Alkhalifa, Ali. Euphoria: The High Highs and Low Lows. 2022. The Ohio State U, Doctoral dissertation.
The article by Ali Alkhalifa depicts crucial facts regarding the socio-cultural issues in terms of drug abuse. As the basis for the review, the Euphoria TV series, which aligns with the topic of the current paper, was chosen. The author states that this program incorporates storylines about illnesses connected with drugs and how devastating this abuse can be. Moreover, it was stated that the popularity of such TV shows as Euphoria among teenagers is considerably high, which imposes particular risks on them in terms of drug glamorization.
The importance of this source for the study is in the specific descriptions of possible causes of drug abuse among teenagers and, especially, women. For example, Alkhalifa highlights that among them, one can name money troubles, psychiatric disorders, and stress, and that these issues relate significantly to black women (Alkhalifa, 2022). Consequently, the article brings up the question of whether Euphoria was created to glamorize drug addiction or to depict this problem honestly.
Buckingham, David. Youth on Screen: Representing Young People in Film and Television. John Wiley & Sons, 2021.
The following source by David Buckingham is an illustrative example that explores youth and its peculiarities in the context of specific issues. A particular point to consider is that these television shows are often created by grown adults who have a different perspective on youth than teenagers themselves. In the author’s opinion, youth in many TV series is portrayed as a time of beauty, opportunity, and energy.
However, on the other hand, this time of the person’s life is full of troubles and problems, including drug abuse. Notably, Buckingham is an Emeritus Professor of Media and Communications at Loughborough University, UK. Therefore, his research results are essential to the scientific understanding of the stated topic.
Froment, Siena. “Euphoria: The Representation of Female Pain and Its Manifestations.” Medium, 2021.
The article by Siena Froment on the Medium platform is a vital expert opinion on the potential adverse effects of shows like Euphoria. The importance of this source to the current study lies in its thorough consideration of the television show’s plot, main characters, and topics. Particularly, according to Froment, “the show stars Zendaya Coleman, who plays Rue Bennett, a bipolar recovering drug addict that narrates the show.” (1). In addition, the author stresses the influence of teenagers’ problems and emotional issues on their willingness to use drugs and other types of substances to relieve stress.
Kaufman, Michelle R., et al. “‘This Show Hits Really Close to Home on so Many Levels’: An Analysis of Reddit Comments About HBO’s Euphoria to Understand Viewers’ Experiences of and Reactions to Substance Use and Mental Illness.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 220, 2021.
While being based on the Reddit posts about the HBO series Euphoria, the research by Kaufman tends to explore the topic of television shows’ impact on adolescent and young adult viewers, particularly, attention is paid to personal recreational and prescription drug abuse, which is crucial for the current paper. Consequently, the study concludes that substance use issues are a real problem that can be increased due to television programs such as Euphoria.
Law, Tara. “What Euphoria Gets Right — and Wrong — About Teen Drug Use and Addiction.” Time, 2022.
The peculiarity of Tara’s article is in the consideration of two points of the Euphoria series, which are the current and incorrect depiction of drug abuse. It is crucial for the study that the author explores the wrong ways of illustrating this issue by discovering treatment options and their limitations.
Patti, Victoria. The Lot: Stories From the Modern American High School. 2020. Syracuse U, Doctoral dissertation.
The material written by Victoria Patti helps one understand the significant problems and peculiarities of the modern American school. While considering a drug abuse problem, this source is a vital opportunity to obtain information about the modern lives of American teenagers.
Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “D.A.R.E. Says HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Glamorizes Drug Use, Sex and Violence.” NBC News, 2022.
The following article by Rosenblatt presents D.A.R.E.’s opinion on the devastating effects of Euphoria on teenagers’ life perceptions. Notably, it underlines that this show glamorizes not only drug use, but also sex and violence.
Ruiz, Jason. Narcomedia: Latinidad, Popular Culture, and America’s War on Drugs. University of Texas Press, 2023.
The primary topic of Ruiz’s book is the War on Drugs in Latin America. Specifically, the author demonstrates essential connections between this issue and modern American teenagers and their willingness to use drugs.
Simon, Rachel. “How ‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Reveals the True Ugliness of Teen Drug Use.” NBC News, 2022.
Simon’s narration is a summary article that incorporates many elements, including citations and video fragments from the Euphoria show. These fragments are essential for the exploration of this series’ peculiarities in terms of the depiction of drug use by teenagers. In addition, it allows one to understand the presence of glamorization.