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13-year-old Jamie Miller repeatedly insists, “I haven’t done anything wrong,” a phrase that reveals something more disturbing than his crime itself – a feeling of justification. Netflix’s Adolescence (2025) shoots all of its six episodes through a long, continuous shot, forcing us to experience Jamie’s new normal firsthand: from his emotionally unavailable family, to his arrest, interrogation, assessment with a psychologist, ending with the chilling reveal of his crime.
Adolescence portrays the increasing radicalisation of young men through online spaces, particularly spotlighting the manosphere – a loose collective of misogynistic and anti-feminist communities including incels, pick-up artists, men’s rights activists and many other identities. Incels, short for “involuntarily celibate”, are a group of people who blame society, biological factors and feminism for their lack of experience in romantic or sexual relationships with women.
The community is well identified by social media personalities such as Andrew Tate and Joe Rogan, as well belittling phrases such as “go back to the kitchen” and “your body, my choice”, which circulated on social media after Trump’s re-election. With the rise in traction towards the manosphere, certain trends began to spike across the globe: the 2018 Toronto van attack which resulted in 10 deaths, Trump amassing a large number of supporters from the manosphere, as well as political discourse and legislation emboldening far-right extremism. As such, there seems to be a growing recognition of the danger of internalising these extreme supremacist ideologies.
While the term “incel” has evolved into an insult thrown around to shame men, it is important to recall its roots in niche extremist communities on the Internet. People in the manosphere circle– most of the time men– who get caught by these rhetorics are often fueled by loneliness, insecurity, and societal pressure, and proceed to prescribe women as being the root cause of their complexes. The manosphere isn’t focused on providing useful self-care advice for men, but is driven by anti-feminist ideologies at its core: it’s not about improving yourself for general wellness, it’s about reducing others to simplistic labels and dehumanising them. It is noticeable that the anger directed outwards stems from internal struggles.
Name-calling itself is also part of the dynamic in reducing men who feel disadvantaged. In the show, Jamie’s radicalisation stems from a mixture of shame and insecurity after being labeled an incel online. This move was a subtle but vital distinction in understanding his journey in the show. Being insulted as an incel cuts deeper as a simple write-off: to Jamie, it meant everything because the label validated his fear of being undesirable, invisible and worthless– an anxiety that many boys carry about not belonging. Not having the tools to process this rejection and shame, he chooses to mirror the behaviours he observed online and reacts with rage, resulting in an irreversible crime. Jamie’s story speaks of systemic failures, where young boys are expected to not feel vulnerability, not show it, and not talk about it. This raises the question: who truly bears responsibility when a child commits such an act?
The manosphere is not a recent trend, these social hierarchies have existed all over broader media through different names——jock/nerd, dudes who lie about their height, Ryan Gosling/James Bond——these masculine tropes have always been propagated in mainstream media. Thus, it seems that the roots of these ideologies seep deeper than just social media.
While social media popularised these ideologies, it cannot be blamed as the sole cause of crimes like Jamie’s. These platforms, where algorithms combine with political crises, act as a fertile ground for amplifying extreme voices and radicalisation. Social media accelerated Jamie’s descent into outrage, fed him the idea that power, anger and control were the only acceptable responses to his hopelessness. “Free speech” is sometimes invoked to justify discrimination and hate speech, especially online where harmful things can be said anonymously and without consequence.
In the very end, the misogyny within these spaces often comes from anxieties about social status and a lack of sense of purpose. The manosphere connects to a wider trend of the role men are expected to play. The awkwardness men usually display when showing emotion or fondness. We must recognise nuance instead of just slapping labels on things for convenience, and acknowledge the diversity of experiences and motivations involved that may cause someone to be radicalised in such ways.
Jamie’s phrase, “I haven’t done anything wrong,” reflects the pervasive justifications for violence and aggression by failing systems: from families assuming safety, education systems overwhelmed, algorithms feeding manipulative content. The creators intended the show not to provide solutions but to start conversations. Stephen Graham describes the work as a “scream” about the crisis of young men becoming radicalised and causing harm.
The lack of resolution in Adolescence pushes us to reflect and search for answers in the real world. It is a haunting reminder of how true crime discourse has evolved, where killers are remembered while victims’ names often aren’t. Katie’s face is shown rarely in the runtime, and the song in the credits sung by her actress serves as a final reminder of loss.
The show was created with integrity and respect to highlight the crisis of young men’s radicalisation and to facilitate parent-child conversations. Jamie’s psychologist felt she was getting through to him despite hostility– there is still a chance to make things right. While Jamie is a killer, he is only 13, highlighting the potential for early intervention to reshape his self-understanding. The true measure of maturity is letting go of “I haven’t done anything wrong” and asking, “What can I do to make this right?”.
There exists a need to look beyond the crime to reach genuine maturity in a world that confuses silence for strength.
The problem is not “human nature”, it’s systemic failures in the social structures we live in which dictate our living experiences. Failures in interpreting each other’s intentions and feelings might lead us to feeling rejected, which breeds resentment that is often exacerbated by poor mental well-being from other causes. Political and socio-economic conditions such as a lack of mental health support, the inflating prices of housing, and employment anxieties cannot be separated from men’s mental health and the appeal the manosphere might hold. ‘Advice’ from the manosphere provides easy answers when real life feels unfair and hopeless.
It’s about acknowledging the potential pain that drives someone towards spaces like these, and still holding them accountable for their harmful beliefs or actions. Representations of softer and healthier masculinity must be promoted in the media, to push back against the traditional heterosexual social orders and show men that they can show emotion in many ways without feeling ashamed.
Adolescence portrays the difficulty in combating these deeply embedded dynamics of masculinity, power, and gender. But ultimately, we need to understand the underlying social, economic, and psychological factors contributing to this trend rather than simply demonising those involved.
If you don’t raise your child, someone else will, and in our current society, that “someone” is most likely from the Internet.
Written By: Madeline
Edited By: Ryan
