Adolescence is an essential watch, but the manosphere crisis has no easy fix

If you have not yet watched Adolescence on Netflix, it is essential viewing on how the manosphere is devouring young men. The drama follows a 13-year-old boy who is accused of stabbing his female classmate to death. As much as what happened, it’s also about how it happened, exploring questions around incels, male violence and access to social media.

Its release comes against the backdrop of what feels like an increase in gendered violence, the rowing back of women’s rights in the US, and the rise of figures such as influencer Andrew Tate.

Much of the response to the show has been to lay the blame at Tate’s door and call for more regulation of social media, citing his toxic attitude and popularity with young men. However, while the ideology of Tate is a problem, to put the problem down solely to his ilk is too simple. It’s reductive and doesn’t recognise the scale of the problem. To their credit, the show's creators, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, don’t give such easy answers.

That’s because there aren’t any. This is not a new issue. Violence against women, male rage, toxic masculinity, these problems have long existed.

According to the femicide census, which tracks violence against women, one woman has been killed every three days in the UK since 2009. Globally, every ten minutes, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally in 2023.  The United Nations estimate almost one in three women have been subjected to violence, physical and/or sexual, or both, at least once in their lifetime.

Adolescence - Netflix: Stephen Graham's performance as Eddie, the father of a boy who kills his classmate, provides a powerful examination of being a father (photo: courtesy of Netflix)

That cannot just be down to social media, it is not an issue that has sprung upon us. It is a long-term problem from the very foundations of society, in a world where young men can see offences against women minimised or ignored.

We live in a time where the Tate brothers can be accused of human trafficking, and the White House can use diplomatic muscle to have them returned. Where Conor McGregor, a man who lost a civil court rape case, can be Donald Trump's guest of honour. Where the US President can be Donald Trump.

It’s Roman Polanski pleading guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor, then two-time Oscar best actor winner Adrien Brody working with him. It’s political parties knowing about complaints of sexual harassment, and only acting when the media finds out.

Something has to be done about the radicalisation of young men online, addressing the content they see, regulating what can and can’t be posted. It is impossible to read about the cases of Axel Rudakubana, Kyle Clifford, Jake Davison and all the others, and not recognise something must change.

The creators of the show recognise this, calling for Adolescence to be shown in schools and broadcast in Parliament. This would obviously be beneficial, but must be the start of something more.

This is not a simple problem, this is not a straightforward issue with one straight cause. It is naïve, foolish and perhaps adolescent to think there is an easy answer.