Across the reviewed seasons, storylines repeatedly foreground explicit lessons on consent, misogyny, racial privilege, gender fluidity and non-binary identification, LGBTQ+ coming-out experiences, refugee integration, hijab and Muslim faith debates, and Islamophobia, often through activist clubs, protests, and direct confrontations that produce school-wide fallout. Creators have deliberately positioned these Gen Z-focused issues—including diverse casting like hijabi characters and arcs exploring systemic bias—as central to character development and conflicts.

This approach has led to audience criticism of heavy-handed messaging that prioritizes didacticism over lighter teen drama. The show's overall woke score stands at 7/10 based on the aggregate emphasis in the analyzed seasons.