Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’: A Brutal Warning How Social Media Can Brainwash Teens

KAKALI DAS

What would you do if your 13-year-old child was accused of murder? How would you react if you found out that your teenager was being influenced by dangerous ideas online?

Could a child be so radicalized by social media that they would resort to extreme violence? These are the chilling questions that the Netflix drama series “Adolescence” has forced people to ask.

It is not just a story; it reflects an uncomfortable reality that parents and societies worldwide are struggling to come to terms with.

Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’: A Brutal Warning How Social Media Can Brainwash Teens

“Adolescence“, a 2025 British crime drama series co-created and written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini has become the most-watched show on Netflix globally. This four-part series has captured widespread attention, sparking deep discussions and difficult questions about the realities of murder, misogyny, and the dangers of social media influencing young people today.

The series revolves around a 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller, who is accused of stabbing his female classmate to death. It is a compelling and terrifying story that forces viewers to consider how young boys can be radicalized online and pushed toward lethal violence.

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The show shines light on male rage, the growing influence of toxic “manosphere,” a collection of online forums that oppose feminism and promote misogyny.

It introduces viewers to the incel (involuntary celibate) subculture, where young men blame women for their struggles and frustrations. This dangerous ideology has gained traction online, fuelled by influencers who openly advocates male dominance and violence against women. The series raises an unsettling question: could a 13-year-old boy be radicalized online to the extent that he commits a brutal crime?

One of the most chilling aspects of “Adolescence” is how it highlights the power of social media algorithms. Unlike previous generations who watched television together as a family, today’s teenagers consume endless content alone in their bedrooms.

These algorithms push them deeper into an echo chamber of extreme and harmful ideologies. The show demonstrates how young boys, like Jamie Miller, can be influenced by a buffet-style radicalization process, where they pick and choose different toxic ideas from various online sources until they form an entirely skewed worldview.

In previous generations, children watched television with their families. Now, young boys like Jamie Miller are consuming content online alone in their bedrooms for hours at a time. Algorithms push them deeper toward more extreme material, creating an echo chamber that feeds their growing anger and distorted worldviews. The show demonstrates the most chilling aspect of how young boys can be influenced by a buffet-style radicalization process, where they pick and choose different toxic ideas from various online sources until they form an entirely skewed worldview.

The drama sheds light on the impact of social media influencers like Andrew Tate, who has openly promoted misogyny and violence against women. Despite being banned from multiple social media platforms, Tate’s influence continues to spread. A poll in the UK revealed that 80% of 16- and 17-year-old boys consume his content, whereas only 60% are familiar with their own Prime Minister. Even more shockingly, 56% of young fathers approve of Andrew Tate’s messages.

One particularly eye-opening moment in the series comes when detectives investigate the Instagram interactions between Jamie and his victim. Initially, they believe the two were friendly, but a teenage boy later explains that the emojis in their conversations were actually a coded form of bullying. This revelation highlights how digital communication has developed hidden layers of meaning that adults often fail to understand.

Online communities now use emojis, memes, and specific phrases to convey messages that seem harmless on the surface but carry dangerous undertones within certain circles. One of the most striking symbols in the series is the “pill” emoji. This represents “Red Pilling,” a term borrowed from “The Matrix” movies, where taking the red pill means awakening to a harsh reality.

In online communities, especially the manosphere and incel groups, it signifies the belief that women are responsible for men’s suffering. This kind of messaging encourages hatred towards women and, as the show demonstrates, can lead to real-world violence.

“Adolescence” is more than just a drama—it is a wake-up call. The series does not just focus on Jamie Miller’s crime but also examines the devastating consequences of online radicalization in the real world. The writers said it drew inspiration from real life cases, such as the murders of 12-year-old Ava White in2021 and ElianneAndam in 2023, both of whom were young girls stabbed to death.

The show also indirectly references Kyle Clifford, who was convicted of murdering three members of the Hunt family after watching Andrew Tate’s videos in London. These cases force society to ask: What is happening to young men? Why are they turning to extreme violence?

The show has gripped audiences worldwide, with 66 million viewers tuning in within its first week. It made history in the UK with 6.5 million viewers, becoming one of the most-watched dramas. Even the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has commented on the series, calling it “incredible but harrowing.”

He admitted that watching it with his own children was difficult. The show has become such a cultural phenomenon that Netflix has announced it will be aired in UK secondary schools for free, ensuring more young people can watch and understand its important message.

The series forces people to confront an uncomfortable reality—violence among teenagers is increasing. It exposes a terrifying reality where children, even as young as five, are being influenced by misogynistic, violent, and extremist content online. This has led to real-world consequences: deepfake pornography of schoolgirls created by their classmates, increased cyberbullying, and sexist behaviour becoming more common in schools.

Headlines from last year alone are chilling: a 17-year-old stabbed three little girls to death at a dance class in the UK, two teenage boys stabbed a peer 28 times, and a murderer gloated about his crime on social media. These are not isolated incidents; they are happening worldwide, from Albania to India, proving that this is a global issue, not just a UK problem.

Children today spend more time alone than ever before, glued to their screens, vulnerable to harmful content. Research shows that about a third of children worldwide experience loneliness, and mental health cases are thus on the rise.

Social media takes advantage of this vulnerability. As they retreat further into digital spaces, they become easy targets for radical influencers who exploit their insecurities.

The British Prime Minister has acknowledged this issue, stating that the devastating effects of online misogyny and radicalization are deeply concerning. The problem is not just about social media; it is a broader cultural issue that stems from society’s failure to properly address masculinity and gender roles.

Children are impressionable. What they see and consume online influences their beliefs and actions. Today, they are exposed to hate, violence, and sexism at a young age. The consequences of this are already evident: deepfake pornography of girls made by their classmates, cyberbullying, sexist chants in schools, and the normalization of misogyny. It is a horror story unfolding in real life, and every child is at risk.

However, there is no simple solution to this crisis. It is not just about one factor; it is a broader cultural issue. It involves how society views women, the lack of online regulations, and how technology is constantly evolving, making it difficult to keep up. While “Adolescence” has done an incredible job in raising awareness, real change must come through policies and actions from governments and communities worldwide.

The mini-series emphasizes the importance of communication between parents and children. The worst-case scenario, as shown in the show, is young people isolating themselves in their bedrooms, consuming radical content, and feeling unable to talk about it. Parents need to create an environment where their children feel safe discussing any concerns they have about what they encounter online. Open and honest conversations are essential to counter the negative influences that surround them.

Ultimately, “Adolescence” is more than just a gripping television drama— it has held a mirror up to society and forced us to confront some harsh truths.

It forces us to ask difficult questions about how we raise our children, how we educate young boys about masculinity, and how we protect them from online radicalization.

The fact that a 13-year-old boy could be accused of such a horrific crime is terrifying, but what is even more terrifying is the realization that it could happen anywhere, to any family.

It is a conversation that cannot wait, and as this series has proven, it is one that must happen now.

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