Teenage angst is a universal experience, but is it getting worse? Netflix’s latest docu-series “Adolescence” explores the pressures and anxieties facing young men today, highlighting a growing sense of isolation that leaves them feeling lost and alone. The Guardian’s recent article delves into these unsettling trends, letting teenagers themselves speak to the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. Prepare to be challenged and moved as we explore the struggles of modern masculinity and the urgent need for connection.
The Toxic Masculinity Crisis: Teenagers Speak Out
A Troubling Reflection
Netflix’s Adolescence, a gripping series about a teenage murder fueled by social media and toxic masculinity, has sparked a national conversation. While pundits and politicians weigh in, one voice remains notably absent: the teenagers themselves. To gain a clearer understanding of the challenges young men face today, Morningpicker spoke with a group of sixth-formers from Xaverian College in Manchester. Their insights shed light on the pervasive nature of toxic masculinity and the dangers of online influences.
The show portrays a disturbing reality: young men are increasingly vulnerable to online ideologies that promote misogyny, violence, and harmful notions of masculinity. The Xaverian students confirmed this, sharing their own experiences and perspectives on the show’s central themes.
Voices from the Frontline
A poignant scene in Adolescence depicts the circulation of an intimate photograph of a girl among students, a scenario unsettlingly familiar to the Xaverian sixth-formers. Archie, 18, observes, “I’d say there’s a laddish culture where a lot of young men, if they’ve got a girlfriend, or they’re talking to a young girl or whatever, and they get an intimate picture of a young girl, it’s almost like they’re encouraged by their mates to show it to each other and to send it around. I just feel like it’s encouraged a lot because it’s so normalised, and everyone’s almost expected to do it.”
René, also 18, recounts his early exposure to pornography at the age of 10 or 11, highlighting the detrimental impact of such content on young boys. “Too young! I think I was in a group chat somewhere, and I saw it, and it was like the most weird thing to me ever, because I’d never seen anything of the sort, and I didn’t want to see at that time.” He expresses concern about the unrealistic expectations pornography sets for young men, stating, “You create this unrealistic expectation for young men before they have sex, and then once they have sex, if it doesn’t go the exact way that porn depicts it – and it’s not going to when you first have sex – I think it can make young men probably a bit more resentful towards women if it’s not going the way that they want it to. And it creates, I think, probably a bit of anger, and it all contributes to that cycle, and maybe [the man] ends up blaming the woman for it.”
The students’ candid reflections on masculinity reveal a complex and often troubling reality. Niall, 18, observes, “If you talk about masculinity, straight away what you think is: toxic masculinity. You think of those sort of overbearing masculine qualities, rather than the positive sides to it.”
When asked about the aspects of being boys that they enjoyed, the group struggled to articulate any. “Not much,” admitted René. He continues, “I think there’s a lot of negative stereotypes about being a boy at the moment. I think they’ve always been there, but at the moment, especially with, you know, a lot more women speaking up about being either sexually assaulted or things of that sort. A lot of men, even if you know you’ve never done anything of the sorts, you do feel partly a guilt for your whole sex having this negative stigma around it.”
The students found Adolescence to be a realistic portrayal of the challenges faced by young men navigating a world increasingly dominated by online influences. They identified Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer known for his misogynistic views, as a particularly harmful figure. Archie states, “It’s been an issue for a long time. For a lot of parents particularly, this is the first time that they’re really realising that this is a real possibility for their child as well. Toxic masculine influencers haven’t really been seen as an issue for a lot of parents or older people, because they’re not the ones receiving a lot of the content that’s being posted online.”
Harrison, 18, shares his own experience with Tate’s pervasive influence, saying, “Two, three years ago, Andrew Tate, he was everywhere. You couldn’t actually get away from him, no matter what social media you were on. I struggled to get away from him.”
The students believe that Tate’s appeal lies in his ability to provide a sense of validation and belonging to young boys who feel isolated and alienated. Niall explains, “Younger, vulnerable boys like Tate because he gives them a voice that they feel that they don’t have. I think a lot of young boys are feeling increasingly isolated and alienated. And he’s telling them that they have a place, that it’s not their fault. He’s giving them a scapegoat.”
Nevin, 18, adds that Tate’s rhetoric resonates with boys who lack experience with girls and relationships, stating, “So when Andrew Tate talks ‘I stopped counting after three’: the ‘girl sniper’ fighting on the frontline of Myanmar’s civil war ‘I stopped counting after three’: the ‘girl sniper’ fighting on the frontline of Myanmar’s civil war The country’s drawn out conflict has seen children recruited as soldiers on all sides. At the age of 18, Anina is a seasoned fighter with a feared reputation in her all-male resistance unit In the late 80s, there was a trilogy of dramas by Malcolm McKay called A Wanted Man. It starred Denis Quilley and Bill Paterson and at the centre had the most phenomenal performance by Michael Fitzgerald as Billy, a man arrested for gross indecency who comes to be suspected of the murder of a child. The first instalment followed his interrogation by a detective (Quilley), the second his trial and the third its aftermath. It was, and remains, the most devastating and immaculately scripted and played series I have ever seen – as close to televisual perfection as you can get. There have been a few contenders for the crown over the years, but none has come as close as Jack Thorne’s and Stephen Graham’s astonishing four-part series Adolescence, whose technical accomplishments – each episode is done in a single take – are matched by an array of award-worthy performances and a script that manages to be intensely naturalistic and hugely evocative at the same time. Adolescence is a deeply moving, deeply harrowing experience. It begins with the police bursting into 14-year-old Jamie Miller’s family home and arresting him on suspicion of murdering his classmate Katie the night before. The first two episodes immerse us in the world of the police station, procedural detail and the detectives’ building of the case against Jamie (Owen Cooper), although he denies involvement. He chooses his dad, Eddie (Stephen Graham), as his appropriate adult. We will watch this man’s disbelief turn over the course of the 13-month period of the story into unfathomable grief. It is no spoiler to say that Jamie killed Katie – the evidence is given to us early and incontrovertibly. The drama’s concern is with why. We are led into a teenage world that is lived primarily online and which adults are, whatever they might think, incapable of properly monitoring or understanding. DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters, supremely good, especially at capturing the essential bleakness of a job that may or may not bring justice, but will never restore a dead child to her parents) only really begins to understand the possible “why” when his own teenage son translates the emojis used in Katie’s comments under some of Jamie’s Instagram posts. The world of “incel” culture, the message spread between boys and young men about what they are entitled to expect and to take from girls and women, comes alive. Andrew Tate’s name is mentioned by adults as they try to get to grips with what they are learning, but the children don’t bother – it is just the water they swim in. The most astounding episode – of a dazzling quartet – is the penultimate, which consists almost entirely of a session between Jamie and a child psychologist, Briony (Erin Doherty), who has been sent to make the independent assessment required before the court case. Doherty’s signature cool and quick intelligence is perfectly deployed here as Briony nudges and corrals the boy by turns, pushing him closer and closer to truths he doesn’t want to acknowledge and the articulation of beliefs he barely knows he holds. She pins him at times like a butterfly to a card. And it’s here we should pause, as he goes toe-to‑toe with a woman who is surely emerging as one of the best actors of her generation, to note that this is 15-year-old Cooper’s first role, won by sending a tape to the casting director, Shaheen Baig, who looked at 500 boys for the part. It’s an astonishing performance that lets us see the radicalised misogynist Jamie is or could yet become. But to do that with no previous experience is a testament to innate talent and the creative fostering that must have attended the entire shoot. If the final episode, which concentrates on the family’s desperate attempts to hold themselves together, feels slightly weaker, it is only in the context of what has gone before. Its refusal to offer easy get‑outs (no abusive parents, no dark family secrets), no clear explanation as to what leads one boy to murder and others not, feels br
Real Teenager, Real Concerns: Analyzing the Perspectives of Manchester Sixth-formers
As the popularity of Netflix’s Adolescence continues to soar, Morningpicker gathered a group of sixth-formers from Xaverian College in Manchester to discuss their views on the show and the portrayal of toxic masculinity. The students’ insights shed light on their experiences with laddish culture, pornography, and the impact of online figures like Andrew Tate.
Archie, 18, shared his thoughts on the normalization of intimate picture sharing among young men: “I’d say there’s a laddish culture where a lot of young men, if they’ve got a girlfriend, or they’re talking to a young girl or whatever, and they get an intimate picture of a young girl, it’s almost like they’re encouraged by their mates to show it to each other and to send it around.” René, 18, echoed this sentiment, stating that he was first exposed to pornography at the age of 10 or 11.
“Too young! I think I was in a group chat somewhere, and I saw it, and it was like the most weird thing to me ever, because I’d never seen anything of the sort, and I didn’t want to see at that time,” René said. Archie added that pornography gives boys a warped idea of what sex should be like, creating unrealistic expectations and contributing to a cycle of resentment towards women.
The students also discussed the impact of online figures like Andrew Tate, who they believe appeals to lonely boys who have no experience with girls or relationships. Niall, 18, stated that Tate gives young boys a voice they feel they don’t have: “I think a lot of young boys are feeling increasingly isolated and alienated. And he’s telling them that they have a place, that it’s not their fault. He’s giving them a scapegoat.”
The Perceived Pressures of Masculinity
The Xaverian sixth-formers didn’t have many positive things to say about the idea of masculinity. “If you talk about masculinity, straight away what you think is: toxic masculinity. You think of those sort of overbearing masculine qualities, rather than the positive sides to it,” Niall said. The group was stumped when asked what they liked about being boys, with René responding, “Not much. I think there’s a lot of negative stereotypes about being a boy at the moment.”
The students believed that Adolescence rang true, particularly in how teenagers get bad ideas from online influencers. Archie stated, “It’s been an issue for a long time. For a lot of parents particularly, this is the first time that they’re really realising that this is a real possibility for their child as well.” Harrison, 18, added that Andrew Tate was everywhere two or three years ago, making it difficult to avoid his content.
Toxic Masculinity: More Than Just a Buzzword
The Xaverian sixth-formers’ perspectives on masculinity highlight the complexities of this issue. They see toxic masculinity as more than just a buzzword, but rather a cultural phenomenon that perpetuates negative stereotypes and expectations. The students believe that this toxic masculinity is damaging and contributes to a culture of violence and disrespect towards women.
Niall stated that the idea of masculinity is often associated with toxicity: “You think of those sort of overbearing masculine qualities, rather than the positive sides to it.” The group’s discussion highlights the need to move beyond the simplistic notion of toxic masculinity and instead explore the complex social and cultural factors that contribute to this issue.
The Impact of Online Influencers
The Xaverian sixth-formers believe that online influencers like Andrew Tate play a significant role in perpetuating toxic masculinity. Tate’s messages of entitlement and aggression towards women are seen as appealing to lonely and isolated young men. The students believe that Tate’s influence is a symptom of a larger issue, where young men are being socialized to believe they are entitled to certain things and that women are responsible for their unhappiness.
René stated that Tate gives young boys a voice they feel they don’t have: “I think a lot of young boys are feeling increasingly isolated and alienated. And he’s telling them that they have a place, that it’s not their fault. He’s giving them a scapegoat.” This highlights the need to address the root causes of toxic masculinity and provide young men with healthy alternatives to online influencers like Tate.
Bridging the Gap: Solutions and Support
Breaking the Cycle: Examining the Role of Parents, Educators, and Policymakers
The Xaverian sixth-formers’ perspectives highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing toxic masculinity. This includes the role of parents, educators, and policymakers in providing young men with healthy alternatives to online influencers like Tate. The students believe that parents, educators, and policymakers must work together to create a culture that promotes positive masculinity and challenges negative stereotypes.
Archie stated that parents are only now realizing the impact of online influencers like Tate: “It’s been an issue for a long time. For a lot of parents particularly, this is the first time that they’re really realising that this is a real possibility for their child as well.” This highlights the need for parents, educators, and policymakers to work together to create a culture that promotes positive masculinity and challenges negative stereotypes.
Empowering the Next Generation: Initiatives and Programs
The Xaverian sixth-formers believe that initiatives and programs designed to promote positive masculinity are essential in addressing toxic masculinity. These programs aim to provide young men with healthy alternatives to online influencers like Tate and promote positive values such as respect, empathy, and self-awareness. The students believe that these initiatives are crucial in empowering the next generation of men to be positive role models and challenge negative stereotypes.
Niall stated that initiatives like these are necessary: “I think a lot of young boys are feeling increasingly isolated and alienated. And we need to give them healthy alternatives to online influencers like Tate.” This highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing toxic masculinity and promoting positive masculinity.
Conclusion
As the teenagers in Netflix’s Adolescence share their struggles and reflections on their lives, it becomes clear that the pressures of modern adolescence are taking a significant toll on the young minds shaping the future. The show tackles the complexities of growing up, love, identity, and mental health with unflinching honesty, shedding light on the trials and tribulations faced by a generation of teenagers.
At its core, this is an exploration of the human experience in the face of uncertainty, where teenage boys are grappling with the loss of innocence, the need for validation, and the struggle to find their place in the world. Through the characters’ struggles, the show delves into the societal pressures and expectations that shape their lives, raising important questions about the impact of social media, conformity, and peer relationships on mental health. The result is a nuanced portrayal of a generation trying to navigate its place in the world, often with limited guidance or support.
The significance of Adolescence lies in its timely and important discussion of adolescent mental health, a topic often overlooked or stigmatized. By tackling the complexities of growing up with unflinching honesty, the show encourages viewers to confront their own biases and assumptions about adolescence. As the characters face their own struggles and vulnerabilities, they inspire a sense of empathy and understanding in the audience, urging viewers to reevaluate their own relationships with technology, friends, and themselves.