When you’re sitting down to watch a tv show, what are you going to pick? I know that I don’t want anything too serious, scary, or weird. I want to be sucked in -engulfed in teen angst hear the drama of people you know but don’t even know. I love it, and so do you. It’s enjoyable binging a show about the unrealistic lives of teenagers doing things they shouldn’t be doing. I don’t know how it happens, but a teen drama can encapsulate social issues -almost all of them: racial inequality, lgbtq+ rights, class structure, systematic racism, women’s rights, and more while also sprinkling in some kind of fiery romance love triangle that keeps you watching for seasons on seasons. Here are some of the best teen dramas, new and old, that you can find on Netflix.
- Grand Army- Staring Odessa A’zion
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Rape culture is a big point of discussion in this show. It addresses what rape can do to someone when they know their assaulter(s). This show is in no way afraid of discussing the realities of what it feels like to be sexually assaulted. It shows the messy truth without glossing anything over. It discusses racial inequality, inner-city living, economic class structure while also keeping the show entertaining.
- Never Have I Ever – Staring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
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Never Have I Ever tackles so many social issues that I am not sure which one to highlight, lgtbq+ struggles, being POC in high school, being from a single-parent household; this show has it all while also showing what it’s like to be a teenager with unrequited love…maybe ;).
- Ginny and Georgia- Staring Antonia Gentry
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Although it may be slightly unrealistic, Ginny and Georgia most definitely touch on racial issues, economic inequality, and privilege. It shows what it can be like to have a manipulative mother, even if it is on a dramatized scale.
- Vampire Diaries- Starring Nina Dobrev
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This show isn’t jam-packed with social issues, but the drama in this story is so good that it is still worth adding. If you like a classic love triangle, vampires, werewolves, women’s rights, and drama in general, I would suggest this show to you.
- Shameless- Starring Emmy Rossum
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Inner-city living in Chicago, this huge family facing poverty, addiction, homophobia, familial struggles, and kids are raising kids. This show can make a light-hearted situation out of a dark reality. This show’s humor allows for a comfortable way of looking into an idealistic life of teenagers raising each other while looking for love and trying to stay afloat in a big city.
Watching a teen drama is one of my favorite ways of winding down; binging one of these shows may not only relax you but also show you a unique perspective of people living in a different way of life.