People can't stop talking about the series "Adolescence" that debuted on Netflix last week and immediately rose to the top of the most watched productions.
While it tackles serious issues like toxic masculinity, there are also some telling details that relate to how psychologists learn more about us in ways that may seem completely mundane.
Although some viewers may not have thought about it long, many people pointed out that in the third episode of the series, psychology offers the protagonist half of its sandwich.
The teenager, accused of murdering a peer, is sitting at the table with psychologist Briony (Erin Doherty) when she offers him half a sandwich with cheese and pickles - ingredients that the protagonist does not like.
The two are chatting, when the psychologist decides to offer him a light meal, along with a cup of hot chocolate. This choice may seem like an insignificant detail to some, but it turns out to be much more important.
What is the purpose of this action?
Many said it was to provoke the protagonist, although no one knew for sure the reasoning behind this move.
According to psychologist Dannielle Haig, this move was an attempt to understand Jamie's thought process and reactions.
"Half of the sandwich, especially the fact that it contains something he doesn't like, may be a way to test his reaction," says the psychologist.
Will he throw it away? Will he politely decline or comment on it? Will he be indifferent or outraged?
His reaction reveals something deeper about his personality. If he accepts it without saying a word, it could mean that a feeling of helplessness dominates his life, as he is used to people doing things for him without asking him.
Haig also explained that if he had refused the sandwich altogether, he might have demonstrated a "need to exercise control in a situation in which he may not have power."
It's a smart way to assess how Jamie sees himself in relation to figures who have power over him and whether he feels capable of expressing his own needs.
The power of disappointment in psychology
Psychotherapist, Aspa Paspalis, notes in her Instagram post that this move is not a simple detail.
"It is a deliberate and measured action."
She did this to see how Jamie reacts when he's not given what he wants. When a child constantly accepts what doesn't suit them, something inside them breaks.
"That's what happens in the sandwich scene in the series."
What is the message behind hot chocolate?
"Hot chocolate is a comforting act that gives you a sense of motherhood. It's something associated with warmth, security and childhood, a stark contrast to the harsh reality of Jamie's situation."
However, this action is contrasted by giving him a food he doesn't like.
According to experts, this method is a tool for observing through loss: If you don't get what you want, what happens?
This is how we learn what is hidden inside someone, not through words.
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