Have you watched Adolescence? It seems like everyone in my life has. The Netflix show, which follows a boy accused of the murder of a girl at his school, is being discussed intently by parents at the school gates, among my family and in our newsroom. And now Prime Minister Keir Starmer is keen for teenagers to watch it too, supporting the showing of the drama in schools.
Of course, inspiring more conversations about the dangers of the manosphere and online misogyny is a worthy aim. But ideally, teaching resources on this topic would be carefully designed as such. Expert in relationships and sex education Sophie King-Hill explains the problems with screening a drama focused on one, extreme case – including the risk of boys feeling alienated and blamed. We also have some tips on what the best ways to talk to children about the issues raised in the show might be.
For our latest Insights long read, we hear from an engineer who is using her research to help rebuild critical infrastructure in her home country of Ukraine. And footage has emerged of China’s new landing barges, designed to enable a large military force to land on a beach. We asked a naval expert to tell us what this might mean about possible plans China might have to invade Taiwan.
|
|
Grace Allen
Education and Young People Editor
|
|
Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, in Netflix’s Adolescence. Cr. Courtesy of Ben Blackall/Netflix © 2024.
Courtesy of Ben Blackall/Netflix © 2024
Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham
The series shows an extreme example of one teenager drawn into the world of masculinity influencers.
|
People cross a destroyed bridge as they flee from the frontline town of Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine, in March 2022.
EPA-EFE/ROMAN PILIPEY
Nadiia Kopiika, University of Birmingham
Bridges are not just engineering projects, they are lifelines.
|
How the Shuqiao barges may be used to ferry troops ashore.
X (formerly Twitter)
Matthew Heaslip, University of Portsmouth
China’s new amphibious barges raise questions about how they may be used – and when.
|
World
|
-
Moign Khawaja, Dublin City University
Carefully scripted and staged videos presented an image of a modern functioning state.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Annabel Hoare, Anglia Ruskin University
What parents need to know about misogynistic communities online.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Kiera Vaclavik, Queen Mary University of London
Babe is a film with real heart, based on a richly drawn children’s book which advocates for brains over brawn, respectful communication and common decency.
-
Michael Newton, Leiden University
Like an ageing rock band contracted for one last farewell tour, in Cymbeline, Shakespeare’s back playing the hits.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
James Fletcher, University of Bath; Olivia Brown, University of Bath
A new study shows dementia doesn’t have to mean retirement for workers who aren’t ready to leave, thanks to AI tools already being rolled out.
|
|
Environment
|
-
Will Hawkes, University of Exeter
Flies are the most ecologically diverse and important migrant group. We just had no idea.
-
Karen Bickerstaff, University of Exeter; Alice Moseley, University of Exeter; Patrick Devine-Wright, University of Exeter
The best net zero solutions galvanise people and make policy relatable. By giving communities a sense of agency, successful transformation is more likely.
|
|
Health
|
-
Maximilienne Toetie Allaart, University of Tübingen
Hydrogen sulfide is just one of the smelly molecules our gut microbes produce.
-
Nicola Robinson, Liverpool John Moores University; Sigrid Olthof, Liverpool John Moores University
Hyrox offers physiological benefits for athletes of all skill levels.
-
Rebecca Ellis, Swansea University
For some, a bouncing leg or a clicking pen is harmless. But for those with misokinesia, these small, repetitive movements can trigger intense discomfort—even rage.
-
Nigel Mulligan, Dublin City University
Does the growing popularity of AI therapy herald the rise of the chatbot and the demise of the talking cure?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|