NetflixAs 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.
Much like Baby Reindeer last year, Adolescence has enjoyed widespread success since landing on Netflix, telling a heart-wrenching story that deals with real-world issues, with compelling, impeccable performances from its 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.”
“The way that we’re doing at the moment, when everything is very individualistic, it only goes so far. Even me when I’m working with someone one on one, I can’t just think of the individual,” she says.
“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
Netflix“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.
“All of these things are interlinked, and when you bring social media into it as well, it ramps it up a little bit.”
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
She references Erik Erikson’s theory of identity versus role confusion, explaining that during adolescence, individuals struggle to define themselves outside of their parents while also seeking social acceptance.
NetflixThis 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 goes on to discuss the scene in which Adam speaks with his dad, DI Luke Bascombe, about the meaning of the various emojis, and how he just doesn’t get it – and seems disinterested at one point.
“ Yes, there needs to be a level of boundaries between an adult and a child, but you have to show interest in what is happening with them,” she explains.
Another notable moment is Jamie’s “emotional processing” in Episode 3, as he speaks with child psychologist Briony Ariston.
“ 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.
“There’s actually underlying depression and trauma, which tend to come along with shame and poor sense of self. But you never get to address those things because what we see on the surface is anger and aggression.”
She finishes by saying the first step of tackling these issues is to “invest in these things, be very conscious of them, and do something about the things that are happening.”
Dozens of individuals have commented on the post, with many agreeing there needs to be more awareness.
“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 chimed in, “I haven’t watched yet, but as a Masters in psychology student, everything you’ve said tracks. That’s such a vulnerable age especially as they’re trying to distance themselves from their parents’ beliefs.”
Adolescence is streaming on Netflix now. You can read about why there won’t be a Season 2, and find more TV shows to watch with our 2025 calendar.
