The words of Anna, a Neapolitan mother of two teenagers, resonate like a bitter observation: “That mother could be me. Only here it is not a series: it is every day”. One episode of it was enough adolescence, the British miniseries that tells the drama of a thirteen-year-old overwhelmed by justice and media lynching, to bring out a sense of disturbing familiarity in Neapolitan families.
This is not just fiction: for many parents, it is the harsh reality. While on the screen the young Jamie is accused of the murder of a peer and ends up in the vortex of social pillory, Napoli and in the nearby cities there are fights between minors, knives hidden in backpacks, beatings resulting from an insult. The fiction comes after the facts, but its impact is even stronger precisely because it resembles real life too much.
“We thought it was enough to pay attention to grades, to school. Instead they lock themselves in their rooms and get lost online”, Anna says, with the fear of someone who feels they have lost control. Franco, father of three children, adds bitterly: “We are half parents: we touch them, but we don't know them anymore. And when something happens, it's already too late”.
This widespread discomfort is also confirmed by those who observe the children every day in the classrooms. Rosaria P., a teacher in a middle school, says: “We see them slowly fade away. They don’t speak, they don’t react. When they argue it’s pure explosion, often over a story on Instagram. In class they bring silence, tension and a malaise that sometimes has no words”.
The series adolescence has shed light on a problem that many parents and teachers experience on a daily basis: isolation, sudden violence, the pressure of social media. And, above all, the feeling of no longer being able to protect their children from a world that seems to be slipping out of their control.
Article published on March 26, 2025 - 17pm
The series Adolescence reflects on how parents no longer know how to behave with their children. There are situations that seem unreal but unfortunately they are true. It is important to talk about it and find solutions to improve things.
It is difficult for us parents to understand what is happening in our children's lives. Communication has changed and sometimes we feel lost in trying to help them, but we do not know where to start.
The topic of isolation is very current, especially among young people. At school I see many kids who struggle to relate and this worries me. We need to be more present in their daily lives.