Following Adolescence’s eight Emmy wins, renewed attention is turning to the Netflix show’s cultural impact, and its exploration of how digital life influences young boys.
Adam Hoffman, an assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University, studies how digital media shapes adolescents’ sense of self during a critical stage of development, sometimes leading to fractured identities, social difficulties and harmful behaviors. He says parents aren’t powerless when it comes to guiding their teens online.
Hoffman says:
“‘Adolescence’ is a story that resonates deeply with parents and their anxieties about raising teens in an untamed and unknown digital landscape. The show boldly underscores the importance of being a part of our teens’ digital lives and fostering positive and healthy identities and attitudes toward others.
“Research suggests that teens can and will listen to parents when it comes to conversations about healthy social media use and setting boundaries around internet use. Simply having direct conversations with teens about what is happening in their digital lives, in a non-judgmental way, can help to prevent horror stories like that depicted in the show.”
Cornell University has dedicated television and audio studios available for media interviews.