“Adolescence" reality check drama awakens the nation.

Children and young people are spending almost as much time living in the world of social media as they do at school or college. On average this tots up to between 4 and 5 hours a day- up to 35 hours in a week. That’s pretty much the same as time spent in school- assuming regular attendance.

Of course, there are many benefits to using social media. It enables children and young people to stay connected with friends and with what’s happening in the world but spending lots of time “doomscrolling” or viewing difficult content can leave them feeling insecure or overwhelmed. In any case, what’s clear is that their views and attitudes are bound to be shaped to some extent by their experiences on social media.

The Netflix drama, “Adolescence,” like last year’s series about the Post Office Scandal has cut straight to the heart of a major societal challenge and it’s got everyone, even the Prime Minister talking about Jamie. Themes of cyberbullying and misogynism emerge revealing how lives played out on social media result in Jamie murdering classmate, Katie.

The series depicts a chaotic school environment where teachers are struggling to handle unruly students. Schools and colleges work under an immense cocktail of external pressures through which they are held accountable for a dizzying array of outcomes. Responsibilities now include support for mental health. A not inconsiderable challenge when 1 in 5 children and young people now have a diagnosable mental health condition.

There is broad agreement that social media is one of the factors contributing to problems with well-being and mental ill health. A strong curriculum offer is the first tool that schools and colleges have to support children and young people. Ideally, this should be co-created with the wider community to ensure that everyone shares in the key messages. Mental health support teams in schools can offer fantastic support too but let’s be honest, there’s a time when you need expert help.

Young people like Jamie need to feel empowered and his parents and teachers need to be talking. They need to know where to turn when they’ve run out of road. In the aftermath of the Covid lockdowns, I was struggling to find that help for children in my school. My colleague, Ruth conceived the idea of TAC access, an end-to-end platform not unlike a dating site, where adults, children and young people can choose from a directory of qualified and vetted therapists who can meet their needs.

We had both experienced situations where children and young people had rejected therapists booked on their behalf. Like Jamie- they needed to feel they had choices, so we asked therapists to record videos and we encouraged families, carers and teachers to offer children and young people a choice from a shortlist. We passionately believe that a service like ours should be available free to schools, colleges, parents, carers and young adults.