A recent episode of The Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast opened with a simple but telling question to a teenage boy: ‘What do you like about being a boy?’ His answer? ‘Not much.’
Like many people right now, the episode was discussing the hit Netflix series Adolescence. The show follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is arrested for murdering a schoolmate, and dives into issues of mental health, masculinity, family, and the impacts of social media on young people. It’s a profound watch that’s struck a chord with audiences.
We’ve seen time and again how storytelling can shape public policy. Look at Mr Bates vs The Post Office–a drama that exposed a huge injustice and led to real-life government action, including compensation plans, new legislation, and even criminal investigations.
Adolescence only landed this month, but it’s already got people talking. The UK Prime Minister has mentioned it in Parliament, and it’s now set to be shown in schools across the UK. The show’s creators have even called for a ban on smartphones for under-16s.
Listening to the podcast, I couldn’t help but think about my work at the Centre for Public Impact (CPI). Every day, I use online spaces to help advance our mission to reimagine government by connecting people and amplifying voices. However, I’ve also seen it be used by others to spread misinformation and expose young people to real harm.
If Adolescence has shown us anything, it’s that we need to listen to young people when making decisions about their online safety. Too often, they’re left out of the conversations that shape the policies affecting them most. But from working with governments, I’ve seen that the best policies come from real engagement. So why not put young people at the centre?
Navigating online safety challenges
One of the biggest concerns raised in Adolescence is how easily young people can be pulled into harmful online spaces. Whether it’s misogynistic influencers, toxic algorithms, or radicalisation forums, social media can be a dangerous place. While governments have started to act, there are still some serious gaps that are hotly contested in mainstream dialogue:
- Algorithmic transparency: Platforms shape online experiences, but we still don’t fully understand how. To help make digital spaces safer, there should be more transparency around how algorithms work, their risks, and how to mitigate these.
- Stronger age safeguards: The UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act are steps in the right direction, but enforcement is another story. Age-verification measures need to be better, and harmful content needs stricter moderation.
- Shared responsibility: Online safety isn’t just about regulation–tech firms, governments, and communities all play a role. Platforms should assess and publicly report their impact on young users.
Why young people should lead the conversation
Stricter rules are important, but rules alone won’t fix the problem. If young people don’t trust policymakers, they’ll just find ways around the restrictions. Instead of shutting them out, we should work with them to find solutions that make sense in their world. Here’s how that could look:
- Youth advisory councils: Formal groups where young people can directly influence policies affecting their digital lives. For example, in our work with the UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition to deliver Youth4Climate: Powering Action, we supported 100 young climate innovators to embed complexity, experimentation, and storytelling into their climate solutions.
- Real engagement, not tokenism: Governments and tech companies should consult young people properly, whether through focus groups, digital forums, or social media polls. Calgary’s creative approach to involving young people in policymaking shows how meaningful participation can lead to better outcomes.
- Practical digital literacy: Young people need more than just ‘don’t do it’ talks. They need to understand how algorithms shape their online experiences, recognise harmful content, and know what steps to take if they encounter bullying, hate, or threats online. This blog dives into digital equity, as demonstrated by the Singapore government’s efforts to ensure no one is excluded from digital participation due to financial or literacy constraints.
- Better mental health support: If we’re serious about tackling the effects of social media, we need to ensure young people have access to proper mental health resources, whether in schools or online. This case study on Latrobe Valley’s mental health café illustrates the effectiveness of community-designed mental health support systems.
Where do we go from here?
The issues raised in Adolescence aren’t going away anytime soon, and they’re too big for governments or tech companies to fix alone. We need to work together–policymakers, educators, parents, and most importantly, young people themselves.
At CPI, we believe governance should be inclusive, and that means listening to the people most affected. A meaningful response to Adolescence isn’t just about regulating digital spaces–it’s about empowering young people to shape the policies that affect them.
