6 Things You Should Know About Stranger Things Before Your Teens Start Binging It
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Stranger Things may be a creepy, somewhat violent, and intense sci-fi series about a dangerous creature preying on children, but at the heart of it all, it's a show about courage and friendship that's fun to watch. That said, it's definitely one for a teen audience, including mature tweens. With season three of the show hitting Netflix on July 4, you may have a teen who's ready to dive into the series now that they're a little older, so we've rounded up the things to be wary of before they start watching from season one.
Keep reading to learn what to look out for when your teen begins binging Stranger Things.
1. There's moderate violence throughout.
Between seasons one and two, there are several moments featuring violence. The creature, the Demogorgon, captures young kids, there are a few scenes with guns, there's definite blood and gore, and a few characters are killed. Some of the violent scenes are dark in lighting and might be a bit jumpy. Overall, the show is more suspenseful than violent, but there are definitely a few scarier, darker moments throughout that skew PG-13 in most cases.
2. The "Upside Down" is a scary place to be.
In season one, we see a lot of the "Upside Down," an alternate dimension that exists parallel to the human world. One of the main characters, Will, is taken there, and a few other characters enter the dimension — and it's all very tense. A character is also seen dead in the Upside Down, which is pretty jarring.
3. There's some moderate profanity.
Stranger Things isn't innocent when it comes to swearing; a lot of the characters, including the kids and teens, curse (though I can't recall any F-bombs). Expect the usual swear words and characters calling others inappropriate names.
4. Some of the characters are bullied.
Although the characters who are bullied handle it well either on their own or with the help of friends, there are definitely opportunities to start a discussion with your kids about bullying — whether they've bullied someone, have seen bullying and not said anything about it happening, or just in general.
5.There's a fair amount of underage drinking and smoking.
Although a few characters who drink and smoke are of age, the show's about teens, so there are scenes with parties and teens drinking illegally. Again, it could be another good way to bring up a conversation about drugs and alcohol with your own child.
6. There's a whole lot of kissing and some mild sexual language.
With teen hormones running rampant, there are plenty of makeout scenes, some talk about sex, intimate scenes that are nudity-free, and a few suggestive remarks.