Netflix’s Adolescence: Misogyny, Motherhood, and Raising Resilient Teens

Atwood’s famous line echoed in my mind as I watched Netflix’s Adolescence. The series lays bare the stark realities young women face, holding up a mirror to a world where that quote feels all too apt. Adolescence shows how social media encounters can spiral — a chilling reflection of truths women live with every day. 

Recent headlines have underscored that Atwood’s words are no mere fiction. A few months ago, Gisele Pelicot bravely waived her anonymity to share her story, revealing that the men who assaulted her were not faceless monsters but “normal” men — fathers, sons, neighbours. Her courage is a stark reminder that the threat to women often hides in plain sight, wearing the guise of normalcy. It’s a systemic problem, not a series of isolated incidents — something activist Laura Bates highlighted through her Everyday Sexism project, which collected tens of thousands of women’s experiences of harassment and discrimination, making misogyny hard to ignore or dismiss. 

A Parent-Educator’s Heartbreak and Hope 

As I binged Adolescence, I found myself viewing it through two lenses: as an educator who works with teens every day, and as a mother of a young child who will one day become a teenager. I’ll be honest — it was heartbreaking. Episode after episode, I watched bright, kind girls and boys bruised by a world of casual cruelty, sexism, and impossible pressures. I caught myself tearing up, thinking of my own child and my students: Is this the world they’re growing into? 

But alongside the heartbreak, I felt a fierce resolve. If these stories (on-screen and real-world) show us anything, it’s that we must lay the groundwork early for a better future. Emotional resilience, empathy, respect — these don’t magically appear in adolescence. They’re formed on the playground, in the classroom, around the dinner table, starting as early as toddlerhood. 

As a parent, I’m already thinking about how I can raise my child to understand consent, to recognise injustice, and to have the confidence to speak up. As an educator, I know schools and learning communities have a huge role to play too. We can’t wait until a crisis hits at 15 or 16 to start talking about feelings and values. By then, the messages (good and bad) have already sunk in. We need to start now — teaching kids to name their emotions, treat others with kindness, respect boundaries, and expect respect in return. 

Under Pressure: Adolescents Today Need Our Support 

The teenage years have never been easy, but today’s adolescents are arguably under more pressure than ever. They live in a 24/7 social media fishbowl, with likes and comments measuring their self-worth. They face academic and extracurricular demands that pack schedules to the brim. And they’re growing up amid a constant stream of news about a world that can feel scary and uncertain. It’s no wonder so many teens report feeling anxious or overwhelmed. 

Watching Adolescence didn’t just dishearten me — it made me ask: What can Park Street do to be part of the solution? 

At Park Street Education, we believe that supporting young people means going beyond homework help. Yes, we’re here to boost grades and study skills, but our mission is bigger: we’re trying to grow better humans. 

Peer-to-Peer Support: Safe Spaces for Students to Connect 

One initiative of which I’m particularly proud is our Peer-to-Peer Groups, run by our brilliant educator Claire Barron from Talk,Listen,Connect. These weekly small-group sessions bring students together in a confidential, relaxed setting (with a trained facilitator present) to talk, listen, and learn from each other. 

The idea is simple but powerful: sometimes the best support for a teen is another teen who “gets it.” A student who’s feeling isolated because of, say, a friendship issue or academic stress, discovers that a classmate has felt the same way. They share stories and coping strategies, and in that process, two important things happen: first, the student realizes I’m not alone; second, they get to practice empathy by supporting others in return. 

The experience can be profound. I’ve seen a grade 6 boy talk about feeling anxious and another boy across the circle say, “I feel that way too — I thought I was the only one.” Those moments of connection are magic. They turn the abstract idea of “resilience” into something real and tangible. Each student leaves the group knowing there’s a network of friends who have their back. 

In a world where adolescents often feel unheard or misunderstood, these peer support circles are a refuge. They’re building a community of empathy, one conversation at a time, and showing students that kindness is cool. 

Coming Up Next: Raising Digitally Resilient Teens 

Of course, resilience isn’t just about what happens offline. Today’s teens are growing up in a digital world where peer pressure, identity, and vulnerability often play out on screens. That’s why in an upcoming Part 2 of this article , we’ll turn our focus to digital literacy, online safety, and empowering parents to help their teens navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. 

We’ll also share how Park Street is marking Stop Cyberbullying in Ontario Day this June — and why our summer programming is dedicated to helping students build healthier digital habits. 

Stay tuned for Part 2: Digital Lives, Real Risks — Raising Digitally Literate Teens in the Age of Cyberbullying.