Netflix's Adolescence is taking the streaming world by storm - here’s why

Adolescence - A haunting look at digital influence

In the third episode of ‘Adolescence,’ a four-part limited series on Netflix, an empathetic child psychologist (Erin Doherty) is stunned by the sheer force of hate and misled aggression in Jamie (Owen Cooper) when he yells at her, “Do you like me?” Based in the United Kingdom, this hard-hitting tale has united audiences worldwide, amassing a staggering 24.3 million viewing hours since it dropped about two weeks ago.

It’s not a pleasant or thrilling series filled with action or glamorous sequences. Instead, this shape-shifting series is best described as an emotional drama, where the viewer can sense the trauma and helplessness of parents, a family torn apart by one wrong choice, and the vulnerability of a teenager. As co-creator and actor Stephen Graham said on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ “The Internet is parenting our children just as much as we are.” This series cracks open a conversation that has been circulating across online forums—that our young ones get too much screen time—and extends it to the worst possible fallouts of such an addiction. Jamie gets brainwashed by participating in online forums that reference the ‘manosphere,’ Andrew Tate and his version of misogyny, and the wide-open universe of ‘Incel’ fraternities.

Decoding the digital language
‘Adolescence’ opens as a police procedural where a sweet-looking boy, Jamie, is arrested for the murder of a female classmate. His father (Stephen Graham) is unable to comprehend what he sees on a CCTV tape—his beloved son turning violent with minimal provocation. The police investigation evolves into a conversational drama about the complicated language of emojis, likes, and shares that teenagers use on social media, leaving the police hapless while investigating teenage crime. This must be the episode that has resonated widely with parents. Who would have known that a blue heart emoji, a purple heart emoji, and a fireworks emoji all mean different things? The vortex of misinformation driving such conversations across social media and websites is potent. It can distort reality for young minds, just as it does for Jamie.

Unmasking the digital chamber of misogyny
It is in the third episode that we get a closer look at the horrifying collection of lies and distortions that shaped Jamie’s mind. While the psychologist patiently works to make him feel empathy for the victim’s family and sense his guilt, his worldview is the most attention-grabbing part.

Hating women, categorizing them like animals, twisted ideas of masculinity, and the concept of deserving sex just by being male—each of these elements is a wake-up call to the perversions being spewed online by influencers and popular forums. Graham was motivated to write this series about young boys hurting girls after witnessing a rise in such crimes in Britain.

As the Prime Minister of Britain, along with other leading politicians, calls out systematic misogyny, the element of truth behind this show becomes even more convincing. But the fact that people all over the world are watching it reflects its veracity. Problems of overexposure to the Internet, isolationism, and building alternate identities on social media are becoming rampant. This shifts the moral compass around relationships to a new low—and it can be devastating for young women.

In the fourth episode, Jamie’s parents discuss what they could have done differently. A seemingly regular moment—when his father felt shame as Jamie underperformed at football—may have influenced Jamie’s self-esteem. Strands of this parental approval theme emerge earlier in the show, too. The parents also discuss how they let him stay in his room with his laptop, believing he was safe. But it was this very isolation and unsupervised screen time that led Jamie down a dangerous and radicalized path.

A brilliant tale of digital disconnect
‘Adolescence’ also excels technically, as each episode is shot in a single take, without distraction, keeping the intensity and engagement taut throughout. Beyond the technical expertise, it is the story that many have related to. We live in an age where homework and class assignments are shared on apps and over WhatsApp. Screen time is legitimized by schools. Parents, busy trying to make a living, often resort to screens as a temporary fix. As children grow into teenagers, their social interactions and personal lives tend to move online, with avatars, proxies, and fake identities taking over. Reckless behaviour is common, as is trolling. Most of the time, like the characters in this series, parents don’t even know what their children are doing.

Parenting in the digital age demands more
‘Adolescence’ works because it brings forward a thought that has been lingering at the back of our minds but never quite at the center—because it is daunting. Because it might mean becoming real parents, handling children beyond gifts and a goodnight kiss. It requires us to befriend our kids, talk to them, and find common ground on life issues. Most of all, it requires balance.

('Adolescence' is currently streaming on Netflix)