Netflix makes the hit series Adolescence free for all UK schools

A bold step to bring difficult conversations into the classroom. Netflix is offering its powerful drama Adolescence, completely free, to every secondary school in the United Kingdom. The series, now accessible through the Into Film+ platform, is being introduced not just as entertainment, but as a tool to help schools talk to students about what they’re really going through, online and off.

At the center of the story is Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate. But this isn’t just a crime drama. It’s a raw, quiet look at how young people, especially boys, can be pulled into dark corners of the internet when no one’s paying close enough attention.

Over four episodes, the show doesn’t try to shock. Instead, it slowly builds a world that feels uncomfortably real, following Jamie as he slips further into online spaces filled with toxic messages, false promises, and voices that sound like guidance but lead him somewhere much darker.

Adolescence doesn't wrap things up neatly. There’s no big reveal or dramatic conclusion. It just feels real, messy, confusing, and painfully familiar to anyone who’s watched a teenager struggle to find their place in a world that’s constantly demanding something from them.

A digital world with real-life consequences

Teenagers today don’t just use the internet. They live in it. It’s where they spend their time, find their communities, and often, absorb ideas about who they should be. That can be exciting, but also dangerous. There’s a growing worry among parents and teachers about the kinds of content young people are exposed to: influencers who disguise hate as confidence, forums that praise aggression, and videos that twist vulnerability into weakness.

These aren’t abstract risks. They're showing up in real life. Schools are seeing it in the way students talk to one another, how they treat themselves, and how quickly some of them spiral into isolation or fear. The hard truth is, a lot of kids don’t have the tools, or the support, to figure out what’s healthy and what isn’t. That’s where education has to step in. But it’s hard to start that kind of conversation, especially when the subject feels too big, too personal, or too sensitive.

That’s why this move from Netflix is more than just generous, it’s useful. Adolescence gives schools a way to begin these talks through story, not lecture. It helps shift the focus from what’s wrong with teens today to what are they facing, and how do we help?

Learning through storytelling

The series comes with support materials created in partnership with Tender, a charity that works with young people to prevent abuse and promote healthy relationships. But the episodes themselves do a lot of the work. They create space for students to see themselves, to talk honestly, and to hear from their peers in a setting that feels grounded and safe.

It’s not about pointing fingers or creating fear. It’s about showing what can happen when someone slips through the cracks, and what might change if they’re seen earlier. For some students, it might be the first time they feel like the grown-ups in the room understand what it’s like to be them.

What this could mean moving forward

Giving free access to a show like Adolescence doesn’t solve everything. But it’s a step. It says: we see what’s happening, and we want to do something about it. That kind of message matters, especially now.

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The long-term impact might not be obvious right away, but planting the seed can be enough. When schools open the door to real conversations, about mental health, misogyny, pressure, loneliness, they give students a chance to slow down, reflect, and maybe choose a different path than the one laid out in their feed.

And if that shift happens even for a few of them? Then maybe a quiet series like Adolescence, played in a classroom on an ordinary afternoon, might end up changing more than just minds.

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