As we previously reported, Adolescence isn’t a whodunit but a whydunit. The answer of why Jamie murdered his classmate Katie in the Netflix series is far more complex, according to a licensed psychologist.
Similar to Baby Reindeer’s popularity last year, Adolescence has garnered extensive acclaim since its debut on Netflix, captivating audiences with a poignant narrative that tackles genuine real-life concerns, and delivering outstanding, flawless acting from its talented ensemble cast.
Having raced to first place on the streaming service’s Top 10 chart, the new TV show – co-created and written by Jack Thorne and lead star Stephen Graham, and directed by Boiling Point’s Philip Barantini – was filmed in one continuous shot.
The story itself centers around the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering his classmate, Katie Leonard, and the impact this has on his family and the local community.
Why Jamie killed Katie in Adolescence
Psychologist Dr. Amani broke down the Netflix series in a new TikTok video, where she explains that there was no one specific factor that led to the crime – everything from social media and his peers to his upbringing, family life, and developing brain play a role.
After praising the way Adolescence touches on masculinity, identity development, parenting, community, and familial dynamics, Amani says one of the main takeaways is that “there needs to be a collective interest and approach to addressing psychological wellbeing and development.”
Individualism has its limits in our current approach, as one-on-one interactions still require considering the whole person, she points out.
“Yes, they’re here to learn individual things and learn about themselves as an individual, but it never is just about them. There’s way more things at play here and we have to be able to recognize those things and address those things as well.”
Dr. Amani shares a graphic showing psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which showcases the various factors that impact the child at the center of it – in this case, Jamie. They include:
- Chronosystem – The fifth outermost ring, which are changes over time
- Macrosystem – Reflecting the child’s social and cultural values
- Exosystem – The third system involves indirect environments
- Mesosystem – Connections between environments, such as home and school or family and friends
- Microsystems – The immediate environment, such as home, school, and social settings
“We see it in the fourth episode when the parents are trying to figure out, like, what is going on here,” adds Dr. Amani. “How did this happen? Was it them? Was it something else? And the thing is, it’s all of those things, but they’re all interlinked and no one can be to blame completely.
“Even in the fact that the school was under pressure, the fact that the dad had to do extra hours to work, that speaks more to a political and economic climate than it does as those people as individuals.
Each item is connected, and adding social media to the mix intensifies this linkage a tad.
The TikToker emphasizes that taking collective responsibility for cases like Jamie’s requires a shared interest in psychological and brain development.
The psychology of adolescence and impulse control
During the teenage years, people often grapple with Erik Erikson’s concept of identity versus role confusion. This means that as they grow older, teens find it challenging to establish their individual identities while also trying to fit in with their peers and gain social approval.
This ties into brain development, as the reward centers are highly active at the age Jamie is at in the TV show, making teens more impulsive and driven by peer approval. Meanwhile, their executive functioning – the part that regulates decision-making – is not yet fully developed.
In Adolescence, this helps explain why Jamie killed Katie: his need for social validation, combined with his underdeveloped impulse control, created a dangerous situation when influenced by external pressures like social media, peer dynamics, and his broader environment.
“ They’re trying to figure out where they should be in the world and who they are as people. When they outsource that to social media, the amount of information that their brain can take in, it makes them very vulnerable,” says Dr. Amani.
“And as adults, we have to be interested in that. In the show, we see the generational differences.”
She continues to delve into the conversation where Adam talks with his father, DI Luke Bascombe, about the significance of different emojis, and he appears puzzled by it all – even showing a lack of interest at some point.
She points out that it’s essential to establish some boundaries when dealing with children, but at the same time, one should take an active interest in their experiences, she clarifies.
A significant scene from Episode 3 involves Jamie’s discussion with child psychologist Briony Ariston, where he opens up about his feelings.
“ Shame and guilt and insecurity to anger and trying to gain control – that needs to be paid attention to as well,” she continues. “Because I think it speaks to how emotional distress can manifest within boys and men because of societal expectations of them.”
This is something Dr. Amani has experienced in her own work. ”When I’m working with boys, I’ve seen high levels of anger and destruction,” she says.
Beneath the visible signs of anger and aggression, there are deep-seated issues like depression, trauma, and a low self-image that often come with feelings of shame. However, these underlying problems are seldom acknowledged due to the dominant display of these negative emotions.
She concludes by suggesting that we should start addressing these problems by investing in related areas, keeping a keen eye on them, and taking action where necessary to address the ongoing issues.
Many people have left comments on the post, and a lot of them think that there should be increased public knowledge about this issue.
“As somebody who works in secondary education I think staff need a lot more training on mental health and child development so we can understand behaviors even more,” said one.
“We need to start a petition to ban social media under 16 or 18,” wrote another, while a third added, “As an educator and youth worker doing an MA, my fingers were aching from making notes! Absolutely amazing.”
A fourth person added, “I haven’t seen it myself, but as a psychology graduate student, your points resonate with me. It’s a particularly sensitive period in life, especially when young adults are attempting to break away from their parents’ ideologies.
You can stream “Adolescence” on Netflix right now! Learn about why there won’t be another season, and discover other TV shows to enjoy with our 2025 calendar.
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2025-03-17 14:26