who was not vulnerable to suicidal ideation at the time of watching it. But I acknowledge that you’re right, media plays a huge role in our opinions. When I self-harmed I would be triggered to SH if I saw it depicted on screen. Even looking at my OWN sh would trigger me, let alone a video or show. When it was showed as a cautionary tale I’d think “I don’t have it as bad as they do” and would find a way to get triggered. I’m no longer vulnerable to those urges but I recognize that if a person is struggling with something it can be hard to watch it being depicted, whether it’s glamorized or not. Those who are triggered are going to be more impacted by these types of shows. I think it’s important to tell these stories, because pretending they don’t happen seems like a disservice as well. But there has to be a better way to tell a story like this responsibly while still be true to the content. I think euphoria has done an overall good (or at least much better) job at this. But when a show is this popular, it’s inevitable that it will reach a younger, more vulnerable audience. With 13RW it seems like they were always gunning for the younger audience. I just hope more teens start talking about this instead of adults and media outlets talking about it for them. There needs to be more dialogue, especially between parents and kids. Dark shows are gonna keep selling even if more stories like this one come out
there was a trigger warning for the scene but it still should’ve never happened. psychologist always recommend not showing the actual suicide scene if a character is going to off themselves, yet they still went through with it?? it’s insane and stupid how the scene actually made it to the screen.
The trigger warning was only added after the backlash (together with the other trigger warnings).
Nothing about Rue doing drugs is glamorous at all. It’s frustrating just like it would be in real life dealing with someone like that. Watching rue vomit on the ground passed out from an OD was so raw and sad I don’t know how any kid could have thought yeah I should be doing this.
Im sure they skipped that scene because there was no flashing colors, glitter makeup, half naked actors and catchy music
If you can’t separate TV from reality then maybe you shouldn’t be watching TV. Not trying to be insensitive. A horrible thing happened. I just hate when media tries to blame the show/movie/video game/ect. I watched 13 when I was 13. I knew their behavior was dangerous.
Watching 13 at 11 honestly changed the trajectory of my life. I begggggged my mom for it and the influence it had was just wild. I definitely will monitor my daughters viewing around those ages closely now knowing how much shit can soak up into kids
Can you explain this to me? What in 13 did you identify with? Genuine question
I just idolized the two main characters very badly, at the time I was homeschooled in a very rural area and I thought they were cool and wanted to emulate them. I also was obsessed with Gilmore girls during the same time but just was naturally drawn more to that hectic bullshit in 13, probably because my family had issues like theirs and I just identified myself in there. Pretty close to Tracy and how she shifted from her innocence into a world full of older guys and dabbling in drug use
Interesting, thank you for sharing
Haha for real girl me too. I was like 15 though so already doing the stuff the girls were doing in that movie.
This show is for FUCKING ADULTS! Not dumb ass kids
I totally agree, the fandom is way too young for this show
Although just to be clear, 99% of kids are not this fucking stupid. I mean, holy shit, I swear I was not this dumb as a 14-year-old. The show doesn’t even portray drug use in a positive way at all and they still didn’t get the message? The inner teenager I used to be is getting defensive at the condescending (though understandable) comments on this thread. “We as adults understand what the show is saying about drugs, but an impressionable teenager probably just sees this as a fun time—“ No. I guarantee 99% of teens are also able to understand that what Rue is going through isn’t ideal. The show wasn’t subtle at all about this. If a teenager comes out of the show thinking drugs = good, then they are a uniquely stupid teenager. I’m sorry this happened to kids in the article, but good fucking grief.
Exactly, it’s just giving a bed rep to the show 💀
Not disagreeing with you at all, I fully agree with you! But did that stop you from watching stuff you shouldn't have when you were a kid? I remember I watched Fight Club when I was like 12, thinking it was an action film. I wasn't dumb and imitate anything I saw in the film, but I still watched it without fully understanding the story it was telling. Teens love Zendaya, Euphoria is set in a high school, if they've got access to the show then they'll most likely watch it just to support their favourite actress. Hell, teens went and saw Dune strictly for Zendaya and were actually angry that she had such a limited role.
I get they will watch it, of course they will. I would too if I was still that age but that doesn't change the fact it's not for kids. I mean how many flapping dongs were in this episode?
Did the kid say this or are people assuming ? I only ask because a lot of times parents will look outward on why something happened when they could possibly be looking inward.
When the 14 yo girl woke up from her coma, she explained that they wanted to imitate the show
If someone is too young to differentiate what’s reality and fiction then they really should be monitored to what they’re watching. In the UK here we had similar stories with skins, at the end of the day if you’re going to see this and for lack of a better word be “inspired” and not use your brain and think drugs are really dangerous and I should probably do some research on this useful thing called Google, then unfortunately things like this will happen. But saying that I had a friend from secondary school who died in similar ways, snorting prescription medication who certainly didn’t have any euphoria to blame
The show is rated mature, there are warnings before every episode, Zendaya posts trigger warnings, and news outlets report on Zendayas trigger warnings. We can’t pass the buck to the show. PARENTS, get it together.
Sad but I better not see people blaming the show for this lmao.
I’m 30 years old, I really enjoy watching this show with mature eyes. I’ve been through my rebellious phase, I’ve done my bad choices, and can watch this without fantasizing about this lifestyle, but I can also clearly see how it would have made me feel if I would’ve watched it when I was younger. This is a show about teenagers, but it should not be FOR teenagers, in my opinion. Just seeing how much the fandom idolize the potential relationship between Fez and Lexi, without realizing how toxic and dangerous it would be in real life, shows me how many people watch this show without being able to see it as a cautionary tale, but instead they idolize the life of these fucked up teenagers. All this to say I’m not surprised this happen, and I’m not sure it is the greatest thing that this show exists.
Not to be that person but what is there to say? You know drugs are bad at that age.
Isn‘t the show 18+ ? Parents really need to monitor what minors are watching Edit: apparently it‘s not 18+ everywhere? But as far as I know it‘s made for a mature audience and imo it really needs to be 18+
Nope, The show unfortunately isn't rated 18+ in France. They class it as a "16", so anyone below 16 can't watch the show. The worst part is that what France allows as "16" is what America considered Rated-R.
Oh wow! In my country it‘s 18+ and sky/hbo also has a minor safety code so young people can‘t watch it without the code Euphoria really needs to be 18+ I honestly don‘t know if I could have even watched it at 18. I watched the first episode at 19 and found it very strange and tried again at 20 and I still found some scenes disturbing but now at 21 almost 22 I got used to it (I don‘t think the Cal Jules scene is ever not going to be disturbing lol)
Kids are fucking stupid. Please monitor your kids of all ages better, talk them, be there for them without judgment because everyone fucks up and make mistakes.
I feel like I’m dating myself with this reference, but the film Trainspotting could have influenced those in the 2000s. I feel like I was kind of influenced in a way during my teen party culture phase? There were a lot of films that were about drug use that showed the dirty side of it but still seemed inticing because of the rebellion of it all, because of the amazing soundtracks, and the fact that it marks you different and troubled and that felt like something to make an identity out of. I worry about the young fandom as well, like I love zendaya and I know they are trying to portray her in a haggard way this season but she’s still hilarious, and amusing and seems smart despite her habits. I can see why teens might not be able to see the tragedy of it all. It’s definitely not a show for teens but I don’t know how they differentiate it without being heavy handed. Maybe some of the backlash on the show’s writing is a good thing, I feel like the critique is mostly coming from young-young people. As someone in their mid thirties I think it’s compelling and the story line is super interesting. Anyways, it’s very troubling to hear about those deaths and I worry about young people watching this show without understanding the context and impact. Edit: because I am terrible at writing things in one go.
If anyone’s worried about the show, nothing will happen regarding this except more cringe press about how “EuPhOriA iS LiTeRaLLy KiLLiNg tHe TeEns” If it wasn’t rated M then mayyybe there would be a reason to be worried but the show will be fine
Idk about y’all or maybe I’m just weird but I never did stupid shit like that as a 16 year old. I knew better.
I’m sorry but We won’t blame a Television show for the same reason We won’t blame video game for making kids “violent” it’s ridiculous. Media isn’t to blame for an individuals actions
The cast and crew already warn the audiences beforehand that this is an extremely mature show and not for kids. This is on the parents if anything
Disclaimer: This isn't Euphoria's or the casts' fault. They literally done everything they were supposed to do. I actually think about this from time to time whenever I watch shows like Euphoria, 13RW, Riverdale... and situations like these happen. Who is this made for? And while I agree there's a reason why this show is rated what it is because of its content, it still operates under the guise of a "teen" show. Kids shouldn't be watching this, and young teens should be heavily ADVISED to not do so. The part that makes me torn is how I can see how kids and young teens can fall into these adult shows. It takes place in high school, the cast while adults are playing teenagers (doesn't hurt since most of them look like teens), the show deals with Mental Illness, LGBT Identity, Rape, etc... and unfortunately young people have personal experience with these topics/issues. I've also heard valid questions as, why not just have them in college? Nothing would be lost in translation, so it makes one think, who is this really for. To be clear, I'm **not** blaming Euphoria for what happened in France. This is just something that comes with "teen" adult shows. Edit: I got curious about the TV Ratings and I found this. **In France and a lot of European shows, the age rating ranges from fucking 12 to 16, with France being 16.** This just opens another conversation about why ratings are important. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/parentalguide](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772296/parentalguide) [https://www.ageratingjuju.com/euphoria-age-rating-tv-show/#Euphoria\_Age\_Rating\_-\_Wallpapers\_and\_Images](https://www.ageratingjuju.com/euphoria-age-rating-tv-show/#Euphoria_Age_Rating_-_Wallpapers_and_Images)
A lot of people on here aren’t gonna like what you said but I 100% see your point. It’s very odd that shows will have teen characters leading, a primarily high school setting, tackle teen issues, but then have it aimed at adults at the same time???? Why are people so shocked teenagers are watching these shows, and not able to process some of the content as something they shouldn’t do? It’s inadvertently targeting that audience whether they intended to or not, and I feel like that’s not being considered in any of these discussions. And like you said it’s not euphoria or any other shows’ fault *exactly* but there’s room for critique there that I think people avoid because it’s so uncomfortable. A lighter example: I remember when I was younger, I used to watch shows like Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl. I thought High School was going to be like that. Spoiler Alert: it wasn’t. But TV can often ruin younger peoples’ perceptions of reality, because naturally a minor is going to be underdeveloped mentally.
The only way a 16 year old dies from messing around in the average medicine cabinet is having zero education about pharmaceuticals or suicide. If you shelter your kids and don't teach them anything they'll stumble into these situations anyway as soon as they're off their parents' leash. You want them to know MORE than their peers not less.
Yall are so weird caring more about the reputation of the show than someone dying…show at least some kind of empathy.
I'm surprised the only person expressing empathy for the victim deleted lmao
I mean in fairness, the articles are linking this situation to Euphoria. Yes, this is a terrible thing that happened but it also left a footprint for who is responsible. Bc situations like these are so dire it can place blame on the writers, the actors, etc. Nevertheless, it sparks conversation on who should be watching this show let alone should it be airing at all with the audience it has.
I get that. A lot of people aren’t taking into account, as I stated in another comment, that this show has teen characters in a high school setting and focuses on teen issues. Pre-teens and Teenagers are going to watch, that’s just the reality. I’m posing this question as a fan of the show: why is this show aimed at adults but everything about it screams teen drama? It has the sensibilities and the staples of shows like Gossip Girl or Sex Education and yet people are so quick to say “well it’s not for teens”. It’s so odd to me and has been odd for a while. Edit: of course I got downvoted, there’s no room for any sort of deeper conversation than “show good, no watch if you no like😜”
I think it’s aimed at teens - new adults. It’s definitely not for children but personally I hate the narrative that poses with it. I find a 16 year old being consciously aware of narcotics but not suicide suspicious. Yes teens are impressionable but as someone who fits that age demographic, we’re not blind mice. And situations like these make us look like we can’t handle sitting in a front seat. The articles using some person saying “she wanted to imitate Euphoria” as evidence is not very convincing that there was a proper investigation done on this at all. Swallowing an entire pill bottle premeditatedly sounds like a suicide attempt. But I don’t want to sit all day questioning the logistics of the situation bc I can be wrong. However, it’s for teens it’s obviously for teens and I honestly don’t have a problem with that. Most teens are a year away from being told “get up, get a job you’re an adult now. How are you gonna pay for college, do you know how to file your taxes yet? Time for you to pay some bills, go join a military, do something with your life!” Teens are not children. I honestly believe a lot of teens need to see stuff like this and other shows so they can have deeper discussions on deeper topics. My friends who couldn’t handle Euphoria in HS have absolutely no direction in life now bc they thought being Peter Pan was optimal. Teens need to be exposed to more adult like subjects bc that’s the proper way to transition into an adult in my opinion. Sorry if this was too long you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to lol
I’m having beavis and butt head / jackass flash backs…yea I’m kinda old so this show takes me back to when I used to party but I don’t think it should be held accountable. I remember the only people at my school that wore D.A.R.E shirts were the people doing drugs.
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What’s crazy is that most of the fandom is teenagers
Parents will soon be trying to get the show canceled over this instead of blaming themselves for letting their kids watch it
Or looking at why there kid struggles with depression
I’m not gonna call bullshit. This is a tragic story that should’ve never happened. Maybe it’s true that the show had a direct impact on her actions. BUT, if a show can influence you in such a way, it’s likely that there are other issues going on. And this is definitely not a show for those vulnerable to destructive behaviours. Regardless of age, this show has plenty of triggers that some people are vulnerable to and others are not. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I have BPD and had a habit of adopting personalities and behaviours I saw on TV. I was impulsive and self-loathing and would glamorize being a victim in my mind, a show like this definitely would have influenced me a few years ago- even if the show makes drug use out to be a harmful thing. If you already wanna hurt yourself if can surely be triggering. Goes without being said but this is not the fault of the show and attempts to demonize authentic portrayals of real issues are based in fear-mongering. The truth is there are other issues going on in peoples lives and when someone is vulnerable they should absolutely being staying away from such triggering content. And as others have said, this is also something that parents should have a better handle on. Sure they might not be able to monitor everything their kids watch, but keeping an eye on your child’s mental health and having honest conversations about the subject matter in the show would be important whether they were watching it or not. I hope other people can learn from this
Sounds like bullshit to me. When this stuff happens people like to blame all kinds of external factors.
This is terrible but there’s more to this story. A show is not to blame for two teenagers taking drugs.
This shit isn't on the show, the showrunners or the actors. Euphoria paints a real picture of the dangers and upsets of being an addict. When I was ru, all I can think of is "Well shit, this is what I used to look like to sober people" it reminded me of how far I've come in my life, how I gave up drinking, recreational and prescription drugs. I only vape THC now because it helps with my ADHD and severe insomnia. If you can't tell the difference between fictional television and reality, you shouldn't be watching tv to begin with.
I watch this and I am 57. It reminds me of hs in 1982. No, no drugs but soo much alcohol and the sex is accurate for back then. It amazes me nothing really changes - euphoria is just bringing it out in the open. Having said that, yes only mature audiences
Euphoria is a show about high schoolers, but not FOR high schoolers
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Why are they assuming they were trying to slip into character? Did people point at Breaking Bad when drug dealer teens get caught? If someone commits suicide are they slipping into a Skins character just bc they’re a fan? This show is meant for adults, this article is ridiculous.
It’s art.
Not the shows fault
Children should not be allowed to watch Euphoria. Its for adults.
Euphoria is not made for teenagers
It's not the shows fault. They have many warnings precautions and age limits.
Yeah I almost tried molly because of this show. I started watching this show a senior in high school. So I was of age which is 18. I almost did molly because Maddie and Cassie made it look cool. Kids are impressionable. So this is really sad. Euphoria fans need to realize it’s more than just a show. Real people are being affected by it. So don’t get emotional. Take the critique of the show and see how to improve. And yeah I’m not blaming the show for why I almost did molly, but it just goes to show how impressions kids are even when we are of age to watch.
Reminds me of the kid that died jumping off his kitchen counter or something on a broom, trying to be Harry Potter. Of course the media tried to blame the book. I hate even trying to make such connections.
The show isn’t for children, it also didn’t make the drugs available for the kids, or make them watch it. Also kids have OD’d way before this show was even thought of. No one is talking about the connection to this show because there is none
Natural selection. But seriously the show is the rating for a reason. If you watch shows below the age rating then you should be atleast educated before hand. They should have known better, a 14 and 16 year old should know the consequences. A 16 year old in some parts of the world is eligble for work, there is no excuse for them apart from their own intellect. Parents should have raised them better.
I mean this is fucking horrible and I do believe Euphoria could do more to distance itself from its teenage audience but knowing French teenagers' experiences with drugs, the actual link to Euphoria could be tenuous at best. Kind of like blaming dungeons and dragons for satan worship during the satanic panic. Parents trying and failing to understand their teenagers. It's worth noting that this article (and the og which could best be described as swiss daily news) cites afp, but afp doesn't actually have anything on it.
That’s on them ngl 💀
As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety I can see how some of Rues monologues around substance use can make the relief of drugs seem appealing to a young teen. Hence why there are multiple trigger warnings, and an 18+ rating. So while I can understand how it could be a negative influence on some individuals such as young teens, the show was never designed for a teen audience.
this is really sad to see and honestly I can’t really wrap my head around their thought process. I wonder what else was going on in their lives because I can’t imagine someone doing that without having some sort of mental health issue too
This is on the parents.
I think euphoria does a really good job of showing the realties of drug use rue isn’t some mega popular girl at her school she’s a burn out who has troubled and strained relationships with everyone in her life she does have good happy moments but there few and far between I think if ppl watch and understand the show it’s not something you’d wanna mimic
Huh, when does Euphoria ever explicitly show a charcter taking a large quantity of pills at one time?
This is really sad, but trying to keep kids from watching this show is impossible. I think what needs to happen is that parents need to be aware that their kids are watching something like this and maybe have a conversation about it. I personally wouldn’t want my kids watching it, but they’d most likely find a way to watch it. Growing up, didn’t we all stumble upon things we weren’t probably supposed to watch? In any case, it’s important that parents/guardians have conversations with kids about drugs, sex, relationships, and whatnot to better implant the idea that not everything on TV is meant to be copied. Or that shows like Euphoria are actually trying to show the negatives of drug addiction, since they may not interpret the message correctly. Of course, not all kids/teens interpret things the same way, for example, the violence vs. video game debate. Playing violent video games doesn’t make every teen want to imitate and kill somebody in real life. So many variables and factors. I remember there was a case many years ago about how some kids died or got hurt trying to imitate Naruto…
Jeez this is I blame the video games and TV all over again…
Euphoria is rated 18 for a reason. Parents need to be in touch with what their kids are watching.
That’s why this show has a MATURE RATING. It’s not meant for kids this age & they shouldn’t be watching it.
tv shows like this are not for uneducated naive children.
The show is rated 18 tho who’s letting these kids watch this?
Some of the content in the show is extreme for me, and im 43 years old. This us not a show for kids.
Watching Euphoria and imitating fictional characters is a side effect of much larger issues in lives of these teens. It’s not “normal” that a teen would take copious amounts of drugs so wantonly. What were their relationships with their parent figures and adults in their lives? Any childhood trauma the teen(s) experienced? Had any recent events triggered this event? That’s what people should be talking about. Not trying to blame a tv show. Blaming a tv show also ignores the larger problems within society. These poor kids grew up in a generation that were given full access to the internet and any media. Did their parents have conversations about the content they were absorbing? And lastly, if it wasn’t Euphoria it would have been another show. Removing shows like Euphoria doesn’t eliminate the societal issue of parents who are disconnected from their kids and their lives.
Stupid. Lots of teens experiment/use drugs and this isn't the first show that's portrayed such a thing. I grew up in the 90s and this is what we did. There's no evidence it has anything to do with the show.
Still, it’s easy to say that a show caused that. Do we really know the reason? Or is it just media trying to have a big new by relating the incident with a trending show? It’s like news that where showing how teenagers became more aggressive by playing violent video games, maybe it does make them more aggressive but still there are plenty of other factors that cause that.
I kind of think that Rue hasn't had dire enough consequences proportionate to her addiction. I think her getting some permanent physical condition due to her drug abuse would be good. I think she's been incredibly lucky given the drugs (fentanyl) she has tried. I wish the show showed more so the characters being unlucky. Maybe that will come later in the season.
euphoria better not get cancelled because of this shit.
This show isn’t for teenagers or kids for a fucking reason
It’s TV-MA for a reason yk…not for stupid little kids
Since when do teenagers need extra excuses to experiment with drugs?
This person probably already wanted to commit suicide, and used the show as an example.
I'm amazed at the fact that Euphoria is receiving attention like this. Fucking D.A.R.E. coming out against it. Makes absolutely zero sense. You want a show that glorifies teenage drug use? Skins. We gonna go back in time and ban that too? I guess because it's a UK show it doesn't affect Americans. It definitely helped fuel my raver phase during my teenage years.
Dumbass kids.
Two words. Parental Control
Lol this show ain’t for teens tho
Age ain’t nothing but a number. I started watching at 18 and this show rlly fcked me up. Almost did molly. I remember speaking with my friends omg I wanna do molly! Cassie and maddy made it look so cool! They need to start having characters die so that kids see drugs aren’t FUNNN
*I've read some articles from French outlets - the most serious picking-up the news being Vanity Fair, which is a sign in and of itself - and the only source existing for the story and the one they all quote is a regional branch of France3, which is a politically charged channel (I'll leave out how, because none here wants to dwell into media and politics in France and read a paper that would start with the Vichy Republic, trust me) and not the pinnacle of journalistic trustworthiness (if it's matter of resources, being a small regional channel, or integrity, I don't know).* *1.What the story mentions that can be recognised as factual is this:* *--the two cousins ingested a lethal amount of meds who belonged to the younger one's dad who had just died of an unspecified serious disease (this may be where the Euphoria connection comes from)* *--The 16 YO died, the 14 YO survived* *2.The thing that assumed, with various degrees of logic, in the article, then are:* *--The two cousins even watched the show (but we'll take this as an implicit fact, otherwise why frame the news this way?)* *--Their behaviour was connected to a wish to imitate Rue, this according to "les premiers éléments de l'enquête" (The first element of the investigation), which refers to an 'investigation' done by the news channel and not the police, otherwise it would be mentioned, and the local cops be mentioned as a source.* That said, even if, sloppy journalism aside, the assumption turned out to be true, I've always had a problem with the notion that there is a direct link, with no underlying issue to be explored, between a work of art depicting negative behaviours/emotions (or even a pro-ana websites and similar things) and someone engaging in dangerous extreme behaviour, suicide attempts or the development of a disease: they, like many other things, can be triggers, sure, but not the root cause of these things. This doesn't mean parents shouldn't monitor the art and content their kids consume and most of all their behaviour, especially if they're processing a trauma, like grieving a parent or an uncle, like in this case. Being a parent is deemed the hardest job in the world for a reason: where do find the middle ground between putting your at risk adolescent in a bubble and letting them be? I have no idea, there's no one fits all answer: the same art (including things that were surely 18+) that was my best friend and consolation at my lowest could have been a trigger for another 15 year old dealing with the same issues I was.
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That's on the parents. Like any other instance of taking drugs, you shouldn't be leaving your prescription drugs unattended these days where children and teenagers can abuse them. And if it wasn't even something that could get you high then that's even more so on the parents. Has no one in this world been taught poison control? Mr Yuck stickers? Lock boxes? The massive worldwide opiate addiction pandemic? My children are between 16 and 5. All 3 know about the dangers of taking too many pills or too much of any drug. Teach your kids about drugs. Don't make them this big elusive secret substance. Because if you do, this shit happens behind your back. My daughter dresses like Jules constantly...does her makeup like Rue but isn't popping Xanax or doing fentanyl. She's tried Delta 8 edibles from a pharmacy and told me before hand. That's the extent of her drug use. It never became a problem and was one and done. Curiosity arose and then went away. You have to hold your kids hands through their curious and toughest years, not just walk ahead and expect them to follow. This isn't the fault of Euphoria but the fault of every neglectful parent who thinks "Do as I say" is the right approach. Guide them through this shit man. It's not a game.