Birmingham professor says Netflix show highlights need to talk
An expert in sociolinguistics believes the biggest takeaway from the Netflix series Adolescence is not about social media.Instead, Dr Robert Lawson, Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics at Birmingham City University, said he believes the need for "meaningful conversations between parents and children was more important".The four-part series has prompted a national conversation about the impact of social media and "manosphere" influencers.The show explores the use of emojis to communicate on social media and the devastating consequences of online bullying, but Dr Lawson said: "Understanding that language isn't a silver bullet to understanding their worlds and their lives."
Teenagers at The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton told BBC WM they recognised a lot of the themes in the show.One said: "You hear all the time of people getting stabbed and stuff and they're like school students all the time, around the same age as well."He said Instagram, X and Snapchat were commonly used for the "misogynistic stuff".Another teenager said: "People will fight and then people will fight other people that were there just watching it happen, and then it escalates even more."Others suggested restrictions should be placed on mobile phone apps, with one teenager adding: "I don't think they need to be banned, I just think there needs to be more restriction on stuff, like what people can post and what people can't post."
Dr Lawson believes communication between parents and children is key to them not getting trapped in a social media world.He explained: "If all that the kids have is social media then where do the other positive influences in their lives come from? "Where do the other role models come from? "Where are they having those conversations about difficulties that they're facing in their life?"
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