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I worked with CNN to help parents decide whether to watch the Netflix series Adolescence with their children.
Before you turn on the TV, remember Adolescence is not a documentary. It is a drama series. And the issues it raises require care and nuance.
It’s digital spaces promoting extremist sexist views. Influencers like Andrew Tate target boys pushing views like:
– men and women have strict, opposing roles
– women manipulate men through sex & their appearance
– men are either winners (dominant & attractive), or losers (weak failures), pressuring boys to obsess over power or resign themselves to failure.
Yes, we must address misogyny and violence in our community. But we need to be careful.
Many boys today feel that being masculine is seen as bad or toxic. When shows like Adolescence, show extreme cases without nuance, it can make it seem like all boys are potential threats, and we are unfairly labelling all men as inherent aggressors.
Research shows boys avoid asking for help with problems like depression because it makes them feel weak. From an early age, they learn that crying or showing fear can lead to teasing.
Our challenge is to address harmful behaviours without making boys feel ‘broken’. We need to be careful not to shame boys, which only makes it harder for them to ask for help when they need it.
Algorithms control what we see- just like social media feeds kids extreme content to keep them on the platform. Controversy gets clicks, so platforms push divisive stuff. The irony here is that we’re talking about a show on online radicalisation, while algorithms blast it into our feeds, too. Extreme content is fed to us all.
I don’t think it’s mandatory viewing for the reasons above. But talking about these ideas with your kids should be.
If you decide to watch with your child, use it to open up discussions:
Remember, it’s drama, not documentary. And if it’s not right for your child or family, should not be seen as mandatory viewing. Good discussions can start anywhere from a Netflix drama, to a news article or a student’s personal experience. What matters most is that we’re having them, and we keep having them as children and young people grow up.