If you've watched 'Adolescence' would you consider watching it with a 14 year old?

[Fishsealife]

I was blown away by Adolescence - and obviously shaken by it.

I think my DS would benefit from seeing how what is on the internet can be a powerful force for the worst - and why I insist on controls.

Are any of you watching it with your kids or do you think it's too intense?

At the time, LI was all the rage and even though it wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea, it was clear if we didn’t watch it, DD was always going to have access to highlights at school which may have been taken out of context on SM. We had some really interesting discussions about behaviours/language following it.

What's the coloured heart emoji?

I wouldn't personally but I don't have teens that are in anyway vulnerable to believing this ideology. Plus we talk about current affairs, politics, society all the time so there is no way my eldest who is a boy, is studying Politics, watches PMQs and asks my opinion on the welfare cuts is going to be susceptible to the manosphere! My youngest is a DD and despises all of that. We talk about stuff loads and have done since they were little. We do watch stuff together but for example, with my late teen that was the The Apprentice the other night, the film about Trump, it is pretty fundamental viewing I would say and actually is the bigger picture behind this ideology!

In any way not "in anyway".

my 14yrd old watched it with us - though the "sorting the van" went over her head

Interesting views from teens in The Tomes today. Link below. If the share token doesn’t work, you should be able to read it on an Apple device by clicking on the ‘show reader’ icon.

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/what-teens-really-think-about-adolescence-in-their-own-words-v6s88m596

TheTimes has an excellent article with reactions from a number of teenagers who have watched it in today’s edition. If they are representative I’d say a definite yes to your question.

Why is it so important that kids watch this? Can someone explain?

I'll try and get a copy of the Times piece as it's behind a paywall.

I suspect my DS will blanch at how slow it is. He likes crap drama that is massively, unrealistically plotted. I see ya, Prison Break

We talk a lot, I have a lot of parental controls on his devices and I trust him. But he's also self-conscious about his looks, about being popular/unpopular and its a good way into those discussions.

I watched the first episode with my very mature 13DD and 11DS. It was very interesting for them to see what a police raid looked like and the aftermath of being arrested. I didn’t let my 11 year old watch any more as I don’t plan on talking to him about Incels etc. before he starts secondary. My 13DD watched it all with me and it led to some powerful discussions.

They go a lovely private school and I think both them and I realised what a protective little bubble they are growing up in. They were agog at the school in the first episode. I teach in schools like that and I’d say it was completely accurate for most of the schools I supply in now sadly.

i don’t think parents know what sort of environment they are sending their children into. I think if they did. There would be an outcry and more demanding of change. I would never send my children into 90% of the schools I teach at - I’d rather home school.

I've been watching it with my teen ds. He says its the best thing he's watched in as long as he can remember! He totally got it. We've had some great discussions about the issues involved.
I would like it shown in all schools for age 13 and above.

I think my DS would be really bored watching it. I don’t think he would appreciate the script, acting or camera work as much as an adult would.

I think it's fine for them to watch although I have misgivings about what good it will do. It seems to have pressed the right buttons to be considered "worthy" by people who were never in the position that the series presents but I didn't see it as much more than an entertainment piece. I suppose it did at least show that stabbings like this aren't simply a case of "good victim, bad offender" - the offender, victim and wider society all played their part in the murder.

One thing I will say, it's good to see the school experience properly represented though. If the series can change anything, it would be good if the focus was on making school a pleasant and productive experience. It very much reminded me of watching "Walking on the Moon" with my parents in about 1999, they were shocked when I explained to them that it was pretty much an accurate portrayal of how school really was.

Seems nothing has improved in the interim other than the fact there is more CCTV to catch offenders.

The school experience in Ep 2 was totally depressing. I knew that schools were in trouble/turmoil/struggling but it's challenging to see it first hand. My DS goes to a state school which is considered really good - and I have had a very good experience as parents - but he says the behaviour is awful, there are tons of supplies and he's in a minority not vaping!

I think this is far more hard hitting and worth watching with teens personally- I can’t share a link but I’ve screenshot it, it’s on iPlayer.

I watched it with my 13 yr old daughter and we both cried at the end. She doesn’t normally cry but this got to her. What an important message for both parents and children to learn - especially the generation that wasn’t brought up under the influence of social media round the clock after school.
I will never forget this show.

My son is older- 19- and he’s told me to watch it. He came off all social media recently and said it explains why. I’m going to watch it.