With such teenage hysteria going on over social media, a single word kept reappearing over many people’s screens all over the world. SKAM. While every non-Norwegian speaking person was wondering why this word kept reappearing everywhere, all of Norway was ahead of the game obsessing over this viral new teen drama show.

What is the deal with another teen cliché drama show? Many Scandinavians seem to argue that this isn’t just any ordinary teen show. Unlike many dramas who only show the typical white and black high school problems we all experience during our youth, this one explores more into the greyscale. Now yes, of course, the topic of sex, drugs, and partying are quite a big aspect of this show; however, it is still quite evident that something was different. Many compare this show to the well known UK teen drama series SKINS, but in reality, we all wondered if this was a less pretentious version of it.

This teenage obsession with this new series has come so far that fans are skipping school just to binge watch episodes over again and constantly refreshing the show’s Instagram accounts just to hear any update or clue to see what may be next. Some fans have even translated this show to English for others to watch and enjoy. I decided to reach out to Norwegian teens and attempt to get an idea of this immense passion they have for this show. Sandra Irina, a 17-year-old girl living in Lørenskog, Norway comments “Well we all have a guilty pleasure, and even though at first I really didn’t want to succumb to this mainstream TV series, I couldn’t help myself but fall in love with it. There are so many relatable issues that I assume most teens go through, and I feel like we all have a connection (or dream of) with one of these characters.”

I decided to take a dive into this show and see what the fuss is about. I was completely indulged with all this teen drama. There were social problems, exploration of sexuality, addictions, and regular teen drama all portrayed in a complete unexaggerated way. Which I found was definitely the reason of why this series exploded in popularity. There was no outrageous drug use, deep depression, or uncommon family issues. It felt real, like if it was a story being told by one your friend. However, overall it was relatable. Vilde who just craves acceptance from her peers, Noora the feminist who accidentally still falls for the promiscuous popular guy, Eva who is struggling with insecurities with her boyfriend, Sana the sassy Muslim character who faces low key prejudice from her friends, Isak who is coming to terms with his sexuality, and many many more. This show makes it feel like actual teens and not “25-year-old actors”.

“Something I like about this show is how it purely shows the point of view of these teens. Strictly to what they think, and feel about. While many have critiqued it about not showing any parental guidance in the show, I feel like their point was to display how teens feel. We don’t really pay attention and care about what adults or parents say at this point in our life, so there isn’t really any point to include much parental guidance in this series since it is being told from the point of view of a teen. We listen to our friends, make mistakes, and have our own opinions and this is what the show wants.” Says Ole- Jorgen Pederson from Oslo, Norway.

While the series includes relatable teenage problems, it also very cleverly disguises real-life problems. It deals with homophobia, feminism, Islamophobia, mental illnesses, date rape, eating disorders, slut-shaming and many other blunt truths that teens have to be aware of.

While binge-watching the whole series, I really thought about how clear these teenage experiences reflect real Norwegian teens. “These are real experiences that I definitely have experienced while growing up in Oslo. At a young age, we all sort of felt pressure to start having sex and drinking in order to feel a bit more ‘grown-up’. We all wanted to fit in and feel accepted by our friends, be liked by the older most popular boys, and prepare for our ‘Russe buss’ (graduation celebrations) early on. This is all really happening in our teen culture, which is why it probably gained so much popularity here.” Says Sonja Kristiansen, a 42-year-old mum.

SKAM, which translates to ‘shame’, is a show that helps teenagers feel like they belong, deal with personal and social issues, and most likely mature faster. It makes people think about issues that even I wouldn’t have been mature enough to understand or know about back when I was in high school. This is all about growing up, and the issues we go through. It is no wonder why 1.3 million viewers (over one-fifth of Norway’s population) tune in to watch.