It’s finally here! It’s been 12 long months since Otis, Maeve and Eric last graced our screens, and we have been missing it like mad here in the Ditch the Label offices. In case you haven’t seen it, the Netflix series is a tour de force in everything sexy and awkward about teenage life, and this season the jokes just keep on coming. But it is also one of the most representational shows on any streaming service or TV channel, and Season 2 is no exception to this. Here are the biggest 7 of all the things we can learn from the awesome show. Watch it. Now. We give you permission to binge it.
1) It’s perfectly normal to question your sexuality
Questioning your sexuality is something that a lot of young people go through. You can’t control the things you’re inherently attracted to. It’s perfectly normal to question and explore your sexuality, it’s also surprisingly common. Ditch the Label research finds that half of us don’t identify as being 100% straight anyway.
For more on this, read this article.
2) Asexuality is a valid and perfectly normal sexual orientation
This season is the gift that keeps on giving with the introduction of an asexual character, in the form of musical theatre fanatic Florence. Surrounded by peer pressure to have sex and convinced her lack of interest in it means she is broken, she panics.
Asexuality doesn’t get a lot of visibility in mainstream culture, making it quite a widely misunderstood sexual orientation, with many wrongly characterising it as a mental illness, a hormone disorder, or an inability to get anyone to date. Asexuality is a sexual orientation like heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality.
Asexuality can also work in tandem with another sexuality. This is when someone is asexual, i.e. having no sexual desire, but pursue romantic relationships and companionship.
To find out more about asexuality, check out this article with all you need to know.
3) Self harm is not the solution
One of the most tragic story lines of the season was Jackson’s fall into his anxiety over the pressure to perform in the pool. It sees him struggle so much under the mounting pressure from all aspects of his life that he turns to hurting himself to free himself from his obligations.
Self-harm is often used as a way of dealing with things when they become too overwhelming. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but self-harm can be incredibly dangerous and can have unintended consequences on your health. You can find 15 safer alternatives to self harm here.
If you feel like you need someone to talk to about this issue, join our community here for access to one to one confidential support and advice from one of our trained Digital Mentors.
4) Sexual assault can come in many forms
Aimee’s story in this season took a turn when she was sexually assaulted on the bus on the way to school by a man who masturbates on her. Whilst some series deal with sexual assault on some level, here we can see a series treating any and every form of sexual assault with the level of seriousness it deserves. It shows just how any even like this can be incredibly traumatic, and that we shouldn’t be looking at sexual assault as some of form hierarchy, where a certain amount of criteria need to be fulfilled for the victim to be upset.
If you are dealing with issues around this and need someone to talk to, you can speak to one of our trained Digital Mentors here in confidence, and we will always listen to you.
5) Understanding STIs is the best way to prevent them
It’s hard not to crack up at the opening episode of Sex Education Seaosn 2, with entirety of Moordale High imagining they have got airborn chlamydia. Yeah, it was hilarious, but it also raises some important questions about STIs. If you have any questions about them, you can always talk to your GP or nurse practitioner.
6) Only you know when you are ‘ready’
Yeah we know you’ve probably heard this one from every teacher you’ve ever had and your parents as well, but it is so true. Being ready for sex is entirely down to you. It is not down to whether your pals are doing it, your other half wants you to or any other reason. It’s your body, it’s your rules.
7) Talking about sex is key
It can be pretty embarassing to talk about sex, especially when it comes to things you might not know about or awkward problems that come up. But whether you go to your partner, a friend or a family member, talking about sex is the best way to get those questions answered and problems sorted. It’s like they say, the birds do it. The bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. We aren’t saying go and have a chat with your nearest pigeon, but there will be plenty of people in your life who have experience in this area that would be discreet about it.
