Adolescence and raising new generations

[basilio]

I was looking for an appropriate previous thread for this post but couldn't find one. So let's start a fresh thread.

"Adolescence" is a Netflix series which has become one of the most widely seen and impactful programs of the year. It begins with a 13 year old boy from a good family arrested for the stabbing murder of a 13 year female class mate.

As the story unfolds the writers take us through the world of Andrew Tate and the Manospehere. What does that look like ? Violent. Misogynistic. Hateful.
What is the effect on the millions of young men who follow the Manospehere ? This story explores that impact.

The writers decided this issue must be addressed to protect our community. It has already had considerable impact. Well worth checking out and having a long think.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/adolescence-cast-release-date-photos-news

 

[basilio]

 

[basilio]

Observations about Adolescence its' message and where we might go.

Adolescence reveals a terrifying truth: smartphones are poison for boys’ minds​

Martha Gill

When a Netflix drama highlights how online influencers can turn a teenager into a killer, it’s time to rethink social media
Sun 23 Mar 2025 18.00 AEDT

Every so often, a television drama comes along that has the power to change things. Last year, it was ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office, in which the plight of subpostmasters was rendered with such success that it actually hastened in real-world legislation to compensate them.

And now we have Netflix’s Adolescence, which looks at the online radicalisation of young boys by men’s rights activists (MRAs) such as Andrew Tate. Last week, Keir Starmer told the Commons he had been watching the series with his family and that it portrayed an “emerging and growing problem” that needed to be tackled. Now MPs are examining ideas to address the issue with greater urgency.

It probably shouldn’t work like this. Policy decisions would ideally not hinge on the quality of an actor’s performance (Adolescence had some spectacular ones, which explains its success), and whether politicians manage to catch the latest Netflix series. It makes us look a little emotionally incontinent, as a country, when the decisions of TV drama commissioners weigh quite so heavily in our politics. But the fickle spotlight of political attention has landed here, for now.

The issue of rising misogyny among young boys, fuelled by online influencers, has long been troubling. If we are approaching a point that action might be taken, that is a good thing. But what should that action be? There are, roughly, two lines of thought.

One is that the problem stems from an unfulfilled need among these young men – a lack of guidance, or self-esteem or of other men on which to model themselves. That was the central contention of Gareth Southgate’s Dimbleby lecture last week. He talked of an “epidemic of fatherlessness” and the fact that boys are spending less time at youth centres and sports events where they might have met the kinds of aspirational figures Southgate looked up to: coaches, youth workers and teachers. Without this, he said, boys are driven on to the internet “searching for direction”, where they stumble on role models who “do not have their best interests at heart”.

As tech geniuses devote their brainpower to keeping people engaged, algorithms are getting smarter, and online life more exciting

The other argument is that the poison starts and ends with the influencers themselves: these men are so compelling they can radicalise boys who are otherwise well looked after and have plenty to do. This is the thesis at the heart of Adolescence. Its central character is a boy drawn into MRA culture, which eventually persuades him to kill – but he also comes from an ordinary family, with a loving father and many male role models around him. There is no trauma in his life, no abuse. As the writer, Jack Thorne, puts it: “He comes from a good background, like me; he’s a bright boy, like I was. The key difference between us? He had the internet to read at night whereas I had Terry Pratchett and Judy Blume.”

Adolescence reveals a terrifying truth: smartphones are poison for boys’ minds | Martha Gill

When a Netflix drama highlights how online influencers can turn a teenager into a killer, it’s time to rethink social media

www.theguardian.com

 

[basilio]

This real life story highlights some of the issues raised in Adolescence.

Mother of murdered teen Brianna Ghey backs under-16 ban on 'absolute cesspit' social media​

• 
  By Heloise Vyas
• Topic:Internet Culture

3h ago3 hours ago

Esther Ghey (right) arrives for the sentencing of her daughter's killers on February 2 last year. (Reuters: Phil Noble)

In short:​

Esther Ghey says blocking children under 16 from accessing social media could help curb real-life acts of violence.
Ms Ghey's teenage daughter was stabbed to death by two of her schoolmates, whose actions were partly driven by online content.

What's next?​

Ms Ghey's comments come ahead of a documentary exploring the circumstances surrounding Brianna Ghey's murder.

'Absolute cesspit': Mother of murdered teen Brianna Ghey backs under-16 social media ban

The mother of British transgender teen Brianna Ghey speaks out in support of a social media ban for children aged under 16.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Dona Ferentes]

The 3 stages of life

1. Infancy
2. Adolescence
3. Adultery

 

[Smurf1976]

One is that the problem stems from an unfulfilled need among these young men – a lack of guidance, or self-esteem or of other men on which to model themselves. That was the central contention of Gareth Southgate’s Dimbleby lecture last week. He talked of an “epidemic of fatherlessness” and the fact that boys are spending less time at youth centres and sports events where they might have met the kinds of aspirational figures Southgate looked up to: coaches, youth workers and teachers. Without this, he said, boys are driven on to the internet “searching for direction”, where they stumble on role models who “do not have their best interests at heart”.

A lack of fathers being present at home.

A lack of male role models and influences especially high school teachers.

Limited opportunities for many boys upon leaving school due to the loss of the sorts of jobs they'd traditionally have done.

A political and media narrative that openly condones gender discrimination.

Read this: https://whatwouldjesssay.substack.com/p/married-at-first-sight-is-sexual

What concerns me here, is the way the experts on the show have publicly shamed him repeatedly for not wanting sexual contact with Polly, and even told him that he needs to grow up. He is positioned as petty and problematic because he doesn’t want intimacy with someone he’s known for less than a week.

When he raised this, the experts shot him down

Imagine if they said that to a woman, there'd be outrage right up to the PM and fair chance some sort of formal investigation would ensue. But if a man's the target well it seems that's just fine - so much for gender equality.

Now realise there are 3 million Australians watching this show and it starts to get a bit more serious in terms of influence. Not only are we not providing good role models, we're actively providing shockingly bad ones.

All that in no way excuses killing someone but ultimately society needs a serious look in the mirror when it comes to respect between men and women. There's a lot more to the story here than social media alone.

 

[basilio]

A lack of fathers being present at home.

A lack of male role models and influences especially high school teachers.

Limited opportunities for many boys upon leaving school due to the loss of the sorts of jobs they'd traditionally have done.

A political and media narrative that openly condones gender discrimination.

Read this: https://whatwouldjesssay.substack.com/p/married-at-first-sight-is-sexual



Imagine if they said that to a woman, there'd be outrage right up to the PM and fair chance some sort of formal investigation would ensue. But if a man's the target well it seems that's just fine - so much for gender equality.

Now realise there are 3 million Australians watching this show and it starts to get a bit more serious in terms of influence. Not only are we not providing good role models, we're actively providing shockingly bad ones.

All that in no way excuses killing someone but ultimately society needs a serious look in the mirror when it comes to respect between men and women. There's a lot more to the story here than social media alone.

I have to say I think MAFS is one of the most poisonous , revolting programs on TV. It is a revoltingly poor role model for everyone. Thanks for posting that link. Excellent value.

Having said that the argument about the effects of Social media generally and Manospehre/Andrew Tate influence in particular is also pernicious.

"Adolescence" just pulls it all together with a story, a presentation and a punch that demands our focus.

 

[moXJO]

The left created this mess we are currently in. The only reason this is a thread or topic is that the majority of young men are conservatives and the left started freaking out.

The show bas is talking about features a young white male Brit. Reality is that knife crime in that country is overwhelming foreigners or their offspring.


The "manosphere" consists of the following:
Workout
Gain knowledge
Make money-invest-business
Don't wife up with trash.
Protect your assets
Don't cry like a biatch

That's basically it. You will get dumb relationship advice. But it's basically "reject red flags".

The left wants to squash it out for a few reasons. The funniest solution was the democrats tried to counter on TikTok and X with their own influencers. Harry sisson was one. Didn't work out for him as he was ridiculed relentlessly as being a fake democrat shill. Also that he was a limpwrist. Anyway turned out he was a bit of a sexual predator and got busted.

There's another one called Hassan who is a nepobaby communist that hates the west and supports terrorists.

No thanks. Keep the lads based.

 

[moXJO]

Oh the other darling of the left was a guy called destiny. He had some ok takes, but often devolved into retardedness. Anyway this guy would actively let his wife sleep with other guys. She eventually ran off with one of them. He also got caught for being a predator.
The left now hates him for being a Zionist.

The left simply wants to ban conservatives out of fear. Goodluck because a lot of influencers are becoming Muslim. Apparently Saudis are paying big bucks for influencers to push Islam
And there views are in line with super conservative takes. In fact Tate is a (fake)Muslim.

So the left shot themselves in the foot. By backing extremist views. Take it all with a grain of salt. Whatever the left pushes out, it's usually the wrong thing.

 

[Smurf1976]

Workout
Gain knowledge
Make money-invest-business
Don't wife up with trash.
Protect your assets
Don't cry like a biatch

In the relatively recent past such ideas would be considered as non-political and just good advice to anyone.

 

[sptrawler]

In the relatively recent past such ideas would be considered as non-political and just good advice to anyone.

It is interesting there are a hell of a lot of 30's blokes not bothering with women at all, way different to my day, when young bloke's chased women and were generally married by mid 20's and kids on the way.

 

[basilio]

Cleaning up Andrew Tate are we ? Just basic good sense and righteous ideas? Perhaps but there is more to this .
The buys who wrote Adolescence did not take that view after a deep dive into the manosphere.

Adolescence Writer Reveals Andrew Tate Inspired The Grim Series: ‘It’s Terrifying’​

By
Laura Masia
Published
March 21, 2025

The screenwriter behind Netflix’s hit mini-series Adolescence has revealed that problematic figure Andrew Tate helped inspire the creation of the poignant four-part drama.

Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy named Jamie (Owen Cooper) after he is arrested for the suspected murder of his female classmate. The series has been praised for its portrayal of the growing misogyny and “manosphere” ideology peddled to young boys and men by influencers like Tate.

Director Philip Barantini and series co-creator Stephen Graham have revealed that the series was based on the rise of knife-based violence in the UK. However, screenwriter Jack Thorne explained that incel culture and the messages shared by influencers like Tate had served as a heavy influencing factor on the show.

“As soon as we opened that box, it made sense of everything,” Thorne told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Despite Tate’s strong misogynistic message and incredibly worrying allegations, Thorne says that it’s not a show explicitly slamming Tate. It’s about the wider culture Tate represents and perpetuates.

“The show is not an anti-Andrew Tate thing,” Thorne continued.

“The videos the kids are watching are a lot darker than Andrew Tate, and the people giving out their advice are a lot more dangerous than he is. It’s terrifying.

“I’ve got an eight-year-old kid and it made me want to put him in a box and keep him there for the next 10 years.”
https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/adolescence-spoiler-foreshadowing/
Thorne — a white man — admits he took an honest look inward during the creation of Adolescence, noting that while the series does explore his fears as a father with a son growing up in the age of social media, it also embodies his own rage.

“[Director] Phil, Steve [Graham] and I talked about that a lot, and we have all felt, at different times, challenged by being white men, and being honest about that is at the heart of the show,” he said, per the SMH.

“I remember being that kid who didn’t fit. I’m autistic, and that was the story of my teenage years. I am not saying Jamie is autistic, but I do remember thinking of other people: I see no way of involving myself in your conversation or your life.

“I remember really, really hating myself, and I think those aspects are in Jamie. A real, profound self-hatred.”

In Adolescence, Thorne highlights just how easy it is for vulnerable, impressional boys and men to fall into the damaging rhetoric of toxic masculinity.

Ultimately, it’s important to recognise that Tate and his harmful gendered messaging does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, it’s amplified by a patriarchal system which not only continues to harm women, but men too. After all, so many boys and men falling into a red pill rhetoric do so after being rejected by traditional notions of masculinity. Or, they head to internet echo chambers as a place of solace after feeling terrified that if they do the wrong thing they’ll be called out or cancelled.

Adolescence speaks to this, exposing just how insidious these communities can be and the devastating effects they can have on individuals and society.

Adolescence Writer Reveals Andrew Tate Inspired The Grim Series: ‘It’s Terrifying’

“I’ve got an eight-year-old kid and it made me want to put him in a box and keep him there for the next 10 years.”

www.pedestrian.tv

 

[moXJO]

There's a huge "communism is great" going around online. Big push from China to try and grab disenfranchised voters.

 

[wayneL]

There's a huge "communism is great" going around online. Big push from China to try and grab disenfranchised voters.

It's been a 50 year (or more) project, and not just from China. It's our own academia.

 

[basilio]

Came across this research paper exploring the impact of Masculinity influence on teenagers.
Eye opening.

Addressing the impact of Masculinity Influencers on Teenage Boys

A guide for schools, teachers and parents/guardians

Dr Fiona O’Rourke, Dr Catherine Baker
and Dr Darragh McCashin
The Observatory on Cyberbullying, Cyberhate
and Online Harassment, Anti-Bullying Centre,
Dublin City University.

 

[basilio]

This website offers excellent guidance on ways to work with family on cyber bullying issues.

Information Hub - Tackle Bullying

Here you will find the most uptodate articles, research and advice on Bullying and Cyberbullying. Increase your knowledge on these important topics.

tacklebullying.ie