Friendship Lessons I Learned from Stranger Things Series
Dear Diary,
I’ll be honest, I jumped on the Stranger Things series bandwagon way later than everyone else. I never watched it when it was recommended to me way back. However, when the last season was released, my niece and nephews literally coerced me into watching it. In the first episode itself, I was petrified like hell and literally closed my eyes and ears to avoid watching and hearing the growls and beasts.
However, somewhere between the Demogorgons, the Upside Down, the 80s era, Hawkins, and the Mind Flayer, I found myself completely invested in the friendships on screen. Undoubtedly, Stranger Things is a beautiful ode to friendship. Having cried during the final episode – and honestly, throughout the series – I realise we could all use those friendship lessons in our own lives.
You can’t Brush Aside These Friendship Lessons from the Stranger Things series
Let me get started. I hope you can relate to it.
Real Friends Show Up, No Matter What
Remember when Will went missing in the very first episode? I was like, “What is going to happen next?” But just when the adults were busy with search parties and police procedures, the trio – Mike, Dustin, and Lucas had their own plans.
They grabbed their bikes and flashlights without a second thought. Their friend needed them, and that was enough. Seriously, how often do we say we’ll “be there” for our friends but then truly “be there” when it actually matters?
These cute kids taught me that real friendship means showing up, even when it’s scary, inconvenient, or when you have no idea what you’re doing. And you can witness this pattern repeatedly throughout the series.
Friendship Means Accepting People Exactly as They Are
Let’s start with Eleven. When the gang found her, she could barely understand or speak, was unknown about her backstory, had superpowers, and came with more emotional baggage than anyone should have to carry. She was different in every possible way. And you know what they did? They immediately made her part of their group.
The Stranger Things series showed me that true friendship isn’t about finding people who are just like you. It’s about making space for people who aren’t. Even when Will shared that he was “different,” everyone embraced him for who he was.
In a world that’s constantly trying to make us all fit into neat little boxes, pass judgmental comments, watching this group embrace their differences reminded me that the best friendships are the ones where you can be your authentic, weird, messy self.
Sometimes Love Complicates Things (And That’s Okay)
If you’ve watched the Stranger Things series, you know that romance definitely enters the picture. Mike and Eleven. Lucas and Max. Steve-Nancy-Jonathan. And honestly, some of those moments got awkward and painful to watch.
But here’s what is the highlight for me – friendships survived despite the romantic complications. Sure, there was jealousy when El came between the group. Yes, there was tension when Lucas started dating Max. The boys definitely had their moments of being absolutely ridiculous about girls. Yet they worked through it.
They communicated (eventually), apologized when they messed up, and recognized that romantic relationships don’t have to mean the end of friendships. In fact, the show taught me that strong friendships can weather changing dynamics if everyone’s willing to put in the effort.
The Best Friendships Push You to Be Brave
I hands-down accept that I am not brave, and you might relate with my statement because I mentioned above – I couldn’t take the sound and look of a Demogorgon.
Trust me, if monsters started emerging from an alternate dimension in my town, I’d probably be on the first bus out of there. But watching the Stranger Things series, I realized that bravery isn’t about being fearless – it’s about being scared and doing it anyway because your friends need you.
Think about Steve’s arc. He went from being a stereotypical popular kid to literally fighting monsters with a nail bat – not once but throughout the series. Why? Because of his friendship with Dustin and, later, Robin. These relationships transformed him into someone willing to risk everything for the people he cared about.
That’s what good friends do. They don’t eliminate your fear, but they stand beside you so you don’t have to face it alone.
It’s Okay to Outgrow Some Friendships (But Not All)
One of the most realistic aspects of the Stranger Things series is watching how the group evolves as they get older. In later seasons, we see Mike struggling to balance his relationship with El and his friendships. We watch as high school creates new social dynamics and pressures.
There’s that heartbreaking moment when Mike and Will argue, and Will accuses Mike of not caring about the party anymore. It was extremely hurtful to watch, but we gotta admit that growing up does change friendship dynamics. People develop new interests and relationships, and sometimes you drift apart.
But here’s the beautiful part – the friendships that matter find a way to adapt. The show reminded me that while some friendships are for certain seasons of life, the truly special ones evolve with you. They might look different and require more effort to maintain, but they endure.
You Need Friends Who Tell You the Truth
Lucas doesn’t get enough credit for this, but he’s consistently been the voice of reason in the group. When everyone else was blindly trusting Eleven in the first season, Lucas asked the hard questions. He wasn’t being mean, but he was simply being honest about his concerns.
The Stranger Things series taught me that the best friends aren’t always the ones who tell you what you want to hear. Sometimes, they’re the ones brave enough to tell you what you need to hear.
Whether it’s calling out bad behavior, questioning questionable decisions, or just offering a reality check, honest friends are invaluable. Remember, the legendary line – “friends don’t lie.”
Loyalty Isn’t Blind – It’s Informed and Chosen
Here’s something that really struck me while watching Stranger Things: these kids are loyal to each other, but it’s not blind loyalty. They question each other, they disagree, and they even fight sometimes. But at the end of the day, they choose each other.
That choice matters. It’s easy to be loyal when everything’s going well. It’s much harder when your friend makes mistakes, hurts you, or when sticking by them comes at a personal cost. Throughout the series, we see the group face these moments again and again, and they consistently choose their friendship.
The Final Lesson: Friendship Is Worth Fighting For
If the Stranger Things series has taught me anything, it’s that friendship – real, deep, meaningful friendship – is worth fighting for. Fighting monsters (obviously), fighting through misunderstandings, distance, change, and all the ordinary challenges that threaten to pull people apart.
In our hyperconnected world, where we have hundreds of social media “friends,” the show reminds us what friendship actually means. It’s Mike staying by Will’s side at the hospital. It’s Dustin and Steve’s unlikely but beautiful bond. It’s Max opening up to the group about her trauma. It’s all of them, again and again, choosing each other.
On a parting note…
So yeah, more than the whole supernatural thrills, the Stranger Things series kept me hooked with the awesome friendship lessons. The series reminded me to be the kind of friend who shows up, accepts people as they are, tells the truth even when it’s hard, and fights for the relationships that matter.
And maybe, just maybe, it inspired me to be a little braver in my own friendships. However, I am in no mood to deal with Demogorgons, for sure. Pssst, a golden advice – don’t miss the recent documentary titled “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5.”
