If you were like me as a kid, the best time to watch television was when Degrassi: The Next Generation was on. In fact, Degrassi fans are the most loyal seeing how it has been moved from TeenNick (or as many know it as The N) to their following series Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix for United States viewers and from CBC to CTV then to MuchMusic in Canada.
The show is very relatable because each character has a different story such as being gay, having an illness, bullying and more. Here's what Degrassi taught us.
1. Be nice to everyone.
Bullying was the biggest topic that Degrassi covered. They touched on the issue of school shootings in season four episodes seven and eight called "Time Stands Still Part 1 and 2" when Jimmy Brooks (aka Drake) was shot by Rick after a rumor had gone around that Jimmy spilled paint and feathers on Rick after the Trivia competition.
2. Young adults suffer from illnesses too.
Gavin "Spinner" Mason found out he had testicular cancer in season seven episode five. He felt pain in the groin area but did not want to get checked out in case something was wrong. He found out he had cancer but they found it early so he had a good chance of surviving... which he did.
3. Dress codes in high school suck.
Imogen Moreno was a girl who wanted to stand out from the crowd. She did not feel as if girls had to wear bras as she found them uncomfortable. She stirred up problems with her teachers who sent her down to the office and started a protest of girls in the school because the dress code does not state that you need to wear a bra.
4. Love is a powerful thing.
The most iconic relationship in Degrassi history... Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards. They started off in the tenth season of the show. He swept her away with his bad boy charm and they were hooked. They were very on and off again which made viewers keep watching. After breaking up because Eli moved to New York, they made a comeback seasons later because Clare found out that she had cancer so he came back to her for a summer. The cancer went away and then he went back and she went to visit him at NYU. They then found out that they were pregnant but continued a long distance relationship... Very confusing but, it had me at the edge of my seat for years!
5. Be who you are!
Degrassi had characters such as Adam, Paige, Tristan, Zoe, and more who were apart of the LGBTQ+ community. I admire Degrassi for showing how hard it was to come out for these characters and be themselves. Everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin. I love that Degrassi had a character for everyone to relate their own story to.
6. Don't give into peer pressure.
In many episodes, the characters find themselves at parties and get peer pressured into drinking because they want to seem cool. Usually, that did not turn out well for the character. A lesson to take away from that is to not give into peer pressure unless you're sure that's what you want to do.
I admire everything this show has exposed me to and for making me mature while watching. Degrassi definitely took it there and I'm sure I'm not the only one sad about Degrassi: The Next Generation being over but at least we have Degrassi: Next Class.
