Life as a so-called teenager is one full of braces, pimples, break-ups, and trying to stay afloat in school. It’s hard to navigate your way in the world when everything about life feels like it stinks, and it seems like you have little to no power. Luckily, these TV shows can give any young teens out there some much-needed comfort, and provide comfort or nostalgia to those who are older but experienced something similar. These shows detail the problems of bullying, parental issues, budding sexuality, friendship, and even drug experimentation.

Watching these shows certainly gives the viewer a sense of belonging and ease as their down-to-earth and plausible messages are echoed in adolescents’ hearts and minds. Granted, a lot of these shows have happy endings where the awkward nerd may get the hot girl or the bully finally gets his comeuppance. Understandably, that isn’t the case in reality, and a lesson of television is to always take it with a grain of salt– it’s being sold to you, after all. As a teenager, life may not work out the way that you hoped, but people can still make the most of it with luck and skill.

Here are the best television shows about being a teenager.

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5 Sex Education

     Netflix

This critically-acclaimed British comedy going into its fourth season is a lot more graphic than the others on this list, but it certainly packs a punch. Sex Education follows a shy, young student named Otis (Asa Butterfield) who hatches a plan with his love interest Maeve (Emma Mackey) to provide a therapy service for students in their school who are sexually frustrated or confused. Otis briefly becomes emotionally involved with Maeve, only for things to not go their way and one or both parties get hurt, in the process.

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The show is diverse in its cast and execution. It’s explicit and raunchy themes may be harder for younger viewers to digest but probably (to the chagrin of their parents) somewhat relatable, and its amiable demeanor and progressive attitude toward sexuality and the acceptance of other people is something that needs a warm round of applause in an age where teenagers feel lost, depressed, and alone.

4 Freaks and Geeks

     DreamWorks SKG

This was one of those tv shows that was canceled far too soon. It only lasted one season, but in that season, viewers got a glimpse of what high school was like for small, geeky, young girls and boys and freaky, more developed teenagers. Freaks and Geeks revolves around siblings Lindsay and Sam Weir, who have very different lives at their school. Throughout the series, the two get caught up in the cross-hairs of bad predicaments but still either learn a lesson or have fun along the way.

This ’80s-centric series deals with family problems, growing up weird and the usual teenage talking points. What truly makes this show great is the fact that it drenches itself in realism and shows the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of being a teen and trying to make the most of it. It also launched the careers of Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, and many others.

3 That ’70s Show

     Fox

Of course, no list about teen-themed television could ever be complete without talking about the acclaimed That ’70s Show. The show had its main protagonist Eric Forman (Topher Grace, of Spider-Man 3) managing to get through the challenges of dating, recreational drugs, confused parents, and everyday problems that teens go through or experiment with.

It’s funny and romantic at its core, and contains some very sweet sentiments about never-ending friendship. The series was so successful that it spawned a new show called That ’80s Show, but it failed to get past the first season. Netflix has announced that they are developing another spinoff of the show called That ’90s Show. Only time will tell if the series will match the level of nostalgic hilarity that its predecessor did in television.

2 Boy Meets World

     Buena Vista Television

The classic ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World follows Corey Matthews (Ben Savage), a young middle-schooler who lives through the series growing up from foolish kid, to older teenager, to finally a married man succumbing to the zany trials and tribulations of life. The show is not only a testament to what it’s like being a teenager, but also gives a glimpse at the ups and downs of the future and adulthood as perceived from youth. Corey begins to develop a crush for a young girl named Topanga Lawrence, and the two mature throughout the show and eventually consummate their relationship by getting married. This is the one show on this list that perfectly illustrates the growth of children into mature adults, and it is captured beautifully.

1 Teen Titans

     Warner Bros.

To be fair, teenagers don’t go around saving their respective cities, and they don’t have superpowers, but Teen Titans is a show that understands that kids at that age fall in love, have mood swings, and are riddled with angst. Each season is a character study of teenage life, detailing a different hero’s journey and their growth and maturity in the process. Like the others on this list, it is heartfelt and relatable for teens, and has proven to be helpful for many adoring fans in better understanding their own lives.