Written by Hailey

Recently, a show has been gaining fame due to its intense and realistic storyline. The show, Adolescence, is about a thirteen-year-old boy accused of murder. It is based in London and focuses on many issues that younger people struggle with today. Since its release, the show has faced much criticism, mostly in the United States.

In the UK, the show has been approved to be shown to grade school children, to show and educate children on the issues seen through the show. Topics like incel culture, cyberbullying, as well as regular bullying, toxic masculinity, and more.

So what is so wrong with the show in some critics’ eyes? There has been a debate that the show targets the boy simply because he is a boy, stereotyping him. This idea was discredited very quickly, as the show’s plot gives evidence throughout the four episodes proving the boy is guilty. Another issue some critics had with the show was that, because it is a fictional show, some critics believed it was created to villainize young men and boys.

They believed that it was just another show to bring down men, which, in my opinion, is not true.

Why is it so important to understand Adolescence, and what social constructs does it give? The show isn’t targeting younger men for being violent killers or attackers; rather, the harmful things society pursues men can lead to behaviors like that. One thing shown, which isn’t very common in shows, was that the female victim was bullying the boy beforehand.

The show focused on how the harmful words and actions of the girl negatively impacted the boys’ mental health, without victim blaming. The show also highlighted toxic masculinity, which was a result of the boy being bullied by a girl he found attractive.

Overall, this show wasn’t made to target younger men and boys. It was made to advocate mental health for them, and to also show the negative impacts of harmful behavior. I think it would be really important for the younger generation to view this show, to show it’s okay to talk about things, rather than acting inhumanely about how you’re feeling. If you haven’t yet watched Adolescence, I highly recommend you do.