Entrepreneur and Shark Tank India judge Namita Thapar has sparked a powerful conversation on parenting, adolescent mental health, and hustle culture with a deeply personal post that connects themes from the Netflix series Adolescence to the controversial 70-hour workweek.
Sharing her thoughts on LinkedIn, Thapar titled her post: “My take on parenting. Adolescence on Netflix and 70 hour work week — a correlation and evidence-based opinion.”
The post comes amid ongoing debates around long work hours in India, reignited last year when Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy suggested that young Indians should work 70 hours a week.
Thapar argued that parenting under pressure—especially when combined with a demanding work culture—can leave lasting emotional scars on children. Drawing from both the show and her own life as a mother of two teenage boys, she wrote:
“As a parent of teens (my boys are 19 and 14), this show stirred something deep in me… Kids are fragile. They idolise their parents. If they feel they are not living up to the parents’ expectations… they have massive pent-up negativity… Parents may have no bad intent and may not even be aware.”
Using Adolescence as a case study, she highlighted the emotional arc of the character Jamie, who felt neglected and misunderstood by his father. Thapar paralleled this with her own teenage years:
“I had a thick voice, facial hair, very tomboyish… My mom made me take singing and Kathak classes… My father tried to move me to a better school. I felt he was ‘ashamed’. Bottomline — two good parents, great intent but their actions led to years of low self-esteem and emotional eating. I recovered, got stronger. Not everyone does.”
Thapar also cited The Self-Driven Child, a book that recommends empowering children by letting them make their own decisions—while consistently showing pride and emotional support.
“Detach. Stop trying to fix things you feel they lack… But over-communicate how proud you are of them,” she said, calling that message more important than any correction.
Thapar issued a direct warning to proponents of hustle culture. “Say NO to 70 hour weeks — or if you want that life, say no to being a parent! I rest my case. Hope the proponents of 70/90 hour a week watch this show.”
Her post ends with a reminder that confidence is the greatest gift parents can offer. Noticing signs of low self-esteem early and seeking professional help, she said, is critical before emotional issues escalate.
Adolescence, the four-part limited series starring Stephen Graham, has received widespread acclaim and clearly struck a chord with Thapar—and many parents navigating similar dilemmas.
