Netflix’s Adolescence is a national wake up call. Young people are in crisis and the Church must help

The new Netflix series Adolescence is, without a doubt, the most psychologically gripping, visually brilliant thing I have watched on television in as long as I can remember.

It is more than just another coming-of-age drama; more than a profound and timely commentary on the challenges faced by youth today. It feels like a national wake up call.

Much like Wilfred Owen’s 1917 poem ‘Anthem for a Doomed Youth’, which shed light on the immense losses experienced during the first world war, Adolescence brings a sobering awareness of how youth are getting caught in the crossfire of ideological divides, a struggling education system and social media pressures.

While Owen’s work opened eyes to the tragic realities of war, Adolescence explores the losses of childhood, innocence and moral awareness in an era of cultural upheaval and disinformation. Add to that the brilliant way that each episode is filmed as a single, unbroken shot, and you have some of the most compelling television made in a very long time.

As someone deeply invested in the wellbeing of children and young people, I found Adolescence both captivating and convicting. The show does not shy away from the fragility of youth, the toxicity of gender culture wars or the responsibilities of parenthood - three themes that are not only central to the series but also deeply relevant to the real-world struggles of teenagers today.

The fragility of youth

The series centres around a year nine class at an English secondary school – with the narrative focussing on 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who has been arrested for the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard. Their story brings to life the brutal statistics of knife crime across the UK.

In 2023, police in England and Wales received 174 reports of attacks involving blades or sharp instruments in schools during term time, averaging approximately four incidents per week. There were 738 incidents of knives and sharp weapons possession in schools. Young people aged ten-17 were the offenders in about 18 per cent of the 50,500 offences nationwide involving knives.

Adolescence explores the losses of childhood, innocence and moral awareness in an era of cultural upheaval and disinformation

Adolescence depicts just how hard it is to be a teenager today. The scenes shot in the school gave me flashbacks to the cruel environment in my own comprehensive school. I couldn’t wait to get home at the end of each day, away from the social pressures and bullying. But for school children today, the bullying often continues online 24/7. The series makes a strong case that the mental health of our young people is under extreme stress.

It paints a discouraging picture of schools, where teachers are disrespected and children openly bullied. A police officer asserts that one good teacher can make a world of difference, but it feels like a lonely idea in a damning depiction of an over-stretched education system.

The toxicity of gender culture wars

One of the boldest choices Adolescence makes is tackling the complex and often divisive issue of gender identity. The show does not take a simplistic or preachy approach but instead presents the issue through the lived experiences of its characters - each of whom is trying to make sense of the cultural chaos around them.

There is no doubt that the toxic misogyny of the online influencer Andrew Tate is in the cross hairs of the directors. Tate is named on numerous occasions, specifically in relation to his “80/20 rule” which asserts that 80 per cent of women are attracted to only 20 per cent of men. That perspective is associated with the ‘manosphere’, a collection of online communities that often discuss topics like men’s rights and ‘incel’ (involuntarily celibate) culture.

The series manages to build both empathy for the children who have been indoctrinated into this way of thinking and disgust at its consequences. While Tate faces charges of human trafficking, rape, forming an organised crime group, assault and more, boys around the world, as young as eight years old, are being influenced by his videos.

Strangely, however, for a show that takes time to try and understand the consequences of knife crime, viewers do not get to see anything of the victim’s family or her circumstances. It also doesn’t shy away from painting the victim in a derogatory light for her online activity, including the bullying of her perpetrator. Perhaps another series will explore her experiences in more detail.

The responsibility of parenthood

While Adolescence centres on its teenage characters, it also effectively explores the role of parents in shaping their journey. The police detective has a son in the same school as the murder victim and the classmate accused of her killing. He is forced to confront the growing gap between him and his son, whom he hasn’t been able to talk to for years.

In 2023, police in England and Wales received 174 reports of attacks involving blades or sharp instruments in schools during term time

The real parent dilemma, though, comes through the powerful performance of Stephen Graham, who plays Eddie Miller, the father of the 13-year-old accused of murder. Eddie is depicted as a hardworking man, trying to support his family through the ordeal, yet coping with waves of anguish, anger and confusion.

The possibility of his son’s guilt rips through every moment and every relationship like a cancer. But the denouement is the parents wrestling with the question of whether they should have done more to protect their son. Adolescence does not provide easy answers, nor does it wrap everything up neatly by the final episode. Instead, it leaves us with a challenge.

More than just a show

If you are a parent, mentor, youth leader, teacher - or simply someone who cares about the next generation - Adolescence is more than just binge-worthy television. It forces us to confront critical questions: How can we protect the next generation? Where are the safe spaces for young people to explore and express themselves? What kind of social and emotional education are our children getting inside and outside of school? What does it mean to be a boy in a world of toxic masculinity? How can girls learn to stand up for themselves? Where can the Church be leading the charge in creating better conversations?

The show is a moment of reckoning, which should inspire us to face up to our responsibility to create a safer, more supportive world for the young people in our lives.

Do you need help and support when it comes to raising faith in the next generation? See premiernexgen.com