Degrassi: Next Class painstakingly ensures nearly every identity box is checked, with many storylines revolving around race, gender, or sexuality. At times, character development and realistic conflict feel sidelined to prioritize hot-button issues, and several diverse characters are presented with few real flaws or growth arcs.

Traditional family structures, masculinity, and religious values are often questioned or portrayed as restrictive, while non-traditional lifestyles are celebrated. Storylines frequently center on coming out, challenging parental expectations, and reimagining cultural boundaries, reinforcing a modern ideological perspective that largely dismisses old-school values.

Dissenting or more traditional viewpoints are typically represented via one-dimensional antagonists or are resolved by characters ‘seeing the light.’ Virtually all major characters ultimately share the same progressive moral outlook, leaving little space for debate, nuance, or plural perspectives.