The TV series ‘Adolescence’ starts with a police squad raiding a house to arrest a 13-year-old Jamie who was sleeping in his bed. At the police station, we are shown CCTV footage of Jamie following a female classmate of the same age, arguing with her in the park then stabbing her with a knife. We are told that the girl is dead and Jamie is the killer.
As I watched this I kept thinking that the police made a mistake and someone else would turn out to be the killer, not Jamie. In the third episode, we see Jamie in custody being interviewed by a female psychologist who tries to explore the rage he has against the girl he murdered because she rejected him, calling him an incel, a term used to describe a man who is unable to attract women.
The series attempts to display the concept of ‘toxic masculinity’ and how it drives some young men to behave aggressively toward women. It makes references to popular social media influencers who spread such ideologies, making young boys believe that dominance and emotional repression define manhood.
We learn how teenagers from Jamie’s school use coded language and emojis on social media platforms such as Instagram to bully each other in a way not noticeable to parents and teachers which makes its impact more devastating.
The final episode shows how Jamie’s family trying to find an answer to the question “How did they raise such a monster”? Did they turn a blind eye to the content he watched online? Did the father show disappointment that Jamie was not fulfilling the image of a ‘real man’ by not excelling in sports?
Psychologists often define toxic masculinity as a cluster of behaviours that foster the devaluation of women, homophobia, and violence. In many societies, boys are taught early that to be a ‘real man’ means to be tough, silent, assertive, and emotionally numb. Those who don’t fit that mould, or those who try and fail can become angry, ashamed, or destructive.
The series ‘Adolescence’ doesn’t offer easy answers nor does it dive into the roots of toxic masculinity, Instead, it leaves the audience with the question of what is society teaching young boys, not through lectures, but through our silences, our screens, and our culture.
It was interesting to learn that ‘Adolescence’ received an excellent public reception including a positive remark from the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who described it as “a torch that shines intensely brightly on a combination of issues that many people don’t know how to respond to".
While the fictional events in ‘Adolescence’ take place in the UK, the topics addressed are relevant to communities elsewhere, especially since social media content is consumed by young people across the globe.
In my opinion, the series should be screened for free to teenagers, parents and teachers so they can all benefit from the issues discussed. Parents and policymakers also need to be aware of the impact of social media and what can be done to protect youngsters from toxic content.
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