What Adolescence The Netflix Show Teaches Us About Youth Violence

The 2025 Netflix series Adolescence is a psychologically thrilling four-part crime series that centers on 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is arrested for the murder of his schoolmate, Katie. The show dives deep into the challenges of teenage life, including psychological struggles related to crime, sexism, misogyny, and how toxic masculinity on social media is promoting violence in teenage boys.  

It reveals the central role that cyberbullying, online radicalization, and intense social pressure among peers play. It also examines the effects on Jamie’s family and their realization that they should have been more aware and present to what their son was consuming online. 

Adolescence is a powerful show that helps viewers reflect on and understand the vulnerabilities of today’s teens and how some subcultures on social media prey on these vulnerabilities and escalate violence among young people.

Why Mental Health is Central to Adolescence 

Mental health is central to adolescence (figuratively in the show, and literally in real life). The series closely examines transitions, challenges, and stressors that many teens today face, such as the search for belonging, self-acceptance, and independence. It shows us how isolation, low self-worth, unresolved emotional distress, and suffering in silence, especially in teen boys, can lead to violent behavior and tragedy.  

The immersive storytelling in Adolescence calls on the importance of early mental health intervention, having open conversations about what youth are consuming online, and the importance of redefining masculinity, one that encourages boys to express emotions in a positive and healthy way. 

The Emotional Reality of the Teen Characters  

The show primarily focuses on the internal struggles and emotional complexities of Jamie Miller and how he went from being a high-achieving, kind, respectful teen with two loving parents, to ending up killing his classmate.  

The Manosphere and Online Toxic Masculinity 

Jamie spends excessive, unsupervised time online, where he is exposed to extremist ideologies of toxic masculinity and misogyny, which have been linked to increased violence against women. This represents a real and serious problem today among teenage boys and young men. Online subcultures today known as the “manosphere” lead by popular influencers such as Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes normalize harmful beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors towards women [1]. 

Some of these beliefs include entitlement to a woman’s body, seeing women as something to be controlled or dominated, and reinforcing negative gender stereotypes (e.g., women should be in the kitchen, not in school). These examples portray how the exposure to online misogyny, especially combined with psychological vulnerabilities, can lead to real-world violence.  

The Pressure to Belong: Peer Influence and Identity

A large part of Jamie’s story revolves around his search for identity, masculinity, and influence from peers. Jamie is rejected by Katie and ridiculed by his female classmates who then mock him and call him an “incel” (involuntary celibate) on Instagram. This part of the storyline contributed significantly to the emotional trigger that led to Jamie murdering Katie.

This public humiliation, cyberbullying, combined with Jamie’s existing struggles of low-self worth, search for manhood and exposure to toxic incel ideologies online incited a deadly reaction.   

Self-Worth and the Search for Acceptance

Jamie is a small teen boy who struggles with intense insecurity. Throughout the series, he goes between vulnerability and aggression, seeking validation from authority figures and peers. 

His need for approval is visible, at one point in the show, he asks his psychologist, “But do you like me?”. This highlights his desire to be seen and acknowledged, a common experience among teenagers.  

The Role of Environment in Teen Mental Health 

The environment of teens plays a major role in shaping their mental health and behavioral issues. A supportive home environment can serve as a protective factor for teens who are at risk. And a positive school setting that promotes inclusivity and emotional safety fosters social and emotional skills that improve the mental well-being of youth. These are two things that Jamie lacked in the series and partially contributed to his escalation of violence.   

Family Dysfunction and Unstable Support 

Dysfunction in the home, lack of consistent support, or parental absence can influence teens’ susceptibility to developing behavioral issues and mental health challenges. 

Although Jamie Miller had loving parents, their lack of knowledge regarding the content their son was consuming online reveals how parental unawareness and emotional distance can make many parents miss signs of distress or online radicalization in teens. Their realization that “they should have done more” is one that many parents feel and highlights the consequences of a lack of engagement or open conversations with youth. 

School, Systems, and the Absence of Support 

The show also touches on the perceived lack of school support for teens facing similar challenges. In the series, school staff or school-based support systems providing proactive intervention before the tragedy occurs were lacking. It centers more on family dynamics, with the school appearing more as a backdrop rather than an active part of a teen’s ecosystem.  

This reflects real-world problems with how many school districts are reactive rather than proactive. The role of schools is often most visible after a tragedy (death of a student, suicide, school shooting). Schools often struggle to identify or address early warning signs of emotional distress or online radicalization in students, especially in teens who come from seemingly “ordinary” families such as Jamie’s.   

How Media Like Adolescence Can Spark Mental Health Conversations 

Series like Adolescence touch on once-taboo topics and spark essential mental health conversations by portraying complex realities that teens face, such as online radicalization, toxic masculinity, lack of purpose, confidence, and belonging. Sometimes adults and the media hesitate to address these topics openly, as they can be seen as sensitive or potentially harmful content for teens.

Using TV as a Starting Point With Teens 

TV, Netflix series, music, and other forms of digital media are a great way to engage teens in important conversations about mental health, drug use, sex, violence, and other taboo topics. A few other TV series that can help both youth and parents understand teen mental health common challenges they face include:  

• Atypical: Follows a teen on the autism spectrum as he navigates the challenges of seeking independence and understanding. 
• Never Have I Ever: A lighthearted, coming-of-age comedy that focuses on concepts such as self-acceptance, grief, and cultural identity.
• Invisible: Focuses on a bullied teen who struggles with feelings of isolation, invisibility, and low self-worth. 
• 13 Reasons Why: Centers on the aftermath of a teenager’s suicide and complex issues that lead to suicide in high school students, including bullying, domestic violence, and sexual assault. 
• Degrassi: Long-running teen drama that covers a range of youth issues such as mental health, drug use, binge drinking, sexuality, and other social challenges. 
• Euphoria (older teens): Follows a group of teens, one of whom recently got out of rehab, managing complex issues such as trauma, addiction, and mental illness.  
• Sex Education (older teens): British comedy series about socially awkward teens navigating relationships, sex, and identity. 

Recognizing These Struggles in Real Life

Adolescence was created in response to a rise in youth violence, particularly among teen boys in the US and UK. The rise in “alpha male” influencers and the “Andrew Tate Effect” who promote dangerous belief systems is causing real-world violence by influencing dangerous values among teen boys [1].  Two unfortunate examples include:  

1. In 2025, 14-year-old “Anaya” from Baytown, Texas, was killed by her classmate, a teenage boy, who told her earlier that day on the bus after a verbal altercation, “When I get off the bus, I am going to kill you today.” [2].

1. Less than 24 hours before Kyle Clifford of the UK triple-murdered his ex-girlfriend, mother, and sister, he was searching the internet for “manosphere” podcasts and admitted to regularly listening to Andrew Tate [3].  

Nearly 1 in 6 teen boys have a positive view of Tate, known for his life filled with luxury. However, many of his messages have now been connected to crimes against women, and the influencer is even facing serious charges related to rape, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Unfortunately, this problem didn’t start with Tate, and it won’t end with him. 

It’s up to parents, educators, policy makers, and any adult who works with youth to stay aware of what teens are consuming online and support their mental health through access to services and community resources. 

Support for Teens and Families in Texas 

Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health facilities in Texas committed to helping teens recover from behavioral addictions, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. We also understand the importance of addressing relevant topics such as youth media and music to help parents better understand their teens.  

Sources 

Adolescence. Netflix.  

[1] Cassidy, F. 2023. The Andrew Tate Effect. Who is Shaping the Values for School Boys? Legal Island. 

[2] 2025. Family demands justice for 14-year-old girl allegedly killed by teenage classmate. KBTX.

[3] Walker, P. 2025. Triple murderer raped ex-girlfriend during attack. BBC.