The popular series “Adolescence” sets bullying, misogyny and toxic masculinity on the standards of today’s youth – and shocked. The article contains spoilers for the Netflix Adolescence series.

Jamie Miller is in the police station. A nurse is going to get blood. The 13 -year -old is afraid of needles. His father, next to him, knows his son’s phobia – but what he doesn’t know is that he is not afraid of knives. Less than 24 hours ago, young Jamie killed his classmate in a parking lot with seven knives. The Netflix series “Adolescence” broke a record, reaching 66 million views in the first 10 days after its release. It was even discussed in the British Parliament.

Jamie could be a boy

Four monopoly episodes, without cut, give viewers the feeling that they are constantly there, next to Jamie, when he wears Pajama and peered on him during his arrest, when he cries frightened in the detention center and when he breaks out during psychological examination.

Jamie is guilty. This is already revealed at the end of the first episode, when police officers showing Jamie and his father his father from a security camera that seems to stab his classmate from behind. The mini -series does not research whether he really killed her, but why.

In place of little Jamie could be any other boy: After school he didn’t go to “suspicious” places, with “bad friends”, going to his safe room, closed the door and sitting in front of his computer until late at night.

Low self -esteem and misogyny

The series refers to an online subculture that Jamie came into contact online, the Incels, abbreviation for “Involuntary Celibate”. They are heterosexual men who accuse women of not being able to find an erotic partner. Often their dissatisfaction is expressed through misogyny and derogatory comments to women. The Incels community is part of “Manosphere” – a network of anti -feminist forums, books and blogs for the “self -improvement” of men. Their purpose is to teach boys and men how to be strong and successful so that they become more attractive to women. “Adolescence” implies that Jamie is not a special case of a young man who was found to study this subculture, but a widespread phenomenon among young people.

But why is misogyny increases? According to a study by King’s College London, one in four men aged 16 to 29 believes that today it is harder to be a man than a woman.

“Manosphere is based on the victim’s rhetoric, that is, men are the ones who are oppressed in our societies by women, and that they have to counter to survive,” explains Lisa Sagioura, a professor at the University of Portsmouth, who studies cybercrime.

Misogenism is an institutional problem

The Incels community and Manosphere are just a bit of a larger misogyny puzzle, the Shangiura considers. The real problems are deeper. In addition to schematic explanations of bulling, manosphere and misogyny, disappointment of young men and psychological problems, there is a profound mistrust between gender. A recent study by the Whitestone Insight Institute found that 62% of women aged 18 to 24 fears the majority of young men.

What can be done?

The simple ban on social media for young people, as suggested by “Adolescence” scriptwriter Jack Thorne (which has already been implemented in Australia), would not be a viable solution, according to Shangiura. On the contrary, he believes that what is necessary is an institutional and cultural change.

According to its creators, the series “Adolescence” wants to wake up – speaking to the BBC, Thorne said: “It’s something that has to be discussed. I hope the series contributes to it. “

Curated by: Chryssa Vachcevanou