02 June 2025

By Emma Davidson

The Series “Adolescence” by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham has had an impact on the British Society – politicians are talking about reducing social media usage for adolescents and the Prime Minister has spoken out about the impact of social media on young men. There has even been a deal with Netflix to make the series available for schools across the UK. Teachers should show the series to their teenage classes.

While I find it immensely important to speak about social media’s impact and online personalities like Andrew Tate’s influence on young teenage boys, the Netflix series seems to have an all-male perspective on the case. While this is surely done intentionally, I would argue that the show is therefore not suited to show to all young pupils in British schools.

My point is that the series shows only one perspective on a case that has so many other important sides to consider. Especially young girls watching the series will find themselves underrepresented. The show only briefly mentions the murdered girl and her family, much more attention is given to the suspect, his father and the (male) inspector working on the case.

If you want to show teenagers the dangers of social media, you should want to address not only young men but also all other genders. Don’t get me wrong, I think the show can have a brilliant effect on teenage boys – but not necessarily on all other teenagers. It is important to educate teenagers about gender equality and the dangers of social media, as many underestimate the dangerously real effect it can have on their lives. I would wish for a more neutral perspective of such aspects in an educational film or series – a series that should be shown in schools as part of a whole unit about internet safety and radicalization.

Another aspect that, in my opinion, makes the series rather unfitting for school education is the fact that the topics are only talked about very lightly, leaving a lot of the message decoded in metaphors and interpretation. While this surely is a filmmaker’s masterpiece, children will not simply be capable of understanding the message between the lines. One would want to give children an example that does not leave as much room for interpretation, so that misunderstandings and misinterpretations can be minimized.

I think that the show is an important watch for parents as it shows that children can radicalize through online content without their caregivers noticing. And it can send the message that parents should involve preventative measures into their upbringing, because children have limitless access to these online places. Places like the online “manosphere” are presented to young boys through algorithms in social media and can have fatal consequences.

All in all, the Netflix show is a brilliant watch, a good way to address a very real problem and a really good cinematographic and artistic piece. I don’t think it belongs in the classroom though, what do you think? Have you had any contact with these topics in educational contexts?

Further reading:

www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx28neprdppo

Lewys Brace, “What does Netflix’s Drama “Adolescence” tell Us About Incels and the Manosphere?” Crest Research Article, April 2025