A recent viral video involving two senior professionals at a high-profile event has captured widespread attention online. The individuals, believed to be in leadership roles at a major company, were caught in an unexpected moment during a public broadcast. Within hours, the footage had been shared across multiple platforms, leading to intense speculation, reputational fallout, and at least one public resignation.
As a teacher and school leader, I found this story unsettling not only because of its scandalous nature, but also because of what it reveals about the world our students are growing up in and what it demands of us as educators.
Today’s post explores what we can learn from incidents like this, and how we can turn such viral moments into reflective lessons about online privacy, personal conduct, and our responsibilities as digital role models.
When Private Moments Go Public: The Reality of Visibility
Whether we are at a concert, a café, or the classroom, our actions are increasingly visible. Surveillance, smartphones, and social sharing have blurred the line between public and private life.
As educators, this means:
We must be vigilant about our conduct at all times, even off duty. A momentary lapse in judgment in a public space can quickly be misinterpreted, misrepresented, or magnified.
Professionalism matters, not just in what we say or teach, but in how we behave when we think no one is watching.
We model behaviour every day, and our students are watching, both directly and indirectly. We must model what discretion, integrity, and accountability look like.
Turning Scandals into Teachable Moments
We do not need to refer to any specific incident to raise important conversations in school. Here are some key points we can teach students based on real-life viral events:
Digital footprints are permanent: A short video can become part of a person’s lasting online identity, whether or not it tells the full story.
Context can be lost online: What appears scandalous may be misunderstood. Teaching students about media literacy and critical thinking is essential.
Online virality can affect anyone: Teachers, students, CEOs, or bystanders. Everyone must be prepared for the possibility that their actions could be made public.
Understanding Gen Z Reactions: The “Stare” and Social Signals
Another viral issue that has been circulating online recently is the so-called Gen Z stare: a blank, emotionless gaze that’s often given in response to a question or a prompt (e.g. “Good morning”) . This expression has sparked debates about disconnection and digital fatigue. Often misinterpreted as disengagement or rudeness, psychologists suggest it reflects emotional fatigue, social anxiety, and screen-conditioned detachment shaped by the pandemic and digital overstimulation (Abad‑Santos, 2025; Parents.com, 2025).
This behavioural response is especially relevant in a world where viral scandals can erupt from a single misstep. Gen Z, having grown up in the age of instant exposure and constant surveillance, may use this neutral expression as a defense mechanism: a way to stay invisible, nonreactive, and less likely to become the next meme or viral subject (Business Insider, 2025).
For teachers, understanding this is vital. The Gen Z stare may not be a sign of disinterest but a reflection of life in a hyper-visible world. Just as viral scandals show how a moment of expression can be captured, judged, and amplified without context, young people have adapted by limiting visible reactions altogether. It is a protective habit shaped by the same digital environment that punishes vulnerability and rewards detachment.
What does this mean for us as teachers?
We must interpret behaviour compassionately. What looks like disengagement could be masking anxiety, overstimulation, or social overload.
We need to talk about emotional expression. Gen Z may not display reactions the same way older generations do, but their feelings are just as complex.
We can connect the dots in the classroom. By connecting real events to classroom discussions, we can help students explore social perception, emotion, and ethical behaviour in the digital space.
Practical Classroom Applications
Focus Area
Teaching Strategy
Digital citizenship
Use anonymised real-world events to explore privacy, consent, and online responsibility.
Media literacy
Analyse viral videos and discuss how framing, editing, and commentary influence public perception.
Emotional intelligence
Discuss the Gen Z stare and other behavioural trends to unpack nonverbal cues and empathy.
Personal accountability
Reflect on how our actions, even outside of school, can have unintended consequences.
Connecting to Broader Teaching Goals
In a previous post, The 7 Golden Rules of Communication for Online Meetings, I talked about the importance of presence, body language, and clarity. These themes come up again when we consider how others perceive us in a digitally saturated world.
Another post of mine, 5 Mistakes Teachers Are Making When Delivering Slide Presentations, reminds us that authenticity matters more than polish. This is true not just in the classroom but in our personal lives as well. Our credibility matters when we are addressing our students, or an audience, for that matter.
Final Thoughts
While scandals may dominate the headlines for a day or two, their lessons can linger much longer. As educators, we are in a unique position to:
Teach our students about digital resilience and responsibility
Set a consistent example of thoughtful conduct
Help young people interpret and learn from the world they see online
By turning viral moments into meaningful conversations, we not only protect ourselves: we empower our students to navigate their future with integrity and awareness.
As an educator who’s been living and working in Thailand for almost 20 years, I’ve come to accept something many educators face globally: news of war and conflict walks into our classrooms whether we invite it or not. From the war between Russia and Ukraine to the recent Iran/Israel escalation, rising tensions between China and Taiwan, and the sporadic disputes along the Thai/Cambodian border, these aren’t just geopolitical headlines. For many of our students, they are anxiety-inducing, deeply personal, and inescapable parts of the world they’re growing up in.
And here’s something I’ve learned: you don’t have to be a history or global politics teacher to be asked tough questions about war. I’ve had discussions about current conflicts emerge during maths, science, and even PSHE lessons. The truth is, any high school teacher could be called to respond to these sensitive and complex issues. When that moment comes, how we respond matters more than what subject we teach.
Tip #1: Start by listening, not lecturing
In times of global conflict, students often bring their worries into the classroom unexpectedly. It might stem from what they’ve seen on TikTok, heard at home, or picked up from peers. I always begin these conversations by asking open-ended questions like:
“What have you heard?” or “How are you feeling about that?”
This allows me to assess their emotional state and the accuracy of their information. Research supports this approach: students are more likely to engage meaningfully in civic discourse when they feel safe and heard (Hess & McAvoy, 2014).
Tip #2: All teachers need to be ready for these conversations
Some colleagues have said to me, “That’s a humanities issue.” But I disagree. In today’s hyperconnected world, every teacher is potentially a sounding board for students’ emotional and intellectual processing of conflict.
In my own experience:
A student once asked me about nuclear war during a chemistry class.
Another wanted to know if the Middle East would be “dragged into” a wider regional conflict, right before a mathematics starter activity.
Others have written about conflict in science coursework assignments or referenced it during presentation work.
When we assume that only certain teachers handle these topics, we miss opportunities to support and guide students in the moments they need us most.
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Tip #3: Teach civil disagreement across all disciplines
Classroom discussions can become emotionally charged, especially in multicultural settings where students may have personal connections to conflicting regions. Teaching the skill of respectful dialogue is essential.
Even in subjects like science, maths, or business, I’ve found value in short protocols:
Set clear ground rules for discussion.
Use sentence stems like “I see it differently because…” or “That’s a good point, but I wonder…”.
Model calm, balanced responses if/when things get tense.
Respectful disagreement is a skill for life, not just for history class (Levine, 2007).
#4: Use conflict as a lens for interdisciplinary learning
Discussing war doesn’t have to derail your lesson. Instead, it can be an opportunity to connect your subject to real-world relevance. For example:
In science: Explore the physics behind missile technology or the effects of radiation exposure.
In ICT: Examine cyber warfare and its implications.
In maths: Use refugee migration data to teach statistics.
In business or economics: Analyze the financial impact of sanctions or military spending.
If you are able to think on your feet and get creative with linking the discussion to your content, then this can really assist in facilitating the deep learning process. If you’re bold enough, and if you have time, you could even get groups of students involved in some kind of project that links the conflict topic to your subject area: just be sure to provide some source material and lots of guidance along the way.
This makes learning more engaging while showing students that the world’s problems aren’t siloed into one academic subject.
#5: Equip students to evaluate information critically
In the age of algorithm-driven news feeds, students often encounter emotional and misleading content. As I highlighted in my earlier post on Responding Thoughtfully to Controversial Topics, we need to give students tools to navigate a flood of half-truths and sensationalism.
It’s a good idea to teach the CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) in every subject area, not just humanities (Blakeslee, 2004). Using this, we can practice spotting bias in headlines, comparing different media sources, and fact-checking viral claims. Critical thinking belongs everywhere.
Tip#6: Maintain professional distance while being supportive
Sometimes these conversations can take a toll on us as teachers: especially if we feel pressured to take sides or reveal our own opinions. As I outlined in Maintaining Professional Distance as a High School Teacher, we must manage our emotional investment carefully.
We can care deeply about our students without making our classrooms emotionally overwhelming. Set clear boundaries, acknowledge uncertainty, and remind students that the classroom is a place for learning, not for political debate or division.
Tip #7: Always end with hope and human agency
Students need to know that while war is devastating, history is also filled with peacebuilders, diplomats, and communities who choose cooperation over destruction. I try my best to end conversations about conflict with examples of:
International aid workers
Diplomats resolving crises
Youth-led movements promoting peace
Research suggests that when young people feel hopeful and empowered, they are better able to cope with the stress of global challenges (Ojala, 2012). Even simple class projects, like creating awareness posters or writing letters to NGOs, can help foster this sense of agency.
War and conflict are difficult to teach about. They stir up emotion, uncertainty, and fear. But if we shy away from these conversations, we risk leaving students alone with their questions and worries. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about creating safe spaces to explore difficult topics with honesty, empathy, and intellectual courage.
And remember, you don’t have to be a history teacher to make a lasting impact. You just need to be present, prepared, and willing to guide the conversation with care.
Levine, P. (2007). The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens. Medford: Tufts University Press.
Ojala, M. (2012). Hope and climate change: The importance of hope for environmental engagement among young people. Environmental Education Research, 18(5), pp.625–642.
A full bibliography of sources cited in this blog post can be found at the end.
The Netflix miniseries Adolescence has sparked widespread acclaim for its gripping storytelling and innovative production. However, as an educator and school leader, I believe it also demands a more critical lens. While the series raises important issues such as online radicalisation and so-called toxic masculinity, it does so through a narrative that often paints men as aggressors and women as victims, with little room for nuance or balance. In reality, many boys today are grappling with a deep sense of confusion and disconnection, lacking positive male role models and meaningful guidance. Masculinity, when expressed through integrity, service, and courage, has an essential place in our communities. Rather than vilifying young men, we should be supporting them. Adolescence offers a powerful starting point for discussion. Yet, we must go further toward a more compassionate, realistic, and inclusive conversation about what it means to grow up male in today’s world.
The Plot That Sparked a National Conversation
Adolescence tells the fictional story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, who is arrested for the alleged murder of his female classmate, Katie Leonard. Told in a real-time, one-shot format, the drama unfolds over the course of a single day per episode, immersing viewers in Jamie’s psychological descent and the influences that shape his world (Netflix Tudum, 2025).Having seen all episodes myself, I can definitely speak to the excellent cinematography that has taken place: even if I don’t agree with the way that the series portrays certain aspects of modern life in Britain (more on that, later).
The show features a cast led by Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco, portraying Jamie’s parents, and uses tension and claustrophobia to magnify the real-life pressures facing today’s adolescents (IMDB, 2025). The technical execution alone earned it acclaim as a “technical masterpiece” (Forbes, 2025), but its societal relevance is what has elevated it to educational importance.
The Manosphere and Digital Misogyny
At the heart of Adolescence lies a chilling exposure of the ‘manosphere’, which is portrayed as a cluster of online spaces promoting extreme and often misogynistic interpretations of gender roles. Andrew Tate, a prominent and controversial figure in these circles, is not directly portrayed but looms large in the type of online content Jamie consumes (Business Insider, 2025).
The dangers of such content are not fictional. Many teens fall into these digital rabbit holes unknowingly, encountering ideologies that validate resentment, blame, and aggression. (Independent, 2025). These online narratives offer simple answers to complex emotions that can be devastating when internalised by teenagers.
BritishGovernment Response and the Role of Schools
In response to the show’s impact and the wider societal issues it reflects, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a national summit on online safety, calling attention to the urgent need to combat the radicalisation of boys online (Sky News, 2025). Subsequently, the UK government has now partnered with Netflix to make the series freely available to all secondary schools across the country (Netflix, 2025).
Education leaders and safeguarding organisations, such as the Diana Award, have endorsed the show as a powerful tool to initiate difficult but necessary conversations around misogyny, online influence, and emotional wellbeing (Diana Award, 2025).
Classroom Applications and Resources for Teachers
For educators, Adolescence opens doors to a variety of curriculum-aligned conversations. Teachers can use the series as a gateway to:
Discussions about media literacy
Promoting respectful relationships and consent
Exploring the psychological impact of digital echo chambers
Examining the roles of empathy, family, and communication in teenage development
Organisations such as SecEd and Services for Education offer downloadable lesson plans and discussion guides (SecEd, 2025; Services for Education, 2025). See the bibliography at the end for links to these resources.
Critical Responses and Debates
Despite its success, Adolescence has not been without controversy. Some critics accused the show’s creators of “race-swapping” a story that echoed a real-life case. Co-creator Jack Thorne addressed these concerns, asserting that the series was entirely fictional and designed to address masculinity rather than race (Entertainment Weekly, 2025).
Others have raised concerns about the depiction of educators in the series. A piece from TES questioned why school staff were portrayed as unsympathetic or ineffective. While such portrayals may serve dramatic purposes, they also invite reflection on how schools can better support vulnerable students (TES Magazine, 2025).For educators outside of the UK, like myself, the series shines a light on challenges that UK teachers face on a daily basis, such as behaviour management, active engagement strategies (teachers are portrayed as showing videos to their classes a little too often, in my opinion) and safeguarding.
The Need for Nuance
Multiple commentators, including writers from The Guardian, stress the importance of addressing online safety in nuanced, evidence-based ways. Not every boy exposed to manosphere content becomes radicalised, and not every digital experience is harmful (The Guardian, 2025). Effective teaching and parental engagement remain the most powerful defences against dangerous ideologies.
A Call to Action?
More than just a fictional mini-series, Adolescence is (apparently) a wake-up call. It explores how easily young people can spiral when left unsupported (Harper’s Bazaar, 2025). Its release has catalysed national conversations, encouraged governmental policy shifts, and provided some educators with a compelling resource for classroom use, if they wish to use it.
For educators, the series offers a timely reminder: We are not only teaching subjects; we are guiding lives in an era where influence comes from both the classroom and the algorithm.
Final thoughts
As an educator with over two decades of classroom experience and a firm belief in the power of teachers to positively engineer a child’s future, I commend Adolescence for sparking a national conversation about the digital influences shaping our young people. However, while the show courageously tackles the rise of misogyny and online radicalisation, it misses a deeper and equally urgent reality. Boys today are crying out for positive identity formation, structure, and purpose. In casting men primarily as perpetrators and women as victims, the series presents a one-sided narrative that risks alienating the very demographic it seeks to help. Masculinity, when grounded in responsibility, courage, and empathy, plays a vital role in society. This is a message that is absent from the series but essential in any educational conversation about gender.
Let us not allow Adolescence to become another well-meaning yet unbalanced depiction of complex issues. Instead, educators should use it as a springboard for wider discussions. These should not only address the dangers of the manosphere but also highlight the value of healthy male role models, the pressures boys face, and the often invisible expectations placed upon them. From dangerous jobs to frontline rescue work, men continue to carry burdens that deserve recognition and not ridicule. As teachers, we must move beyond binary blame games and create classroom spaces that nurture all students, including boys, into becoming thoughtful, resilient, and compassionate individuals. That, after all, is the heart of great teaching.
When students unexpectedly bring up sensitive or controversial topics in class—such as questions about Bonnie Blue (a British adult content creator who recently became wildly infamous due to provocative activities and public notoriety), or other ignominious public figures, such as Andrew Tate—teachers may feel unprepared. How should we respond when children ask about such material?
Though we, as educators, would not actively introduce such subjects, it’s important to handle spontaneous student inquiries with care, professionalism, and purpose. What follows next are some strategies that everyday teachers can use to navigate these delicate moments.
1. Stay Calm and Neutral
Maintain a neutral stance and avoid expressing personal opinions. Calmly acknowledge the student’s question and remind the class of the need for respectful, considerate dialogue. Remaining calm sets a professional tone and models appropriate behavior for students (CRLT, n.d.)
2. Redirect the Conversation Appropriately
Gently steer the conversation back toward educational content. If a student asks about Bonnie Blue or a similar figure, briefly acknowledge their query without elaborating unnecessarily. You might say, “That’s a topic many people are discussing right now. Let’s focus on how we critically assess information we see online” (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2022).
3. Emphasize Media Literacy and Critical Thinking
Use the opportunity to reinforce skills in media literacy and critical thinking. Rather than discussing Bonnie Blue or other notorious personalities specifically, guide students to analyze why certain figures gain media attention and how sensationalism affects public perception. This approach transforms the conversation into a meaningful lesson (Teen Vogue, 2021).
4. Provide General, Balanced Context
If students persist in questions, offer balanced and minimal factual context without explicit details. Briefly mention that certain individuals become well-known due to controversial behaviors or statements, and then emphasize the importance of understanding sources, biases, and responsible online behavior (The Choices Program, n.d.).
5. Protect Classroom Boundaries
Reaffirm classroom boundaries by reminding students about appropriate topics for school discussion. Clarify that while curiosity is natural, certain topics—especially those involving mature content—should be addressed with parents or caregivers outside of the school environment (Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, n.d.).
6. Reflect Privately if Necessary
Consider following up privately with students who show persistent interest. A private conversation can clarify misunderstandings, address potential concerns, and allow teachers to provide guidance within an appropriate and supportive framework (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2022).
Closing thoughts
By thoughtfully and tactfully handling unexpected student questions about controversial topics like Bonnie Blue, teachers can maintain a respectful classroom atmosphere and foster important life skills in media literacy and critical thinking.
References
CRLT (n.d.) Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or Controversial Topics. University of Michigan. Available at: https://crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsd (Accessed: 23 February 2025).
