A popular Netflix series is causing a stir in the United Kingdom over what should be the proper driving force behind policy change: politicians or pop culture?
Last week, BBC Breakfast hosts accused Kemi Badenoch, a member of Parliament, of being culturally out of touch for not watching the four-part Netflix series Adolescence. The show, which has become the biggest-ever U.K. Netflix drama, depicts the fictional story of a 13-year-old boy who is accused of stabbing a female classmate to death. Along the way, the show presents potential factors driving his murderous rage, from parental role modeling to cyberbullying and online incel culture. The popularity of the drama has helped catapult the themes of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and smartphone use in schools into the cultural spotlight.
Since the release, the show's writer, Jack Thorne, has pushed for the series to be shown in Parliament and across schools to spark "radical action" to tackle issues addressed in Adolescence, a sentiment shared by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
