What Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ gets right about the silent crisis in digital lives of teenagers, and why it’s a wake-up call for parents

To understand the complexity of this crisis, indianexpress.com spoke to Gen Z individuals, parents, and mental health professionals, who offered insights into their experiences, struggles, and the shifting nature of family relationships in the age of digital immersion.

The modern-day digital landscape

The adolescent brain—particularly the still-developing prefrontal cortex—has always been vulnerable during identity formation. But today’s online environment presents unprecedented challenges and the risks have multiplied.

“Exposure to online extremism stimulates the adolescent brain, particularly the amygdala (the fear centre) and reward circuitry. This leads to increased anxiety, desensitisation, and poor impulse control,” said Sonal Khangarot, licensed rehabilitation counsellor and psychotherapist at The Answer Room. “Neurologically, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning, is still under construction, which makes adolescents more vulnerable to radical content.”

This vulnerability is something many young people recognise in themselves. Ujyant Ramesh, a Gen Z PR professional, said, “In their teens, many boys go through a phase of idolising hardcore conservative figures, especially with unfiltered access to platforms like Twitter or Reddit. While Andrew Tate represents a newer wave, figures like The Daily Wire and Paul Joseph Watson once stood as counterpoints to extreme liberalism.”

 

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The subtle signs of transformation

“Jamie’s transformation reveals how emotional neglect can be cloaked in overindulgence,” Khangarot said. “His parents, despite meaning well, normalised his isolation — buying him a computer, never checking in, and ignoring how his lights stayed on late into the night. He was unsupervised at a critical stage, with no emotional guidance,” she said.

Psychotherapist Bhakti Joshi echoed this perspective, noting that trauma isn’t always the product of bad parenting. “Parents are often blamed for their children’s trauma. But parenting doesn’t come with a manual. Many parents operate from a place of survival, carrying their unhealed childhoods, and sometimes try to relive or repair them through their adolescent children,” Joshi told indianexpress.com.

The algorithmic echo chamber

The algorithmic nature of online content can quickly lead young people down problematic paths.

“I’ve felt that pressure. My late teenage years felt like a mini prison sentence, stuck in an echo chamber that pushed me to the edge of becoming someone I barely recognised. In the end, though, it was the core values I’d grown up with that helped pull me back,” said Ramesh.

Simran Sharma, another Gen Z professional, shared a similar experience: “I’ve encountered the algorithm-driven spiral with content related to celebrity controversies like high-profile divorces. The opinions I absorbed shaped my own views without giving space to nuance. Visually appealing content or the desire to align with popular opinions sometimes makes you abandon critical thinking, even if briefly.”

When digital influence crosses the line

Parents often struggle to identify when their childrens’ curiosity becomes a cause for concern.

Shweta Singh, mother of a Gen Z child, recalled a startling moment: “One day, while playing, my son slapped his cousin, loud enough for the whole house to hear. I asked him why he did it, and he said, ‘I saw in a reel that if you hit kids, they get scared and start listening’.”

She also said, “He would often use words like ch**ya*, saala, pagal, abe yaar, chal na, tereko-mereko, bhai yaar — this was his everyday language. He was frequently rude, dismissive, and lacked basic courtesy.”

For other parents, the threat came from beyond their child’s actions. Michelle Pereira recalled when her daughter became the target of cyberbullying. “A classmate morphed her photo onto a model’s body and posted it on a derogatory Instagram account. When I alerted the school, they interrogated my daughter instead — asking how the boy got her photo and telling her to ask me to ‘calm down’ and not push for an apology, citing concerns about the boy’s future and career.

Today’s concerns—online validation, cyberbullying, identity exploration—are unfamiliar to many parents (Source: Freepik)

The generational disconnect

One of the most significant challenges is the generational gap between parents who grew up with minimal digital presence and children who have never known a world without it.

“Mental health professionals can guide parents through the biopsychosocial model of adolescent behaviour. This includes expected hormonal, emotional, and behavioural shifts. It also means treating your teenager as a mini-adult — someone with valid views – and not comparing their childhood to yours,” Joshi said.

“I’d rather keep my problems to myself than try to talk to someone—especially parents. The generational gap makes it hard. It doesn’t feel like they’ll understand,” Sharma said.

The value of support systems

When facing challenges online, having trusted people to lean on makes all the difference. Anjana P V, 26, agreed and shared a time she faced brutal online bullying: “I was heavily bullied across social media platforms for posting a reel about feminism on Instagram, but I had my sister, friends and therapist to talk to.”

Anjana’s experience proves the importance of having multiple avenues for support: “Therapist, my sister and my friends, those are the ones I’ll go back to and the feeling of talking about your problems… it’s beautiful, and you get better solutions as well.”

Bridging the gap: Strategies for parents and professionals

How can parents support their children in this overwhelming digital era?

“Mental health professionals play a vital role in bridging generational gaps by first helping parents understand that children today face a vastly different digital and emotional landscape,” Khangarot said, adding, “Today’s concerns—online validation, cyberbullying, identity exploration—are unfamiliar to many parents.”

“Providing support through empathetic listening—without ridiculing their views just because they differ from your own—is key. Accept and treat your teenager like a mini-adult capable of having their own point of view, and genuinely listen to what they have to say. Encourage them to explore different perspectives without dismissing their opinions,” Joshi said.

She also said, “Support their critical thinking by trying to understand what draws them to a particular topic—this creates an opening for you to gently step into their world with permission.”

Finally, Joshi urged parents to also look inward: “If you’re emotionally overwhelmed, acknowledge it. Seek help. And if you notice early signs of distress in your child, reach out for support — because timely intervention can make all the difference.”