grown-ish – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

grown-ish

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2018

47%

WISE Score

College life with all the hookups, hangovers, and identity crises—basically black-ish goes to Cal U and discovers beer pong.

grown-ish

show

TV-14, 2018

47%

WISE Score

College life with all the hookups, hangovers, and identity crises—basically black-ish goes to Cal U and discovers beer pong.

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Screenwise Verdict

grown-ish is what happens when you take a beloved family sitcom character and drop her into college with all the messy, mature reality that entails. It's not terrible—the cast is likable, it tackles real issues, and it can spark good conversations about college life.

But let's be real: this is a show about hookups, hangovers, and figuring out who you are while making questionable decisions. The comedy sometimes undercuts the serious moments, and the 'lessons learned' can feel tacked on. It's entertaining enough for its target audience (college students and older teens), but it's not enriching in any deep way.

The IMDB 6.6 and Metacritic 71 tell the story: it's fine. Watchable. Not groundbreaking. If you've got a high schooler heading to college soon, it might be worth watching together to talk about expectations vs. reality. But if you're looking for wholesome family viewing or something truly insightful about young adulthood, keep scrolling.

Age Fit

This is firmly older teen (16+) to young adult territory. The Common Sense rating of 14 feels generous—realistically, this is best for high school juniors/seniors preparing for college or young adults who can contextualize the behavior. Not appropriate for middle schoolers despite the sitcom format.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

As a college-set spinoff of black-ish, grown-ish tackles mature themes like relationships, substance use, identity, and sexual experiences with a comedic lens. While it models real college conversations and diverse perspectives, the tone is decidedly adult-oriented with casual references to hookup culture, drinking, and partying that aren't particularly wholesome for younger viewers. The show does feature cooperation and friendship, but emotional health takes a backseat to dramatic college chaos.

Imaginative

grown-ish operates within the familiar sitcom format without much creative innovation. It's a standard multi-camera college comedy that follows predictable narrative arcs. While it explores identity and self-discovery themes relevant to young adults, it doesn't invite creative expression or particularly original storytelling. The show is more about reflecting college life than reimagining it.

Safe

With a Common Sense Media age rating of 14 and college setting, grown-ish features sexual content, substance use (drinking, marijuana), mature relationship discussions, and party culture throughout. While there's no graphic violence or gore, the casual normalization of hookup culture, drinking, and drug use makes this unsafe for younger viewers. The content isn't surprising given the premise, but it's definitely not family-friendly viewing.

Enriching

The show does tackle real issues facing college students: identity, relationships, academic pressure, social justice, and finding your path. It features diverse characters navigating authentic challenges and can spark conversations about college life, choices, and consequences. However, the entertainment value often overshadows deeper exploration, and the lessons are sometimes muddled by the need to be funny and dramatic. It's more 'college life reflected' than 'college life examined.'

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Authentic representation of Black college experience with diverse characters navigating real identity questions
Tackles contemporary issues like social justice, mental health, and relationships with humor and some nuance
Can be a conversation starter for older teens about college expectations vs. reality
Features strong female friendships and explores the complexity of young adult relationships beyond romance

⚠

What to Watch For

Heavy focus on hookup culture, casual sex, and relationship drama that normalizes behaviors some families may want to discuss
Frequent alcohol and marijuana use portrayed as standard college behavior without always showing consequences
Mature themes and language throughout—this is definitely not a family sitcom despite the Disney+ connection
Some episodes tackle serious topics (sexual assault, racism) but the sitcom format sometimes undercuts the gravity

Conversation Starters

"The show portrays college as pretty party-heavy. What do you think college is actually like? What are you hoping for?"
"Zoey and her friends make a lot of relationship mistakes. What would you do differently in those situations?"
"How do the characters handle pressure—from school, friends, relationships? What are healthier ways to deal with stress?"
"The show deals with identity and fitting in. How do you think you'll navigate finding your people in college?"

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