Every so often, Netflix releases a TV series that captivates audiences, transcending all demographics. ‘Adolescence’ follows the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, and his involvement in the murder of his classmate, Katie. Though what meets the eye is a classic murder investigation story, what unfolds reveals darkness within our current society.
Jamie is initially portrayed as a doe-eyed, innocent, tween, leading viewers to believe they have the wrong boy. As the story unfolds, other classmates are interviewed, incriminating evidence is discovered, interrogations progress and Jamie’s psychological state is evaluated: the classic timeline for discovering a perpetrator.
You might be thinking, this is standard practice for an investigative murder series, so why is everyone buzzing about ‘Adolescence’? What comes to fruition in episode three, though seemingly simple, leads to a critical analysis of modern masculinity and internet culture: emojis in an Instagram comment.
Without giving too much away, Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, played by Ashley Walters, carried through the investigation under the impression that the defendant and victim had a sort of “budding young romance” before the murder as they had been seen commenting on each other’s Instagram profiles.
Katie, the victim, commented that Jamie’s posts in question were a dynamite emoji. To Bascombe, he assumed that it was a form of endearment until his son, a classmate of the pair, informed him that he had it all wrong.
Katie was implying that Jamie is an incel.
Incel culture, referring to “involuntary celibates,” an online subculture of individuals who harbor deep resentment toward women and society due to their perceived inability to form romantic or sexual relationships. Often perpetuated by forums and social media, they typically blame women for their loneliness and view themselves as victims of an unfair dating system.
Prominent figures, such as Andrew Tate, have gained serious traction within these communities by promoting toxic masculinity, encouraging men to adopt domineering attitudes toward women, and claiming that traditional masculinity is under attack. Tate’s rhetoric, which includes denouncing women as inferior and glorifying misogynistic behaviors, resonates with many in the incel subculture.
The negative implications of this culture on society are far-reaching: fostering harmful gender stereotypes and contributing to the normalization of violence against women, as reflected in ‘Adolescence.’ This toxic mindset exacerbates the ever-growing social isolation within modern culture, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates discrimination and harm.
Along with the incredible cinematography, ‘Adolescence’ portrays how detrimental isolation and incel culture are on a grand scale. ‘Adolescence’ exemplified how young boys are being failed due to a lack of positive role models within modern culture, how impressionable these characters with large platforms are, and how women are getting the brunt end of this. The perpetuation of this pressure towards boys results in an amplification of misogyny and violence towards women.
So, where do we go from here?
Although there is no simple answer to this question, media such as ‘Adolescence’ gives us the space for discussion.
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