The new show on Netflix that has taken the internet by storm
This article contains minor spoilers for Netflix’s new limited series, Adolescence.
By Issa Longstreet
Last month, Netflix released a limited series called Adolescence. It follows a young 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller after he is accused of killing his classmate Katie. The show delves into the reasons he potentially did it and its effects on his family, friends and those he doesn’t know directly. It highlights the rise of toxic masculinity and misogynist content that young boys are consuming. So, ultimately, it raises the question: How are we raising our sons?
Without skipping to a verdict, it’s important to understand the nuances that go into this show. Jamie maintains his innocence, saying that it wasn’t him that killed Katie, even when the police show CCTV footage of him not only confronting the girl in question but also assaulting her. This leads to a very powerful scene between Jamie and his father. Jamie previously had gotten the opportunity to privately talk to his dad and promised that he didn’t do it. Then, after the evidence is shown, his dad turns away and cries, asking Jamie a very important question: “What have you done?”
Jamie’s parents are firm believers that whatever the police think Jamie did, there is no way he could’ve done it. They insist that Jamie is a “good boy” and that he’s too young to have committed any crime in proportion to what they are suggesting.
Contrast this with D.I. Dascombe, the lead investigator in Jamie’s case and who also has a son in Jamie’s school. Now, Adam, Dascombe’s son, isn’t by any means popular and isn’t a main character in the show. He’s barely in the episode he appears in, but he plays a crucial role in the shift of Jamie’s case. One important scene is when Dascombe and Adam have a one-on-one and discuss some information that Dascombe is missing. The conversation dives into the topic of misogynist thinking and how that may have played a part in the crime at hand.
Jamie’s talk with the psychologist assigned to assess him is one of the key cruxes of the show. The conversation begins with talking about male figures in his life. Jamie balks at the mention of masculinity but eventually indulges the psychologist. It should be noted that the psychologist is a woman. The dynamic between them is initially friendly, with the two joking and even sharing a laugh or two. But it quickly descends into a tense mental exchange, with Jamie attempting multiple forms of intimidation and manipulation and trying to gain validation. However, one key point was how he talks about women throughout the whole episode.
He talks about his dad as someone to be revered despite the childhood trauma that affects him. But when he talks about women, or girls his age, he loses that human component. It becomes very dissociative, talking about their bodies. He never once refers to any girl as smart or intelligent, and when he is asked why Katie, the girl he is accused of murdering, isn’t his type, he doesn’t mention any characteristics about her that aren’t physical. He details the time that he talked to her as her being at her most vulnerable, and that he felt he could get what he wanted out of her because no one else liked her.
Towards the end of the conversation, when the psychologist says she has done all the assessing she needs, Jamie flips a switch and suddenly becomes aggressive. He asks a deeply disturbing question that makes one wonder why anyone does any of this: “Do you like me?”
At its core, this question reflects the human condition. Now, apply that to a world where some young boys are being conditioned to consume media that is detrimental to a positive mindset. In the show, one of the teachers says she has heard the boys talk about the influencer Andrew Tate. Tate is an example of how young boys are being told a distorted view of what masculinity is. Tate’s message encourages the “alpha male” archetype, which says that one man can be seen as superior to others. This is not the only toxic school of thought mentioned, such as the “80-20 rule,” which asserts that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. This is a real concept as well. People believe this, and it could offer insight into what is wrong with society’s view of women.
A question was posed at the beginning: How are we raising our sons? Are they honest, compassionate, kind people who feel good about themselves? Good citizens? Do they treat others with respect? Or do they belittle and degrade those who they don’t see as their equals? Are they condescending to others, calling them names, and disrespecting them? What seems like a fairly straightforward question can be so intricate.
Notice the subtle actions, word choices, and preferential treatment, and be aware. Do something,stand up for others in every situation that may escalate, be intentional with actions whether it’s yourself, your friend group, your workplace, or your family.
The recipe for our progress as a society is in us, but it won’t begin unless we are willing to be bold and intentional. As the saying goes, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
