"This show terrified me for the future": Parents left unsettled by Netflix’s Adolescence and its chilling message

Netflix's latest crime drama Adolescence is winning praise globally for highlighting the influence of toxic online influencers on young impressionable minds. The story, follows the investigation into the murder of Katie Leonard at the hands of her 13-year-old classmate, Jamie Miller.

Adolescence premiered on Netflix on March 13, 2025, and many social media users have since then shared their views and opinions online, with one Reddit user writing,

"My kids are 8 and ten. It's so frightening to be a parent, and this show terrified me for the future."

Other users on the social media platform also shared similar views while praising the show's spectacular one-shot filming, gripping narrative, and emotional storytelling.

One person shared, "Started and then could not stop. I’m speechless. The way it’s filmed, acting…There will be only 2 types of people after this one: full haters, full lovers. There is just nothing between."

People also felt unsettled watching the story unfold, sharing concern for their young children as it's almost impossible to keep track of their online activities and keep them away from toxic influencers.

"I just binged it tonight. It was astounding. I felt the single shot tension many times. It really puts life into perspective if you have kids," wrote another.

Another person shared, "What I took away is how difficult it is to “check” on your kids with this stuff. It’s a different world which adults can’t really understand. Obviously you do your best."

"It was so painful for me to see when the kid of the detective was trying to explain to him what emojis meant, etc. The generational gap was huge. I'm in my early 30s and chronically online and I didn't know some of the things," wrote one user.

The actors also received praise for their performances as all the episodes were shot in one take.

One person wrote, "I’m in the middle of watching it. I was immediately impressed by the actors. I think it is Owen Cooper’s first role. Just wow!"

"The acting was amazing. That child actor is outrageously talented in a way I'm not sure I've seen before. The episode with the psychologist? OMG. Just next level acting." Wrote another.

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What is Netflix's Adolescence about?

Adolescence is set in a British small town where a young teenager Jamie Miller is taken into custody for killing his classmate, Katie. The parents, the police, the school, and the psychiatrist couldn't believe what they were dealing with and each tried to discover the truth in their specific way.

It's made clear in the first episode that Jamie did kill Katie by stabbing her multiple times. The reason behind his act and most importantly his thought process reveals a shocking reality of the modern age. The series tries to show the extent of the effect that social media has on kids, specifically the alpha male red pill content.

All four episodes of Adolescence are available to stream on Netflix exclusively. Here is the official synopsis:

"When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?"

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Stay tuned for more news and information about Adolescence and other such shows on Netflix.