Question: I’ve been watching the show Adolescence and I’m worried about the toxic things that my child might be exposed to online. How can I better understand what they’re going through?

 

Answer:

Adolescence – the show everyone seems to be talking about

This is a great question - the Netflix series, Adolescence has been a huge topic of discussion among families, news, researchers, and youth. The series is about a 13-year-old boy named Jamie who is arrested for the murder of a classmate. The series explores how Jamie’s family navigates the emotions and community repercussions that come with their experience, as well as a larger school environment that is impacted by cyberbullying and student exposure to troubling online content. While the story is fictional, it explores themes about online life that are very real for many teens and families.  
 
Something to keep in mind is that the show Adolescence is not for kids of all ages. Common Sense Media recommends this series for children ages 15 and up as it contains violence, profanity, and discussions of teenage sexuality. These topics can be challenging to navigate. If you have an older teen who has expressed interest in the show, consider watching together and using it as a conversation starter!  

Troubling online content

Adolescence provides a window into the troubling content that children and teens are exposed to online. Social media offers a wide range of content: some of it is educational, some of it is entertainment, and some of it can be troubling or harmful.  
 
Troubling (or toxic) content is defined as content that is false, threatening, misleading, violent, or overly sexual. It can be easy for teens to be exposed to troubling content, even if they’re not seeking it out. Social media algorithms recommend content based on user characteristics and viewing patterns, and sometimes introduce content that is more extreme. Because of this, it’s possible that your teenager has come across online content that doesn’t match your family’s values. For example, a teen seeking videos about fitness may begin to receive suggested videos about disordered eating. Similarly, a teen seeking dating advice may find that the algorithm begins suggesting videos with misogynistic messaging. This content can be upsetting, dangerous, or can erode teens’ trust in other people.  

Research has shown that there is a link between troubling online content and user engagement: users tend to engage with content that they see as provocative, which in turn encourages algorithms to suggest that content to more people. High visibility, anonymity, algorithmic recommendations, and echo chambers on social media platforms support the easy circulation of troubling content. The more controversial, polarizing, and shocking a post is, the more likely it’ll rise to the top of a feed in popularity and also be “liked” and reposted. This forms a feedback loop that perpetuates troubling online content.

Cyberbullying among tweens and teens

Throughout the series, Adolescence shows a larger school environment where cyberbullying and bullying are common. Bullying has a significant impact on teens, who are highly susceptible to social feedback. Almost half of adolescents in the United States have reported experiencing cyberbullying, harassment, or aggressive behavior via technology. Research has shown that being a target of cyberbullying is associated with many adverse outcomes, including substance use, poor mental health, lower school performance and satisfaction, and decreased life satisfaction. 
 
One takeaway for parents from the series is that cyberbullying can come across in many different forms: 

  • Name calling 
  • Spreading false rumors 
  • Sending explicit images (both real and fake/AI-generated images) 
  • Physical threats 
  • Being heavily surveilled  
  • Having explicit images shared without consent  

It is important to note that traditional offline bullying is correlated with cyberbullying; involvement in one often overlaps with the other.

Our recommendations – what to do when it feels scary to talk about these topics!

Navigating conversations around troubling online content with your tween or teen can feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Here are some tips to start those interactions:

  • Lead the conversation with curiosity, rather than fear. Ask your teen about what they’re seeing online, and what they think about it. If they are engaging with content that concerns you, try to understand why. These reasons may be complex (e.g. to get peer approval or test their independence from parents vs. actual acceptance of the ideas). You may be able to find alternative activities where teens can channel these drives without engaging with content that conflicts with your family’s values. 
  • Consider co-viewing content together with your older teen. At important moments, name how you’re feeling based on the content. Encourage your teen to ask questions and share their emotions in a healthy way. (See below for specific discussion questions you can use with your family if you do watch Adolescence together). 
  • If your child or teen has come across troubling content, avoid blaming them and lean into teaching them why this sort of content is problematic. Explain that influencers’ main motivations for content creation may be money, attention, and power, and this can stimulate influencers to create content that is untrue or toxic. Talk with your child about role models or people they look up to, and aid them in finding positive communities of interest online. 
  • Talk with other parents to learn more about what is happening online and how they have communicated with their children about this topic. Even though it may feel awkward at first, it’s important, especially since every family builds guidelines around screens and access to online content differently. For example, if your child has unlimited access to YouTube or social media whenever they go to their friend’s house, you should know that and discuss what may work best for both families’ values and rules. 
  • Utilize the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 5 Cs of Media Use – Make sure that media use and influencer involvement aren’t Crowding Out other important activities like exercising and spending time with friends or adult role models in person. 
  • Promote media literacy so that tweens and teens can understand how and why toxic messages have spread online (because they’re profitable, but not true!). Emphasize how algorithms trained to increase engagement can recommend harmful content.

If your child is being cyberbullied, there are some practical steps you can take to address these tough situations:

  • Ensure that your tween or teen feels safe and supported. Be an active listener and let them know you’re ready to help without judgment. 
  • Be attentive to mood or behavior changes. Kids can often feel ashamed or embarrassed about online interactions, particularly if they involve bullying. Since they often experience these situations alone, being extra attentive to any changes in how they act or feel can help you provide the support they need.  
  • Set safety measures: Use parental controls and privacy settings to help manage who can contact your child and what content they see, while also respecting their need for independence and privacy. 
  • Talk about online safety: Have an open conversation with your child about privacy and social media safety. Find out what they think about what types of content are okay to post, and brainstorm ideas for staying safe. Having a conversation instead of presenting a list of rules helps your child feel respected and may make them more likely to talk with you about social media in the future.   
  • Collect evidence: If possible, keep records of bullying incidents, such as screenshots or messages. This documentation can be important if you need to involve authorities or the school.   
  • Get the school involved: Schools often have policies and resources to address cyberbullying. Informing them about what's happening can prompt supportive actions to protect your child, particularly if they offer student support groups.  
  • Avoid direct confrontation: While it might be tempting to respond to the bully or reach out to the parents, it's often better to go through official channels like the school.   
  • Report to social media platforms: Use the reporting features on social media sites to flag inappropriate content and bullying behavior. These platforms have policies against harassment and can take action to remove content or users that violate these policies.   
  • Consider professional support: Bullying can have significant emotional impacts. Counseling or therapy can provide your child with coping strategies and emotional support during tough times. 

Discussion Questions and Conversation Prompts Specific to the Adolescence Series

If you decide to watch Adolescence with your older teen, here are conversation prompts and discussion questions that you might find helpful:

  • What did you think of the show? Did you like it? How did it make you feel? 
  • Have you seen content like the things Jamie experienced online? Have you come across false, threatening, misleading, or violent content on your social media apps?  
  • Have you talked to your friends, classmates, teammates, etc. about this kind of content before? 
  • What were your thoughts about Jamie’s relationship with his dad? What did you take away from it? 
  • Have you seen friends or classmates be cyberbullied? What does that look like? 
  • What would you do if a friend, classmate, teammate, etc. talked to you about their online experience of hate speech or other toxic content? Would you feel uncomfortable or not? Why?  
  • What would you do if you saw or heard about a peer getting cyberbullied or bullied in person? Would you or have you reported this kind of situation, either on a social media platform or to a teacher or other trusted adult?

References

Age: 13-17 

Topics: adolescents, toxic content, bullying, cyberbullying 

Role: Parent 

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Last Updated

05/12/2025

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics