Growing up and the pressure to have everything figured out can be overwhelming.
But for some students, watching Gen Z-oriented shows and seeing characters deal with identity, friendships and "adulting" offers reassurance that they aren't alone.
As Gen Z is increasingly likely to use streaming as a way to socialize, according to Roku Advertising, TV shows such as "Adults," "I Love LA" and "Overcompensating" can turn the discomfort of early adulthood into a way to find connection.
The comfort in watching fictional adults struggle through daily life is nothing new.
Grace Henderson, a freshman studying business law, said each generation has had their own classic shows, such as "Friends" or "New Girl" that give them hope for their 20s and 30s.
READ MORE: Sun Devils dissect classic TV shows and what makes them memorable
"For us, especially with the loneliness epidemic that's going on for Gen Z, shows like 'Adults' and 'Overcompensating' are also doing the job of showing that it's good to find a community," Henderson said.
"I Love LA" focuses on a group of older 20-somethings navigating life's challenges. Spencer Boatner, a junior studying electrical engineering, said he recognizes his peers in these characters.
"They do act young, not like children, but like people my age. It's fun to be able to connect with someone in a different position," Boatner said.
By contrast, "Overcompensating" focuses on Benny, a former football player, trying to find his identity in college.
Benny's storyline, focused on accepting his sexuality, is often depicted through an embarrassing and light-hearted lens to loosely reflect the creator, Benito Skinner's, own experiences.
Manning Vaisa, a freshman studying popular music, said he finds similarities in his friends when watching Benny discover his sexual identity.
Vaisa also found importance in how shows, like "Overcompensating," portray the discomfort and awkwardness in adult life.
"Not everybody is perfect, and we all need to be embarrassing, or stupid or weird," Vaisa said.
READ MORE: The pressures of perception: Is Gen Z too fixed on the word embarrassing?
Gen Z can sometimes be image-conscious, focusing more on clean, curated aesthetics, Henderson said.
"You feel like you have to fit into a norm," Henderson said. "With the way of media, it feels like you have to follow the trends. You have to be on board with everything."
That self-consciousness is why Henderson values Gen Z TV shows. Their style of "cringe" humor can help students feel less embarrassed about their own experiences and more ready to embrace them.
"A lot of kids in college put so much pressure on themselves and create persona that they feel like they need to live by," Henderson said. "The show does a really good job of, bringing that cringe. Like, just be you."
Henderson also finds Gen Z TV shows to be better at representing different identities than shows of other generations.
"Adults" also follows a group of 20-somethings living together, using humor to explore friendships, challenges in growing up and diverse sexual identities.
Vaisa found that "Adults" nailed the sense of humor seen in Gen Z, LGBTQ+ subculture.
This light-hearted display of sexual identity and culture creates a welcome community for students to express themselves.
"At some point they could be making fun of queer culture and all that, but it also works because it's a parody of it," Boatner said. "I mean, it's representation."
Gen Z shows commonly use themes of community and self-exploration, especially for the characters that don't fit into the "norm."
Relatability in these shows is seen through the characters' awkwardness and the friendships that inspire authenticity. For Vaisa, he sees a clear connection in "Adults," whose members find belonging without having to fit in everywhere else.
"Their friend group is more like weird kids all coming together, and I feel that's how it represents me," Vaisa said.
Edited by Sam Troester, Emilio Alvarado, Grace Lawrence and Senna James.
Reach the reporter at omoranwi@asu.edu.
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