Cristina von Sperling Afridi
Pakistan, with an estimated adolescent population of 150 million under age 30 is facing hard challenges to protect its youth from harms of risky behaviours to which they are easily inclined with the aid of the complex social media networks.
Organised crime mafias are increasingly navigating vulnerable youths’ innocent mindsets, simply influenced by flawed narratives and glamourous depictions, towards destructive pathways.
It is in this context that we in Pakistan must be responsive to the wake-up call sent out by the new Netflix documentary series called Adolescence.
This new film series is taking the world by storm—watched by over 114 million viewers in its first month.
It has also been made available to stream in the United Kingdom secondary schools, to reach an even broader demographic, including teenage viewers and educators drawn to its complex themes and realistic storytelling.
An extraordinary decision not witnessed previously in the U.K.
The film is being advocated as a must-watch for anyone raising a pre-teen or teenager today.
So, what prompts such action and why has this film gained such worldwide acclaim?
The simple answer is that the story resonates with families worldwide and highlights the big question – do you know what your child is watching online?
The film serves as an important conversation starter between parents and teens, providing a space to discuss sensitive issues surrounding crime, drug use, mental health, and familial bonds.
In Pakistani society, the message of Adolescence is very powerful, for parents and youth, who lack strong familial bonds and two-way conversation traditions.
Parents are very often unaware of what’s happening in a child’s life.
The reality we must all recognize is that adolescents are being quietly influenced and manipulated by content on the Internet, often from the privacy of their bedrooms—beyond their parents’ knowledge.
The young population is very much influenced by social media networks and are not experienced and confident to understand the way this might impact their life.
Highlighting these complex online dangers, the film draws attention to the rise of extremist groups like INCEL (Involuntary Celibates) are men who feel rejected by women and blame them for their loneliness.
What started as an obscure internet term has evolved into a global online movement promoting misogyny, self-hate, and, in some cases, violence towards women-behaviour that becomes irreversible.
The Red Pill ideology—named after The Matrix—encourages men to “wake up” to the belief that women secretly control society.
These communities fuel rage and encourage men to become dominant, unfeeling, and controlling.
These influencers are dangerous with destructive implications on a youth’s future.
What may start as harmless content quickly spirals into radicalization, often without any outward signs—until it’s too late.
In the series, we meet Jamie, a 13-year-old boy who feels unattractive and unloved.
He turns to online forums seeking connection, but instead finds echo chambers of hate and misogyny.
He joins male-only groups that promote toxic masculinity and absorb dangerous narratives like: “Girls are to blame for boys’ sadness.” and “School is a prison.”
As a result, Jamie’s personality begins to shift.
He grows angry, isolated, and resentful—particularly toward girls.
His reality is being shaped by algorithm-fed videos that glorify aggression, distrust, and emotional repression.
The Neuro Science says that children and adolescents are still developing notions of what is right and wrong and during this period they are extremely influenced.
This happens as adolescents’ brains are still under construction.
The prefrontal cortex—responsible for judgment, decision-making, and self-control—continues to develop until age 25–30.
Meanwhile, the amygdala, which processes fear and anger, is hyperactive during the teen years, making them more impulsive and emotionally reactive.
This is also the time when repeated exposure to harmful ideologies literally rewires the brain, shaping them as permanent beliefs and values.
What’s worse is that these messages are wrapped in humor, memes, videos, games, and even cartoons—content that’s hard for adults to recognize as harmful.
Parents must be concerned and plan a response by opening the door to their child’s heart rather than shutting the door to the world.
Parents can watch TV with the kids, ask questions, learn their language, talk to them with love and logic, create trust, not just control, set some boundaries, encourage offline activity-meals together, normalize conversations about feelings are key areas for action.
Let’s Not Wait Until It’s Too Late.
Even in the most developed societies, children struggle to express their feelings to parents.
In more conservative cultures, as in Pakistan, the gap is even wider—where boys and girls don’t talk about their emotions, and where discussions around sex, love, and relationships are taboo in the family and community.
With the internet filling this gap, porn becomes the sex educator, and online forums replace real relationships.
The result?
A generation that doesn’t know what feelings of love truly means, and that sees vulnerability as weakness.
Many children from well to-do families, in good schools, with everything they need—are silently suffering.
They feel insecure, lonely, and socially disconnected.
And they are turning to online extremism to find identity, power, and belonging.
With the learnings honed during ten years of steering KKAWF programs to empower youth with life-skills and to help them better identify, understand and manage emotions, it is evidenced that youth must be protected and prevented from the lure and dangers of online digital influencers if we want to build a brighter future.
Policy makers need to be concerned on this rising tide of negative social norms.
We need to rethink our family dynamics, build stronger emotional connections, and be present in our children’s lives—not just physically, but emotionally.
Because the danger isn’t loud.
It’s invisible.
It’s silent.
And it’s already inside the house.
Writer is Chairperson, Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation
