Variety writes that “Adolescence” was the number 1 most-watched show on Netflix for four consecutive weeks after release. With a whopping 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 73 percent on Popcornmeter, it’s easy to say that the show was well received by both critics and viewers. “Adolescence” follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering his female classmate, Katie Leonard. This four-episode, limited series follows very real themes like family conflict, growing up, and most importantly, masculinity.
Masculinity is one of the biggest topics that is discussed in the show, and something that Jamie Miller heavily struggles with. Like most young men, Jamie is at a stage in his life where he is building a sense of self. A personality can be molded in many ways, especially at a young age. Other than genetics, there are external aspects that affect personality development. A good example of this is the Internet.
Nowadays, almost everyone is active on the internet. With so many users occupying this vast digital space, it is natural to meet new people and learn new things. With the amount of freedom that users have, everything can be shared. This can be positive or negative.
The internet consists of different communities and subcultures. One of the communities mentioned in “Adolescence” is the manosphere. The Canadian Museum of Human Rights states that the “manosphere” refers to a wide variety of men’s groups operating on the internet and offline. The initial purpose for these spaces was for men to try and educate each other on life’s struggles, but when a space turns into an echo chamber, education can quickly become indoctrination. Some of the most harmful ideas about women, relationships, the lgbtq+ community, and lots of other things have come out of spaces like these. Many of the men in the community preach these beliefs as if it were the bible. Standards of what a man should and shouldn’t do are set like a rule book. Harmful redirections about how to be a man are carelessly spread throughout the internet. Jamie Miller is the perfect example of the effects of the manosphere on a young mind.
Jamie is a victim of this community as well as a reflection of it. His character subtly embodies a lot of the values that are promoted within the manosphere. Dominance over women and the fear of femininity are one of the obvious motivators of Jamie’s alleged killing. These traits are obvious in episode 3 when he is talking to an older female interrogator. Jamie describes how he was bullied online by his classmate Katie, getting comments like “80-20”. 80-20 is a term used in real life by people in the manosphere. It refers to the idea that 80% of women only like 20% of men. It is commonly said to men as an insult to say that the man is unattractive or unwanted by women. Comments like these are received by men on a daily basis from not only other men, but women as well.
Jamie’s alleged killing of his classmate was driven by the negative influence of the manosphere and its ideas. Writers and creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorn portrayed the possible lengths to which these so-called truth groups can affect a person. The fact of the matter is that “Adolescence” is based on the many real and well-studied killings involving a boy stabbing a girl to death and their motivations. To this day, these groups continue to spread harmful information around the world with no sign of stopping. “Adolescence” is an exploration of why these killings are happening. It isn’t just a show, but a PSA.
