Adolescence centers on the arrest of 13-year old Jamie Miller for the murder of of his female classmate Katie Leonard. Throughout the four episodes, all filmed in one continuous shot, the series explores how the exposure to misogynistic online culture, spearheaded by figures like Andrew Tate, can have a dangerous effect on the younger generation.
The show debuted on Netflix on March 13th and instantly became a phenomenon, being the first streaming show to rank on top of the BARB weekly viewing figures chart. It has sparked many conversations about the influence of 'incel' (involuntary celibate) culture and the 'manosphere' on teenage boys, and has even caught the attention of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
In a statement on X, Starmer discussed how watching the show with his teenage children “hit home hard” and that he had backed Netflix’s plan to screen the show for free in UK schools.
Notably, he invited co-writer Jack Thorne and producer Jo Johnson to Downing Street for a discussion about the conversation that the show has started and what can be done to tackle the core issues of online misogyny and the rise of incel culture.
Many have welcomed the decision to show Adolescence in a school environment. Labour MP Annaliese Midgley was an early supporter of the idea, arguing that it could counter the toxic misogyny that young people are seeing online so regularly.
Conversely, ambassador for UN Women UK, Gina Martin, opined that the move to show the series in schools is not a smart one, saying that many schools are too underfunded for teachers to fully be able to deal with the serious issues the series brings up, and the potential emotional effects it has on students. Also, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has opposed the move, writing in his Daily Mail column that the show is ‘tosh’ and the move to show the series in schools 'perfectly encapsulated the fundamental flatulence of the Government.”
Whatever the opinion may be, the prospect of showing Adolescence in UK schools suggests that the show’s appeal and cultural impact has been very much felt.