Netflix’s hit drama series “Adolescence” will be shown in schools across the UK to spark conversations on social media harm, particularly violent misogyny and online radicalization. The show explores a 13-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing a girl at school, highlighting how social media may have contributed to the crime.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has welcomed the filmmakers to Downing Street for talks on child protection. He backed an initiative by Netflix to stream the drama series for free to secondary schools nationwide. The show has amassed 66.3 million views worldwide since its launch in March and is being shown widely in schools to educate students about the impact of misogyny, online radicalization, and healthy relationships.
Experts say that social media companies need to do more to protect children from harmful content. Soma Sara, founder of charity Everyone’s Invited, which has collected thousands of anonymous testimonies from women and girls describing abusive behavior on school grounds, believes banning social media among children is not a viable solution. Instead, her group is leading education programs in schools to help children critically evaluate the content they are exposed to.
Starmer said showing the drama widely in schools will “help students better understand” these issues. He emphasized that it’s not just parents’ or teachers’ responsibility but also everyone’s to address this problem.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/adolescence-netflix-starmer-social-media-children-smartphones-33b72293c431496e57c2ca16417a379d