The HBO Max original show, “Euphoria,” earns its stripes amongst the other great shows circling our streaming services, unapologetically showing audiences the unsettling reality of what our youth is currently battling in terms of sex, addiction and relationships. The show doesn’t censor the lives of the characters, producing an unsettling world that draws viewers in with its twisted beauty.

An American adaptation of the Israeli tv show of the same name, “Euphoria” focuses on the life of Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old girl who struggles to balance addiction, family and mental health. “Euphoria” is not your typical, lighthearted, binge-worthy show. It focuses on the darkest impulses of adolescence and all the consequences that come with them. The content of this show leads many to question its message to audiences, as well as who should be the audience of this controversial show.

The show’s first season contained many aggravating moments, as well as moments that would leave you in tears curled up within yourself. This is the intent of the show. Creator, writer and director Sam Levinson wrote the first eight episodes of the first season of “Euphoria” to depict his own struggles with drug addiction, as well as show the raw moments that young adults struggle with today. If you ever wanted a harsh awakening into the real world, “Euphoria” gives you it, from explicit sex scenes to drug overdoses. But, is it too much?

Obviously, 40-year-old adults aren’t going to wander onto HBO Max and click on “Euphoria” with genuine intrigue. This show was advertised to create a noticeable, yet distant, connection to what goes on in teenagers’ lives. Therefore, teenagers and pre-teens will watch the show. The struggles that Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, goes through, as well as her best friend Jules, acted by Hunter Schafer, and other members of the cast, may push the boundaries for excessive and violent. I believe that we need more shows like “Euphoria” because it highlights that no one is perfect. We all have good and bad within us and stigmatizing mistakes hurts us.

There is a character for all of us within the show, and that’s incredibly powerful. Whether you relate to the passive Lexi Howard, the egocentric Maddy Perez or even Nate Jacobs’ anger issues, you feel seen. In a world where our individual needs are constantly overshadowed, “Euphoria” gives us a release to be who we are and see our most suppressed reflections surfacing on our screens.

Besides from the critically acclaimed cast, which included Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow and Angus Cloud, the spectacular impact of “Euphoria” wouldn’t have been possible without the score by musical artist, Labrinth. With each episode in season one having a special soundtrack, the twists and turns hit the audience so much harder than they would have without the acoustics and electric beat of the familiar “Euphoria” sound. Zendaya even collaborated with Labrinth to create the song, “All for Us.” The performance of the song was aired in episode eight, with gut-wrenching choreography performed by Zendaya. It left chills running down my spine, in awe of the fluidity and pain that came from it.

Since season two of the hit show was announced in November 2021, the anticipation has been astronomical. The release date for the show was Jan. 9, 2022, and fans could not have been more ready to see their favorite characters back in action. Tiktok became a platform where fans could utilize filters to assign “Euphoria” characters Massachusetts universities to attend, which character would be their “soulmate” and giving Tiktok users a “Euphoria” eye makeover with filters that had the notable eye makeup that was seen throughout season one.

Amidst the giddy anticipation for the show, Zendaya took to Instagram the day of the premiere for the second season to remind her followers that “Euphoria” is not a show to take lightly and to put security and comfort in watching the show before anything else. This post refocuses the purpose of the show: to be transparent and truthful with audiences about the inner battles teenagers face.

On the other hand, parents may not like the transparency the show is praised for. Their sole purpose in children’s lives is to protect them from the cruelness of the world around us and to make sure that they know right from wrong. “Euphoria” puts our darker impulses on display, no censor button in sight. Parents don’t want their kids to see genitalia flashing across their children’s screens or watch addiction take over households. Yet, most teens are obsessed with “Euphoria,” which has been freely advertised in the last month through social media, largely due to the glamor that radiates from each character as they suffer through their lives.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, or D.A.R.E., criticizes the show for glamorizing drug use and high-risk behavior in a high school setting. Viewers need to know that “Euphoria” is not a family show, and this is repeatedly advertised before every episode and on social media. The choice to watch “Euphoria” is completely personal and should be taken under serious consideration, given the racy material discussed and depicted every Sunday when the episodes air on HBO Max.

There’s something about the feeling you get when you watch “Euphoria.” It pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable in society, and that forbidden satisfaction is addicting. “Euphoria” reflects society’s worst qualities in such beauty, sprinkling the pain of dissatisfaction into the carefully applied eye-makeup. In this sense, “Euphoria” is the strongest drug our youth is taking right now.