Netflix recently came with this British crime drama television mini-series, Adolescence, with just 4 episodes. This emotionally gripping and thought-provoking series sparked an intense conversation among the people, leading many to wonder – is Adolescence based on a true story?

This series, created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, revolves around a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller who got arrested for stabbing and killing a girl named Katie in his school. This series dives deep into uncomfortable topics, like school bully, misogyny, sexist behaviour online often termed as ‘incel culture’. This show has a realistic approach towards the high school dynamics and how young boys are getting influenced through several influencers present in the social media web.

Is Adolescence based on a true story?

Adolescence is not inspired from one story but from several different stories with the same pattern – young boys killing young girls with knives or some other sharp objects over the most petty issues. The creator of the show has revealed that they conducted extensive research, including interviews with psychologists, teachers and students to craft authentic adolescent reactions and behavior patterns in the show. The plotline was amalgamation of real incidents, making it feel more relatable.

What is Incel culture?

Young boys who are constantly on their phone consuming things like dank memes, Andrew Tate podcasts and other misogynistic content, are developing a mindset which is dangerous for society. Co-creator Thorne told the Sydney Morning Herald, “As soon as we opened that box, it made sense of everything,” referring to the incel culture and messages shared by the influencers like Tate.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, he also said, “They are young boys, they’re not men.” On the same context, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Deccan Herald, “Loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom, accessing all material online, desperate for notoriety.” A similar case, where a 17-year-old school boy stabbed 3 schoolgirls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England, tells a lot about this incel culture.

Internet and youngsters

Adolescence also captures the importance of emojis used by the youngsters in social media platforms, like Instagram. Some of the emojis like kidney beans depict the incel culture and belittle women on social media. Next we have the tea emoji, mostly used by men to mock women online.

Thorne also confirmed that “The show is not an anti-Andrew Tate thing.”

This show serves as a reminder for parents that the digital world their children live in needs to be monitored, how vulnerable men with intense emotion of self-hatred are more prone to fall victim to this mindset which is hampering the society.