Adolescent crisis: condemning toxic masculinity, a warning to parents

Adolescence has been causing a global fever in recent days with only 4 episodes. The film depicts the creepy distortion of thinking in adolescence and also warns parents when letting their children come into contact with the virtual world.

After only four days of airing on Netflix, Adolescence has garnered 24.3 million views, rising to the top of the charts in mid-March 2025, despite not having a very famous cast. The film even surpassed the second-placed work by 6.3 million views, showing its strong appeal thanks to its engaging content.

The film Adolescence revolves around the story of Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old boy who is suspected and detained for his involvement in the murder of a classmate. Initially, Jamie firmly asserts his innocence. With his docile and shy appearance, he easily makes the audience believe that he is just a child who has been wronged. However, at the end of the first episode, a video evidence is released, showing that he was the one who killed Katie. When the truth is revealed, Jamie's father, Eddie, is completely devastated.

However, in the following episodes, Jamie still refuses to admit guilt, insisting that he "did nothing wrong". The film continues to exploit the police investigation to find the murder weapon, while following the psychologist to peel away the deep layers of Jamie's psychology. The deeper he goes, the more unfavorable evidence he finds, despite Jamie's stubborn denial.

As time passes, after 13 months in detention, Jamie begins to change his mind. At the end of the film, he plans to plead guilty, leaving his family in great pain.

"Adolescence" is not a typical crime drama but a work that delves into the characters' psychology. The film does not have many dramatic twists, but every detail and every dialogue reflects a true situation of contemporary British society, while also raising big questions for families, schools and the community.

The film exposes how false notions of humanity and power permeate the minds of teenage boys in modern society, typically the character Jamie. Jamie's motives, gradually revealed through episodes 2 and 3, are influenced by toxic ideas spreading in the school environment and social networks, especially concepts such as Incell or the 80/20 Rule. These are all real views, although completely foreign to the adults in the film, the students in the school know them by heart.

In the Netflix film Adolescence, Katie calls Jamie an "Incell" on social media, sparking a wave of bullying against her classmate. The incident escalates, leading to a tragic ending. However, the root cause is not just Katie's taunts. From the beginning, Jamie had distorted views on the value of women as well as himself. He was self-conscious about his unattractive appearance, but often left obscene comments on the personal pages of models. When Katie's sensitive photos were spread in school, Jamie dared to ask her out, believing that she was in a "weak position" and could accept someone like him.

This suggests that, while Katie’s words may have been the final straw, Jamie’s mindset had long been influenced by toxic masculinity. These distorted thoughts led him to underestimate the value of women, harbor gender discontent, and eventually spiral into deviant behavior out of revenge.

The most poignant moment in the final episode of Adolescence is when the father bursts into tears on the empty bed of his young son, who is about to enter the law. What does Eddie Miller's choked apology and self-reproach, "I should have tried harder," mean to his son who is no longer there?

The film takes on a realistic theme as well as warns parents in educating their daughters. Should minors be exposed to social networks and the virtual world early? It shows the dangers of the virtual world as well as factors that can affect the immature psychology of children. From there, it will provide the right ways to nurture and control them.

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