Growing Up Discussion Questions and Review written by the Unicorn on September 21st, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Show Name: Growing Up
Rating: TV-PG
Age Suggestion: 11 and up
Episode Length: 10 episodes that run about 25 minutes each
Release Date: September 8th, 2022
Where to Stream: Disney +
Warnings: This show deals with some sensitive matter that could be triggering to some individuals, such as homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, ableism, homelessness, depression, anxiety, and talk of suicide.
Quick Growing Up Summary
Growing Up is a docu-series that is all about hearing Gen-Z’s stories of growing up in the age of social media. Each episode surrounds a different individual sharing their story and some of the hardships they have been through, while the other individuals listen and ask questions. There are also some stylized reenactments of some of the stories.
If you or a loved need support on the sensitive topics listed above, please visit The Trevor Project
Growing Up Review:
-Is Growing Up Appropriate?-
Growing up deals with some heavy subject matter. These topics include homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, ableism, homelessness, depression, anxiety, and talk of suicide. With that said, these topics are handled with much respect and we would suggest that it is appropriate for kids 11 and up. We would simply suggest, especially for those who these topics may be sensitive, to focus on discussing and talking through these issues with them.
-Characters
While none of the people sharing their stories are acting, they all were great public speakers. It is hard to talk about such personal struggles, but they each shared their story in a meaningful way. The actors who were in the dramatized reenactments were great and helped me to understand the background of each person. One person that stood out to me specifically as a talented public speaker was Sage, a trans woman. She is very gifted with being able to articulate her thoughts in an interesting and engaging way.
-Premise-
The premise of the show was to answer the question of “does it help to share your story?” In many ways, I think that it proved that it does, both for the person sharing and for the person listening. One of the things that I think benefitted the show was it allowed each person sharing their story to share more than the main thing that makes them different. They were allowed to show themselves as a whole human, versus other shows that tokenize different people from marginalized communities.
I personally related to Emily a lot, as she and I are both disabled. Though I do not suffer from Cerebral Palsy and have not had to use a mobility aid my whole life, I could relate to a lot of her experience. However, despite relating to Emily the most, I could find parts in everyone’s story that I could relate to.
–Quality–
Though the show was sometimes too stylized for me, it worked for the most part. It helped lighten the tone and the artistic design was very cool and helped get the point across for each person. One of the things that has become very trendy and common in Gen-Z media is the neon lights, artistic glittery makeup, and very aesthetic shots and Growing Up leaned into that.
Continue reading for our Growing Up Discussion Questions.
Growing Up Discussion Questions:
- Was there anyone on the show that you related to?
- If you were to go on the show, what hardship would you share? Is it something you are still overcoming?
- Each of the people on the show are being changemakers in their communities. How can you be a changemaker in your community?
- Is there a way that you can share your story to help others who may have some similar struggles?
Meet the Author- Kate
Kate is a young disabled writer based in Colorado. She’s obsessed with anything Marvel, Disney, or theatre. She can normally be found performing and singing dramatically in the car.
Instagram: @kit_kat_kate_cat TikTok: @kathrynthecat
Thanks for checking out our Growing Up Discussion Questions and Review. Check out these other posts:
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