Streaming series "Maturity" to educate UK students on misogyny
Netflix announced that the hit series Maturity will be available free of charge in high schools across the United Kingdom. The decision was reached following a meeting between the show's creators and the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
The director of "Maturity," Philip Barantini, expressed his excitement, writing on Instagram: "We did it." The four-episode series, which continues to prompt discussions about shielding young boys from misogyny on social media, will be shown in British schools. Netflix decided after talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street.
Netflix series made available for free in British schools
"We want to consider what we as a society can do to stop and prevent young boys from being drawn into this vortex of hate and misogyny," said Prime Minister Starmer. The politician admitted that he watched the series with his 14-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son. "For me, as a father, it was not an easy experience," he added.
"As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content they’re seeing, and exploring the conversations they’re having with their peers," he continued. His office emphasised that showing the series "will help students better understand the impact of misogyny, the dangers of online radicalisation, and the importance of healthy relationships."
Jack Thorne, who believes children should not receive smartphones before age 14, stated that the series was created to "spark a conversation." "We hope it'll lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it'll lead to students talking amongst themselves," he emphasised.
Starmer also pointed to real-life incidents, including the case of Kyle Clifford, who had consumed misogynistic content before murdering his ex-girlfriend, her mother, and her sister. The Prime Minister acknowledged that violence against women is a long-standing issue—deeply damaging and persistent—but remarked that the series Maturity highlights how such violence is now evolving and appearing in new forms.
He emphasised that in the era of social media, ideologies can be "directly fed into our children's minds." "There is no single 'political switch' that could solve this," he stated. "It is a much larger problem, almost cultural, the devastating impact of misogyny on our society."
Jack Thorne expressed hope that the series will help start a meaningful discussion. "It's about other people ... being given the opportunity to have conversations they haven't had before and that they should have had that might lead to policy change and things being made better for our young people," he told Sky News.
According to British media, in schools, besides the screening of the series, special classes with children will be conducted to sensitise them to the psychological violence their peers may experience or encounter online. Even in primary schools, children will be encouraged to "express and understand boundaries, cope with disappointment, and pay attention to their own needs and others'," with content tailored for older students reflecting "the real complexities of romantic and sexual relationships."
"Maturity" made history in British television, becoming the first streaming series to be the most-watched programme of the week worldwide, gathering at least 66.3 million viewers. Data published by the BARB rating agency showed that the first episode was watched by 6.45 million people in the first week. These numbers are expected to be higher, as "Maturity" remains in the top 10 most-watched series list. The series shows the impact of what his peers say about Jamie online on teenage Jamie. The boy begins to hate girls and women, ultimately deciding to murder his schoolmate.
