Film Adolescence: Heartbreaking Parenting Values for Parents – Recently, the virtual world has been abuzz with Philip Barantini’s drama series, Adolescence.
Released on Netflix in March 2025, the series sparked serious discussion about the toxic phenomenon of teenage boys who are members of incel communities.
Incel is short for “involuntary celibates,” a term used to describe men who dislike women who choose their partners based on appearance and wealth.
However, for parents, the series of events experienced by Jamie and his family should serve as a wake-up call.
Like it or not, the results of a family’s education clearly influence the behavior of their sons and daughters. Why is that?
Adolescence Stories Present the Reality of Parenting Today
This series, created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, tells the story of a teenage boy named Jamie Miller. Unexpectedly, he becomes a suspect in the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard.
Jamie’s crime is the result of a series of events that are ultimately revealed in four episodes. Jamie is portrayed as having been bullied before he killed Katie.
Katie referred to him as an incel, someone forced into celibacy because they cannot find a partner. Additionally, it is revealed that Jamie was negatively influenced by social media, particularly by toxic influencer accounts like Andrew Tate, who is known for his harmful and degrading views toward women.
Give Criticism and a Hard Slap to Parents
Parents can learn many valuable lessons from the series Adolescence. The story beautifully illustrates how the digital world and bullying can affect the psychology of growing teenage boys.
Jamie, who initially seemed like a good kid, was exposed to dangerous ideology through online communities without his parents’ knowledge. The bullying he experienced reinforced his extreme views, leading him to take desperate measures.
Yes, Jamie was wrong. However, his parents couldn’t just wash their hands of the matter. Jamie’s parents thought that their son was a well-behaved child because he spent most of his time at home.
Jamie wasn’t the type of kid who liked to wander around, come home late, and engage in dangerous activities. However, unbeknownst to everyone, he had become radicalized in the online world. The once innocent boy had transformed into an “incel” who wanted to get women but also hated them.
Nevertheless, Jamie’s parents were not inherently bad people. They were simply typical parents who were unaware of what their son was doing in the online world.
Parenting Values for Adolescence That Parents Can Learn
Not only is this Netflix series a harsh wake-up call, it should also serve as a reminder for parents to be more vigilant and proactive in educating their children in the internet age. There are many preventive measures and solutions that parents can take, such as:
1. Monitoring Children’s Digital Lives
Life in the 21st century is complex, where people are active not only in the real world but also in the virtual world. Therefore, parents need to ensure and educate their children that the virtual world has the same consequences as the real world.
Do not let children read inappropriate content, engage in bullying, or do other risky things. Talk to your children and continue to monitor them while respecting their privacy. Remember, the virtual world often makes people unrealistic. They can be exposed to an ideology and then change quickly afterwards.
2. Talk to Children about Healthy Gender Relationships
Parents also need to teach their children how to build healthy gender relationships. Do not let one gender feel superior to the other, which could lead to violence and even murder.
Especially for boys, parents must educate their children to be accepting and sincere after experiencing rejection. That way, children will not turn into characters like Jamie in the series Adolescence, who seems obsessed with women like Katie.
Also, demonstrate healthy gender relationships directly. Ensure that fathers and mothers always love each other without domestic violence and constant arguments.
Even if they are divorced, parents can still set an example by treating each other well. This way, even if exposed to incel content, children will be less likely to be influenced because they have concrete examples to follow.
3. Introduce Children to Educational Events
Finally, provide children with healthier alternatives. Don’t let them learn from influencers who encourage them to commit crimes.
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There are several tips that parents can follow to achieve this. For example, if a child appears to have low self-esteem, parents can enroll them in healthy skills training classes, take them to a psychologist for therapy, or give them good motivational books.
Encourage your child to participate in quality events, such as book discussions, film discussions, and so on. This way, your child will no longer idolize toxic influencers in their life, as Jamie does in the series Adolescence.
The Reality of Adolescence in Indonesia
In Indonesia, a similar case has also occurred, although not exactly the same. It is recorded that in 2024, a 19-year-old young man from Batu planned to commit a crime after being radicalized online.
The young man, identified by the initials HOK, as reported by Tempo, pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to carry out a bombing. Fortunately, he was arrested before he could carry out his plan.
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