The Netflix series "Sex Education" is set in the present day, with references to advanced technology like smartphones and tablets placing it after 2017. Although the show has an 80s vibe in terms of fashion and decor, it is not set in the 1980s or 1990s. The shows creators have intentionally made it a timeless, periodless show with influences from every decade. The school in the show is more like an American high school, with no one wearing school uniforms and student athletes wearing Letterman jackets.