A hit Netflix series, a horrifying fictional crime, and a real-world policy response—this isn’t your typical streaming success story. Adolescence, the four-part drama that’s taken the internet by storm, has done more than capture viewers’ attention. It’s triggered a cultural shakeup in British education, pushing schools to tackle something long ignored: the rising tide of misogyny among teen boys. But is a new classroom lesson enough to untangle the complex web of influence spun by the internet’s darkest corners? And are we finally ready to ask the harder question—what is really happening to our boys?

The Plot That Sparked a National Conversation

At the heart of Adolescence lies a fictional tragedy that feels all too plausible. The story follows Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy arrested for murdering his female classmate, Katie Leonard. Shot in a real-time, single-take format, each of the four episodes captures a single, harrowing day in the lives of the Miller family as their world unravels. Jamie’s quiet descent into online misogynistic echo chambers—and the brutal consequences that follow—becomes the driving force behind the drama’s emotional weight.

But Adolescence isn’t just about one boy. It’s a mirror held up to modern society, exposing the invisible forces shaping today’s teens. From the overwhelmed school system to disengaged parents and a digital world spinning beyond adult control, the show pulls no punches in illustrating how isolation and toxic content can converge with devastating outcomes. Its chilling relevance hit home with audiences—and policymakers—almost instantly.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer even referenced watching the show with his own teenagers during a session in Parliament, later endorsing the idea of showing it in schools nationwide. The government has since announced plans to incorporate the series into new classroom discussions around relationships, consent, and digital influence. It’s a bold move—and a rare moment where pop culture and public policy appear to be on the same page.

A Digital Trap for Teen Boys

Beneath the gripping narrative of Adolescence is an even darker subtext—the online world that quietly radicalizes young minds. The “manosphere,” as it’s often called, is a loosely connected web of influencers, forums, and social media content that preys on teenage boys struggling with identity, rejection, or isolation. What begins as a search for answers or belonging can quickly devolve into a vortex of misogyny, entitlement, and resentment. And it’s all just a few clicks away.

While the show doesn’t name names, the shadow of controversial figures like Andrew Tate looms large. Tate’s bombastic presence and toxic philosophies have racked up billions of views, many of them from young boys who mistake his bravado for strength. These platforms offer seductive explanations for teenage frustration—blaming girls, feminists, or society itself—while reinforcing a version of masculinity rooted in dominance and emotional suppression.

This isn’t just a fictional device. Real-world cases have shown chilling parallels, with perpetrators of violence linked to manosphere content. From knife attacks to crossbow murders, the influence of these online ideologies has bled into real life, sometimes with deadly consequences. And what’s more disturbing is how stealthy this indoctrination can be. Algorithms reward outrage. Forums validate anger. Influencers offer simple answers to complex emotions—and for boys who feel ignored, that can be intoxicating.

But pointing fingers at platforms alone misses a bigger point. Many of these boys are navigating adolescence in silence. They’re not inherently hateful—they’re searching for meaning, and too often, finding it in all the wrong places.

What the New Curriculum Will Teach

In response to the cultural ripple effect of Adolescence, UK schools are preparing to implement a reformed Relationships, Health, and Sex Education (RHSE) curriculum aimed squarely at countering misogyny and toxic online influence. But this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The guidance—still being refined—is designed to evolve with a child’s age and emotional maturity, offering layered, age-appropriate content that begins early and builds over time.

In Primary School: Building Emotional Foundations

• Understanding Boundaries: Students will be encouraged to recognize and respect personal space—both their own and others’.
• Expressing Emotions: Early lessons will focus on identifying feelings like anger, disappointment, and sadness, along with healthy ways to process them.
• Empathy and Kindness: Kids will learn the importance of recognizing others’ needs and perspectives, laying the groundwork for respectful interactions later in life.

In Secondary School: Addressing Real-World Complexities

• Consent and Communication: Lessons will dive deeper into what healthy sexual and romantic relationships look like, with an emphasis on verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Power Dynamics: Students will examine how imbalances in relationships—emotional, physical, or digital—can lead to harm.
• Porn Literacy and Online Influence: The curriculum will also confront the effects of porn and manosphere content on expectations and behaviors, providing students with tools to critically assess what they consume online.
• Managing Difficult Emotions: Emotional regulation will be reframed as a strength, not a weakness—especially for boys, who are often conditioned to suppress vulnerability.

A Holistic Approach to Gender and Identity

Rather than merely punishing “bad” behavior, the updated lessons aim to help students unlearn unhealthy norms and develop a more compassionate, respectful understanding of relationships and selfhood. The hope is that by normalizing emotional expression and critical thinking from a young age, schools can prevent the kind of isolation and anger that fuels misogynistic ideology.

What ‘Adolescence’ Got Right—And What It Missed

Adolescence succeeds where many shows stumble: it doesn’t sanitize the problem. The series goes straight for the jugular, showing the disturbing ease with which a young, seemingly average boy can be seduced by digital misogyny—and the catastrophic outcome that can follow. It holds a mirror to modern parenting, overwhelmed schools, and the alarming power of online influence. For many viewers, especially educators and parents, it was a wake-up call wrapped in award-worthy cinematography.

But as sharp as its lens is, the show blurs when it comes to nuance. In its mission to sound the alarm, Adolescence sometimes paints with a brush that’s a little too broad. Boys are often portrayed as perpetrators or ticking time bombs, while girls are cast almost exclusively as victims. The emotional complexity of adolescence—especially for boys—is suggested but never truly explored. We see the descent, but not the inner world behind it. The loneliness. The fear. The pressure to be someone, to feel something, to belong somewhere.

One of the show’s most promising moments—a heartfelt exchange between Jamie and a school counsellor—hints at a deeper emotional reality. But the scene fades too quickly, and with it, the opportunity to truly enter the psyche of a teenage boy on the brink. The female characters, while sensitively portrayed, are also somewhat reactive to the chaos rather than centered in their own agency. Even Jamie’s sister, whose contrasting development could offer insight into gendered upbringing, is used more as a narrative foil than a fully realized character.

In trying to indict the system, Adolescence occasionally forgets the people inside it—especially the kids it claims to represent. What we’re left with is a powerful conversation starter, but not quite a complete conversation. And in a world this complex, half a conversation just won’t cut it.

Are We Truly Listening to Boys?

Many boys grow up absorbing the message that their emotions are liabilities. They’re told to “man up,” to suppress vulnerability, to find value in dominance. When they feel confused, sad, or invisible, they’re given very few spaces to say so without fear of mockery or dismissal. And that silence is where toxic ideologies thrive. The manosphere doesn’t just offer validation—it offers belonging. It gives young boys a story in which they’re not powerless, even if that story is laced with poison.

What’s missing from most educational and media narratives is the idea that boys, too, are victims—of neglect, of social expectations, of silence. Not in a way that diminishes the harm caused by misogyny, but in a way that recognizes how emotional illiteracy fuels it. Boys who feel seen, heard, and valued are far less likely to lash out or spiral inward. But right now, we’re failing to meet them where they are.

It’s easier to diagnose than to dialogue. It’s easier to label than to listen. But if we want real change, we can’t just fight misogyny with reprimands and curriculum checklists. We need to create environments—at home, in school, online—where boys are allowed to feel deeply, ask questions, and challenge the narrow boxes they’ve been placed in. The alternative is to keep reacting to tragedy instead of preventing it.

A Reality Check for Adults

Think about the subtle cues boys receive from the grown-ups around them. Coaches who praise aggression over empathy. Dads who never say “I love you.” Teachers who unconsciously reward girls for communication and boys for control. Politicians who mock emotional expression as weakness. All of these small, daily reinforcements teach boys that to be male is to be closed, tough, and always in charge. And when they fail to live up to that impossible standard, they don’t cry for help—they look for someone to blame.

Adolescence may showcase an extreme outcome, but the truth is, a lot of boys are suffering in quieter ways. They’re disengaged, anxious, addicted to validation, and drowning in digital noise. And the adult response is often to scold them for the symptoms without ever addressing the cause.

We also have to reckon with our own complicity in sustaining a patriarchal culture that devalues vulnerability—across all genders. Online misogyny didn’t spring up from nowhere; it’s the digitized, amplified version of long-standing societal patterns. If we want boys to unlearn harmful behaviors, we must also unlearn the ways we excuse or perpetuate them.

So yes, teach boys about misogyny. But also teach them what healthy masculinity looks like. Let them see men who are gentle, thoughtful, and emotionally present—not just fictional villains or stoic archetypes. Because if we’re serious about raising better boys, we need to be better examples.

Helping Boys Navigate a Gendered World

Tackling misogyny in schools isn’t just about policy—it’s about practice. The way we talk to boys, listen to them, and model behavior around them has a profound impact on how they understand gender, relationships, and themselves. Here are actionable, compassionate tips for parents, teachers, and mentors to help boys grow into emotionally aware, respectful, and resilient individuals.

Listen First, Talk Second

Before jumping into lessons or lectures, give boys space to speak openly. Ask how they feel, what they’re watching online, and who they look up to. If something feels off, resist the urge to judge or shut down the conversation—just listen. The more they feel heard, the more likely they are to open up again.

Teach Media Literacy Early

Help boys develop a filter for the digital world. Explain how algorithms work, how influencers often play characters, and how to spot manipulation in content. Break down why viral doesn’t equal truth, and why critical thinking is one of the most powerful tools they can have online.

Model Healthy Conversations

Let boys witness real conversations where disagreement doesn’t turn into domination. Talk through tough emotions in your own life. Show them that expressing vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s strength. Normalize saying things like “I felt hurt,” or “I don’t know how to handle this.” It gives them permission to do the same.

Validate Confusion Without Shame

Growing up is messy. Boys may ask uncomfortable questions or voice problematic ideas—not out of malice, but confusion. Instead of shutting them down, respond with curiosity. Help them unpack where those ideas come from and why they might not align with values like empathy and respect.

Create Safe Spaces for Emotion

Whether it’s in the classroom, the living room, or a group chat, boys need places where they can feel without performance. Spaces where they can cry, admit they’re scared, or say they feel left out. Emotionally safe environments don’t make boys soft—they make them human.

Diversify Their Role Models

Expose boys to stories of men who lead with compassion, creativity, and emotional depth. From books and movies to real-life mentors, show them that masculinity isn’t a singular, narrow thing. The more versions of manhood they see, the more freedom they have to define their own.

Involve Them in the Solution

Instead of framing them as potential problems, invite boys into conversations about respect, equality, and empathy. Ask their opinions, their frustrations, and their hopes. Let them help build the kind of world they want to grow up in—one that includes them, challenges them, and believes in them.

More Than a Curriculum Shift

What Adolescence has ignited in the UK is not just a policy pivot—it’s a cultural reckoning. The decision to embed anti-misogyny education in schools is a crucial first step, but real change will only come when the conversation moves beyond compliance and into connection. Boys don’t need more rules shouted at them from the front of the classroom. They need role models, room to be vulnerable, and guidance from adults who are willing to confront their own blind spots.

We have to stop treating boys as problems to be solved and start seeing them as people in need of support—especially in a world that constantly pressures them to be emotionless, dominant, and disconnected. Reforming curriculum is vital, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. What happens at home, online, and in peer groups matters just as much. We need to build systems that not only teach about misogyny but dismantle the environments that breed it.

The goal isn’t to scare boys straight—it’s to invite them into a version of masculinity that is emotionally rich, respectful, and self-aware. If we want a future where gender equality isn’t just preached but practiced, it starts with teaching boys that being kind, open, and accountable is not a threat to their identity—it’s a path to their wholeness.