In episode two of Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’, the character Luke Bascombe has a conversation with his 15-year-old son who deciphers the meaning of different coloured emojis on Instagram posts that are central to the murder investigation that Bascombe is leading. The significance of the different colours of the emojis results in the above epigraph. While this is one of the few moments of levity in the series, it serves as an illustration of a very important point. Namely, the intergenerational and cultural divide that prevents parents from understanding the real-world offline impact that online behaviours, language use, and sub-cultures are having on young people.
While the series is a clear work of fiction, it is incredibly well-researched, meaning that many of its themes can be used to explain real-life aspects of incels and the manosphere. Indeed, the success of ‘Adolescence’ can perhaps be attributed to three inter-related issues. First, the societal concern that comes with the increasing popularity of ideas and themes related to misogyny and the “manosphere”. Second, the impact on children and young people being constantly subjected to these online views and ideas while also experiencing the uncertainties and socialisation processes that come with teenagerhood. Third, the concerns parents have about what their children are doing online in the privacy of their own rooms.