1 week Ago By Nell Geraets
For many parents, Netflix’s crime drama Adolescence is not an easy watch. Though it centres on a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering his classmate, its warning about the profound risks of unchecked social media use could apply to any child. Over four episodes, Adolescence explores a darker side of social media where the “ manosphere ” and “incel culture” slither into young people’s feeds.
While these radical subcultures aren’t new, the show sheds light on the parents’ perspective – the fear, uncertainty and ignorance around their children’s online lives. Adolescence highlights a concern most parents have today: what is my child being exposed to online? As of 2020, Australian teens spend an average of 14.4 hours a week online, with most active on four different social media platforms.
According to the eSafety Commission , 44 per cent of teens said they had a negative experience online in the six months before September 2020. Even with upcoming social media age restrictions announced by the federal government, it’s important that parents engage with their teens about what they see and do online. Given the evolving nature of social media, it’s not an easy ask.
But experts say there are ways to ease the process. Start the conversation early Steven Roberts, an education and social justice professor at Monash University, suggests beginning conversations about online safety before your child has joined social media. “Children should understand their words and actions online have consequences and that the words of others should also be kind.
We can cultivate a sensibility [where children are] aware of harmful rhetoric even if it’s aimed at others and not the kid who’s viewing the content.” Jamie’s parents in Adolescence are confronted with the knowledge that they could have done more to protect their son from harmful online rhetoric..
