The story about boys online that Adolescence misses

Less than a month after its Netflix debut, the limited series Adolescence is already influencing public debate on internet safety and the troubling role of social media in young people’s lives.

The four-episode drama follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate. As the story unfolds, we learn this innocent-looking child was immersed in the misogynistic world of the online “manosphere” — a dark subculture of male influencers that glorifies dominance, control, and hatred toward women. Netflix has announced that it will make the series available to screen for free in secondary schools across the United Kingdom, a move that earned praise from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.