'Adolescence' rekindles debate: Should teens be banned from social media?

LondonBritish screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne has written several television dramas that he hoped would spark political debate. But until a few weeks ago, he never quite managed to do so. He has succeeded with his new series, Adolescence, which can be seen on Netflix.

Since its premiere on March 13, this four-part drama about a 13-year-old boy suspected of killing a girl at his school after being potentially exposed to misogynistic ideas online has become Netflix's latest hit. Upon its release, it was the platform's most-watched show in dozens of countries, including the United States. In the United Kingdom, the series has been more than just a workplace conversation piece. It has also reignited debate about whether the government should restrict children's access to mobile phones to prevent them from accessing harmful content.

Newspapers have published dozens of articles about Adolescence, which Thorne wrote with actor Stephen Graham. A headline from The Times of London called it "The TV drama every parent should watch," and campaigners calling for a ban on phones in schools have gained further support for their cause. In the UK Parliament, lawmakers have used the show as a political vehicle. Just a few days ago, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that he was watching Adolescence with her two children, and stated that action was needed to address the "fatal consequences" of young people and children viewing harmful content online.

Australia has banned social media until the age of 16

Thorne said in an interview that she was glad the prime minister had mentioned her series. However, she added, she wanted British lawmakers to do more than just talk about her drama: she wants them to pass a law banning young people from accessing social media until the age of 16. Adolescence It comes at a time of growing global concern about the impact of mobile phones on children's health and social development. Last year Australia banned those under 16 access to social media (although the law includes many exceptions), and in February the Danish government announced that it would soon ban mobile phones in schools, something that France has already implemented in primary and secondary schools.

It seems that the Labour Party, which governs the United Kingdom, has no interest in pushing for a similar law. However, in the United Kingdom, there is a long history of television programs that have the ability to transform issues of social concern into the most pressing political issues of the day. In the 1960s, the BBC broadcast a crude drama called Cathy comes home, by Ken Loach. This program sparked a debate about the plight of the homeless, a topic that was rarely discussed at the time. More recently, after the 2024 broadcast of Mr. Batos vs. the Post Office, a drama about hundreds of real postal workers who were wrongly convicted of theft, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister at the time, quickly announced legislation to exonerate them. James Strong, director of Mr. Batos vs. the Post Office, has said that part of the reason why Adolescence is generating so much debate is that viewers can easily identify with them, as it revolves around a normal, loving family. "It also addresses a social concern that was about to explode," warns Strong.

Thorne has explained that she began working on Adolescence about two and a half years ago, when Graham, the actor, contacted him to say he had been shocked by a series of murders in which some boys had stabbed some girls to death, and that he wanted to write a series that explored why these crimes had happened.

At first they struggled to find a motivation for the series' main character, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), until an assistant suggested they investigate the culture of the incils, men who consider themselves involuntarily celibate and who attack women online. Thorne bought a burner phone, used it to create new social media accounts, and spent six months diving "into very dark holes" of content. incelThis made him realize that the gloomy arithmetic of vision incel of the world – the belief that 80% of women are attracted to only 20% of men, so guys must manipulate girls if they want to find sexual partners – could also seem "incredibly attractive" to many men. The research, according to Thorne, left him terrified that his 8-year-old son would encounter this kind of idea when he got a cell phone. Daisy Greenwell, founder of the organization Smartphone Free Childhood says the series addresses the "deep sense of panic" many parents feel, but that "the government is behind the public on this."

The parents' reaction

Greenwell explains that the organization's WhatsApp group had been discussing moments from the series that had made them cry, and many people had highlighted the third episode of the series, in which a psychologist, played by Erin Doherty, questions Jamie about his opinions on women. In that moment, Jamie goes from being a sweet, seemingly innocent boy to an aggressive, angry teenager, and Greenwell highlights that this change disturbs and scares many parents.

In an interview, Doherty explains that the actors spent two weeks rehearsing the episode, which, like every chapter ofAdolescence, is a single capture that lasts approximately one hour. There were 11 versions, and the director ultimately chose the last one. Doherty says he can only speculate as to why the series strikes such a chord, and that part of the appeal might be that it's not didactic. Although many viewers consider cell phone use to be the trigger for the boy's murderous actions, the show's script has "the courage not to give answers," says Doherty. And although Thorne has called for laws to limit cell phone use in several media interviews, he says the show never places the blame solely on technology. Adolescence, he reflects, the boy's school is underfunded and the teachers are too stressed and overworked to stop the bullying, the police don't understand the way teenagers communicate with each other on social media, and the boy's friends and family don't realize what he's capable of. There's an old English saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but Thorne adds that it also "takes a village to destroy a child." He concludes that he just wishes that Adolescence "convince the people to help these children."