7. Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek was without a doubt about a boy growing up in the 90s. This is not because of the soundtrack or cargo shorts. This is because of the protagonist. Dawson Leary was a sensitive response to the the jocks of the 80s. He was a film buff, not a football player. His sensitivity came paramount to his need to be popular. Most importantly though, he did not start off pining after the girl next door, it was the other way around. Like most teenagers, Dawson coveted what he could not have and pushed away the thing that was right for him. He lusted after the forbidden fruit of Jen with a mysterious past and was oblivious to the affections of Joey. The show captured the drama that we all feel as teenagers, whether or not it was justifiable. Everything was the end of the world for Dawson and gang just like everything feels like the end of the world for any teenager. Like most teenagers, Dawson confused first love for true love. And the real revelation of the series? Loving someone means wanting them to be happy, and Pacey made Joey happy. If we could all learn this from our experiences growing up, we should consider it a successful adolescence.