“Adolescence” and the Boy Crisis

In its setting, Adolescence is a British show. But the story relates across the globe. As the four episodes play out, Adolescence surfaces several important issues, including these:

• - Jamie was bullied online by classmates, including the girl he murdered, and labeled as an “incel,” an involuntary celibate.
• - Jamie’s parents had little idea what he was up to (he closed himself off from them).
• - Jamie’s father struggled with his own anger issues.
• - Jamie’s school was nearly overrun by problems with students, some digital; one teacher regularly yelled at students to get off their phones, and another indicated total disconnection from the youths and their troubles.
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Adolescence is hard to watch as a show (and calls for discernment in viewing). But the Church should take note of the conversation surrounding it. Here is a quick list of matters we can think over and to which we can respond.

1. Many parents have lost the digital battle. They have no idea what their children are watching on their devices. We need them to reengage and fight for their children.
2. Our devices are not “neutral.”  The Internet and social media have some positive aspects, yes, but there are also many ill things online. (Reading Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation will lend real common-grace wisdom here.)
3. Online bullying is not a small issue. In the show, as in real life, it is online bullying that helps goad young Jamie to a fit of terrible violence.

These realities remind us fathers and mothers of our crucial role in our kids’ lives. We must watch over our children—not with anxiety or fear but with genuine vigilance (Proverbs 4:23). This commitment is not easy. Every family battles sin; every father and mother fails; every child has a sin nature. But we cannot let our sons drift. We must pursue them.

In a fractured time, we need dads and moms who lovingly point their children to Christ. The Internet is a cold and lonely place, but Jesus is a warm and forgiving Savior.