A Netflix original series, “You,” has captured the minds of many young adults all across the country. Many watched the first season, just ten episodes, in under a week due to the intriguing, yet disturbing, character of Joseph Goldberg. Joe, a scholarly bookstore manager, crosses paths with Guinevere Beck, a talented, aspiring writer. Instantly, Joe falls in love with Beck. Let me define “love” for you in this situation: Joe became obsessed. He searched, or shall I say ‘stalked,’ Beck, her friends and her family on the Internet and social media finding intimate details. All Joe wanted to do was get closer and closer to Beck, and he was willing to remove any obstacle, whether it be a person or an object, that would get in his way. The obsession could be defined as a ‘fatal attraction.’
From a female’s perspective who loves thrillers and romance, once I started the season, I could not stop watching. What would Joe do next to try and enhance his relationship with Beck? What lengths would he go? I was lured into watching more by the thrill and the mystery of Joe’s character, but I always had the same thought when I turned off the TV; “Are there people out there like this in reality?” Are there people I know, or people I am around every day, that obsess over others and Google search their crush’s background? For all those who have not watched, I am usually not a fan of spoilers, but to make my next point, I need to give away some key information about the show. Joe tortured and killed Beck’s friends if they stood in the way of him being with her. Are there people who would kill for love? Well, if such a person exists in a show, now there is probably more of a chance there are real people who would do this.
As the show is told from the perspective of a male who is infatuated with a woman, I believe the ladies need to always keep their guards up. Especially in college, we are meeting new people every day, and upon meeting them, they are strangers to us, just as Joe and Beck were strangers. We should not trust someone right as we meet them, even if their eyes seem promising and their actions make us comfortable. We don’t know them. We should be cautious of the privacy settings on our social media account, and aware of the information that is available online about us. Do not give strangers access to your personal life. When you think you know someone, you probably don’t. As morbid as that sounds, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” That’s what my dad always told me. We should let ourselves fall in love, but we should stay alert and take care of ourselves at the same time. Let the show “You” teach you a lesson. Watch out for those Joe Goldbergs.