So, Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club banishes all catfights and feuds

A recent survey of 19,000 adolescents – conducted by UCD School of Psychology and the Jigsaw charity – revealed that the number of teenagers reporting severe anxiety has doubled since 2012. It also confirmed that there is a gender gap between the sexes, with teenage girls scoring significantly lower than boys in crucial areas such as self-esteem and personal competence.

Analysing the findings, Dr Gillian O’Brien – chief clinical officer at Jigsaw – suggested that the issues could stem from female friendships.

“A lot of the young women we see coming to Jigsaw have issues related to school and peers,” O’Brien said, as reported by The Irish Independent. “There are lots of unwritten, unspoken rules that govern female friendship, and this makes it particularly confusing. Male peer groups tend to operate differently.

“The many swift changes in female friendship underscore feelings of not being safe and secure in school. We see a lot of young women who are upset by being excluded, isolated. You can imagine how that would influence your self-esteem.”

Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club: how this big-hearted TV adaptation expertly dismantles sexist tropes