Netflix's 'Adolescence' and the fight for more

Watching episode 3 of Adolescence, I couldn’t catch my breath, and my heart rate was through the roof.

Watching episode 3 of Adolescence, I couldn’t catch my breath, and my heart rate was through the roof.

The show gave such an accurate portrayal of the sinking feeling that so many women know and have felt. It encompasses the tension and fear of being around men, having to watch your steps, thinking ahead just in case and steering conversations away from taking a wrong turn.

Whilst being fictional, the show’s events are very much the harsh reality. Writers Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne wanted to put a ‘mirror to society’ and show the harrowing effects of social media on young men. In his article with The Standard, Jack Thorne writes on how he ‘would’ve sat up and nodded’ when listening to influencers like Andrew Tate when he was in his teens. Which urged him to showcase how easily people can be misled in the four-part series. The show also touches on the parents’ role in Jamie’s actions, reflecting on parents’ fear and inability to monitor screen time constantly. Ultimately, the writers wanted to ‘pose a question that got people talking on their sofas, in pubs, in schools, maybe even in parliament’ which it definitely has.

From newspapers, and media outlets to activists, Adolescence is striking up discourse like the writers intended. Gender equality activist Gina Martin shared a self-reflection carousel that allows viewers to convert the topics touched on in the show into productive conversations and actionable steps. The show’s ability to conjure these thoughts in its viewers just shows how real and terrifying these issues are. Beyond Equality, an organisation starting brave discussions about what ‘being a man’ is today, led a panel event after the Netflix premiere, diving deeper into the issues covered by the show, creating space for further conversation around destructive social media use.

Ultimately, we’re seeing a show about male rage and the misogyny epidemic that’s even being backed by our Prime Minister to be shown in schools. The show effectively explores the harmful thought and how it ultimately plays out in the murder of a young girl, presenting all contributing influences. It illustrates the desperate need for positive influences, education and a shift in culture. These changes don’t just rely on the individual but on our parents, teachers, peers and online space- a holistic support system.

But when we break down all those players in the show, all of them share surprise at unexpected Jamie’s actions. There’s a true struggle in knowing what to do or how to support and navigate this minefield. What we love is how this show is bringing conversations around men, masculinity, misogyny, rape culture and more to the forefront.

And more so, fantastic organisations like Beyond Equality who are providing safe spaces and active education for young men are getting the engagement. Beyond Equality is a charity, where facilitators create space for reflection, communication and growth for men & boys at schools and corporate companies. By encouraging boys & men to rethink what it means to ‘be a man’, Beyond Equality allow them to develop personal identity and prevent gender-based violence.

The other side of the conversation we’re loving is about vulnerability and empathy in relation to masculinity. These are the kinds of values we are always talking about at Matriarch and all our workshops are built on - how can we be better and show up better for other people. Perhaps if Jamie had a psychologically safe environment to express himself, friends who encouraged sharing over retaliating or a more powerful influence than negative male role models on social media, his actions would’ve been different.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, as we said, it’s holistic. Matriarch contributes to that ecosystem by supporting all those stakeholder groups - teachers, adults and pupils - to have hard conversations, how to listen empathetically, empower other people - the list goes on. We all have a role to play in shaping society, whether that's raising children, setting examples online or telling our best mate 'no, don't say that because...'. It's scary, but collective action always holds more power than the individual.

At Matriarch, we don’t believe you should have to know the right people to get your dream job, hear a horror story to learn about consent or watch your best friend lose a parent to learn about grief. Through our education solutions, we provide a beam for people to meet these moments with more ease so that when they’re thrown into the deep end, they have more confidence, knowledge and empathy to navigate it. Because when people know more, they can do more. And maybe if those around Jamie knew more, they could’ve done more.

Watch Adolescence on Netflix now and read more about it here with Glamour and The Standard. 

Find Beyond Equality here for more resources

And bring Matriarch to your workplace or school here.

By Ria Kalsi and Rhea Patel.