This is the fiction stroke of this beginning of 2025. The television series Adolescencecreated by Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne and broadcast on Netflix, is a worldwide success. In addition to being unanimously praised by criticism, British creation already accumulated 24.3 million views only six days after its release. Her resonance is such that the subjects she addresses have now become social themes in the United Kingdom and perhaps soon elsewhere.
Adolescence is a very special thriller. He tells the story of a murder, that of a young British middle school, killed by another 13 -year -old teenager, Jamie. In its story made up of four an hour episodes, entirely filmed in sequence, the mini-series addresses several subjects which concern teens of our time, including that of online harassment. The American daily The New York Times reports the statements of James Strong, another British fiction director, which explains the success ofAdolescence Since it stages a normal, loving family, which many can identify. In addition, she, according to him, seizes a social concern that was “Ready to explode” in the country.
With its realism, the entirely fictional work has managed to make a media place in the real world. About him, the British newspaper The Times was placarding that it was “The television series that all parents should watch”. The New York Times reports, moreover, that associations that campaign for the prohibition of the telephone in schools have been the subject of a wave of support following its dissemination.
The issues that Adolescence rose to the British parliament. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was watching the series himself with his children and that he was necessary to fight to prevent the viewing of prejudicial content online by adolescents.
Prohibit social networks before 16 years old?
For his part, Jack Thorne, co -creator of the television series, expressed his enthusiasm as to the mention of his creation by the Prime Minister, adding that he wanted political leaders to act accordingly. His personal conviction: a law prohibiting access to social networks before the age of 16, a measure implemented last year in Australia. In France, since the start of the 2024 school year, smartphones have been prohibited in the schools and colleges.
In Adolescencethe creators deal with the subject of social networks by the prism of the masculinist movement of the incels (suitcaseword to designate involuntary singles). The mini-series notably evokes Andrew Tate, one of the figures of this movement, as well as the misogynistic belief according to which 80% of women are only attracted by 20% of men.
To prepare his series, Jack Thorne says he has immersed himself for six months “In dark depths” of this Incels trend. He says he has come out terrified about the idea that his 8 -year -old son, one day, exposed to this content and their ideas. This feeling described by the filmmaker, Daisy Greenwell, founder of the Free Childhood smartphone organization, describes it as “Deep feeling of panic” shared by many parents. “The government is very late compared to the public on these questions”she adds.
