Makers of hit Netflix show Adolescence have sparked a conversation in Britain and beyond on how to protect children from violent misogyny and other harmful content on social media.
Now, they have the ear of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who welcomed the filmmakers to Downing Street on Monday for talks on child protection. Starmer’s office said he backed an initiative by Netflix to stream the drama series for free to secondary schools across the country, so that as many teens as possible can watch it.
It will help students understand impact of misogyny, says British PM
Starmer said it was difficult watching the drama with his 14-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son. But showing the drama widely in schools will “help students better understand the impact of misogyny, dangers of online radicalization and the importance of healthy relationships,” his office said.
“It seems like the whole nation is talking about Adolescence and not just this nation,” Starmer said. “As a dad, I have not found it easy to watch this with children, because it connects with the fears and worries that you have as parents and adults.”
“There isn’t one single policy lever to pull. It’s actually a much bigger problem than that,” he added. “And that’s the devastating effect that the problem of misogyny has on our society.”
Creators say ‘we all are accountable’
Jack Thorne, a co-writer on the show, said the team behind Adolescence made it to provoke a conversation. “So to have the opportunity to take this into schools is beyond our expectations,” he said. “We hope it’ll lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it’ll lead to students talking amongst themselves.”
Actor Stephen Graham, a co-creator of the drama who stars as the boy’s father, has told The Associated Press he wanted the narrative to focus on the seemingly ordinary life of the accused. He said that when a knife crime among young people takes place, the first reaction may be to question the background of the murder suspect and how they were raised.
“But what if it’s not the family?” Graham asked. “We’re all maybe accountable. School. Society. Parents. Community.”
About Adolescence
The show, filmed in England, explores the difficult questions that arise when a 13-year-old boy is accused of the fatal stabbing of a girl in his school — and how much social media interactions that are largely impenetrable to parents and teachers may have played a part.
Netflix says since the drama launched in March it has amassed 66.3 million views worldwide and has become one of the most talked-about U.K. series in recent memory.
