Three Things to Keep in Mind About "Adolescence"

It's a fantastic show, but what should we take from it?

I finished the Netflix show Adolescence on Sunday. I had to watch it in small doses, over the course of two weeks, because it is so intense.

As a television show, I found Adolescence outstanding. The acting was phenomenal. The hour-long episodes were filmed in one continuous take, a feat so incredible I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it. The show was powerful, it was poignant, it was terrifying, it was heartbreaking. I enjoyed it and have recommended it to friends.

But of course, Adolescence is not merely being celebrated as piece of entertainment. It’s been framed as a timely and eye-opening social commentary about raising kids today, one that explores the ideological and social forces children — especially boys — are exposed to through technology and social media, and how that is shaping their relationships as well as their values and expectations. If you haven’t seen the show (spoiler alert!), it’s about a 13-year-old boy who is charged with the murder of his classmate, Katie. Throughout the 4-part series we discover more about what happened, who Jamie is, and who his parents are. We learn, among other things, that Jamie was bullied and that he became radicalized by incel culture. (We learn very little about Katie, unfortunately.)

It’s a show that raises so many important questions. But …. I’m not sure it provides many answers. And I think we should be thoughtful and careful about the conclusions we try to draw from it. I have lots swimming in my head, but here are three points I want to highlight now, which might be useful for you if you’ve seen it, or plan to, and are worried about what it means for us and our kids.