When actor and filmmaker Stephen Graham learned that Netflix’s Adolescence was gaining attention in India, he was both surprised and delighted. What started as a deeply Western story has unexpectedly struck a chord with Indian parents. I think where India as a society stands today, this series should not come as a surprise but should be taken as a wake-up call. We wake up to teenagers committing crimes in every corner of the nation,
The series follows the harrowing case of a 13-year-old boy caught on CCTV allegedly murdering a schoolgirl. What unfolds is not just a criminal investigation but a deep dive into themes of parental guilt, the unchecked nature of male aggression, and the dark influence of the digital world on young minds. It poses a chilling question to all parents: Do we really know our children in this digital age?
Parenting in the era of screens
In India, it is a misconception to assume that good parenting only means providing necessities, good education and good lifestyle. This is not where a parent’s duty concludes. Whatever a child learns or adopts in their personality as grow up is mostly a mirror image of what they see at home. It is important to establish communication with your child. Parents need to know what is going on in their child’s lives other than school, tuitions and play because in the era of social media, IT IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!
Today’s generation is growing up online, with smartphones practically becoming an extension of their hands. Social media, gaming, and streaming content have become major influences, often unsupervised. Parents witness this daily-their child’s eyes glued to a screen, lost in a digital world where boundaries are blurred.
Stephen Graham on Jimmy Fallon Show said, “what kind of a society are we living in at the moment where young boys are stabbing young girls? In a way, we’re all accountable to raise a child. You know, the education system, parenting, the community, even the government.” Graham assumed the influence of this series would only be over the western part of the world but he was surprised when Indian parents resonated with this too.
The uncomfortable reality of ‘male rage’
Another reason Adolescence resonates deeply in India is its subtle but powerful commentary on masculinity and aggression. Indian society is beginning to acknowledge the urgent need to raise boys differently. Traditionally, masculinity has been tied to dominance, aggression, and emotional suppression. But in a world where horrific acts of violence-like the Nirbhaya case, the recent R G Kar medical college case and so many unregistered cases of violence that take place every single day are painful reminders of what happens when anger festers unchecked, parents of sons are starting to ask: What are we teaching our boys about anger, empathy, and power?
The last episode of Adolescence beautifully depicts how Jamie, the 13-year-old picked up the rage of his father whereas his father kept wondering where did he go wrong in his duty as a parent. When a boy observes his father’s rage in the house and also observes his mother forgiving his father besides his rage, he will assume it is OKAY to show rage whenever he gets angry!
A wake-up call for every parent
What makes Adolescence truly haunting is its refusal to provide easy answers. Instead, it forces parents to confront their worst fears-not just What if this was my child? but Have I been paying attention to the person my child is becoming? This limited series will not exactly give you solutions, instead it will leave you looking for answers in your own behaviour, indulge more into your child’s life and understand who your child truly is.
For Indian parents, this show is more than just a thriller. It’s a stark reminder that parenting is not just about academic success or career aspirations. It’s about raising emotionally intelligent children-especially boys who understand that strength is found not in violence, but in kindness and empathy. It is also important to check what influence social media has on their personality. It is undoubtedly the parent’s job to assure their child that they are special, unique and loved just as they are and that they not need to seek that validation elsewhere! Not to forget, new age crimes are mostly linked to social media and poor body image.
And that’s why Adolescence is sparking conversations in homes thousands of miles away from where it was made. Because its core message-about the fragility of childhood, the dangers of unchecked emotions, and the weight of parental responsibility-is universal.
