'Adolescence,' to be screened in all secondary schools across the UK

The Netflix series Adolescence, now free for UK schools, has Sir Keir Starmer hosting its creators at Downing Street to tackle what he calls a “whirlpool of hatred and misogyny” among boys. The drama, spotlighting a teenage boy accused of killing a schoolgirl, digs into incel culture and online radicalization. Starmer, with writer Jack Thorne and producer Jo Johnson, confessed, “I don’t think there’s a simple solution,” pointing to cases like Kyle Clifford, a crossbow killer steeped in misogynistic content. He noted this violence “isn’t new” but has shifted, with “ideology” now “pumped directly into the minds of our children” via screens.

Starmer watched it with his son and daughter, admitting, “As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you - it hit home hard.” His lens stayed fixed on boys as the problem, lamenting no “safe space” exists from digital influence. A survey of 622 parents showed 87% are clueless about their kids’ online habits, with 65% of children—78% of 11-16-year-olds—having bedroom internet access. Thorne, dodging “race-swapping” critiques boosted by Elon Musk, snapped, “It’s absurd to say that [knife crime] is only committed by black boys,” locking the focus on masculinity. Featuring Stephen Graham as a frantic father, the show drills down on one angle, leaving wider dynamics untouched, which might explain its heavy-handed push into classrooms.