What the conversations on Adolescence have taught us

The “manosphere” refers to a loose collection of online communities that focus on men’s issues, often promoting traditional gender roles and, at times, misogynistic views. It includes groups like men’s rights activists, pickup artists, and Incel communities.

Leveraging off this momentum and to help limit the risk of involvement in violent extremism through diversion, disengagement and awareness raising efforts - Step Together engaged SenateSHJ to undertake a qualitative and quantitative analysis of conversations taking place around the recent Netflix series Adolescence.

The portrayal of how young boys navigate modern masculinity has ignited debate over whether it’s critiquing or inadvertently glamorising these controversial ideologies. From a countering violent extremism lens, it raises the question of definitions and the delicate tipping point between violent misogyny and incel ideology, and the evolution from online grievance spaces into real-life threats.

Social echo refers to the extent to which a story was engaged with and shared on social media.

Over 20,000 comments from across the articles and associated ‘social echo’ were collated into themes. 

Key themes

The key themes identified were:

• Adolescence is sparking important conversations at home, helping parents talk about issues that are hard to raise.
• Parents are seeking support to talk to their sons about online and social pressures.
• Bullying was raised as a core issue and if this provided rationale to the storyline.
• The show helps decode a world parents seek to understand.
• Some felt the attempts to address gender issues are casting boys as the problem and turning them into a perceived threat.
• Some male commenters discussed their concerns and struggles with raising boys and young men in this environment.
• The commentary sparked scepticism, conspiracy and ridicule of those taking it seriously.
• Some commenters argued the real problem is ‘toxic feminism’, not masculinity.
• Troll accounts hijacked the conversations with racist and anti-immigration themes.
• Commentary on youth focused outlets and channels appear more pragmatic.

Summary of insights

• A catalyst for early conversations in families. Parents are using the show as a way to start meaningful conversations with their children about masculinity, emotional development and online influence.
• Parents are actively seeking information, tools and support. There is clear demand from parents, particularly of boys, for guidance on how to talk about complex topics like gender respect and belonging.
• Bullying was seen by some as a key issue but its role divided opinion. Some felt the show downplayed the impact of bullying while others argued it was used to justify violence. The discussion reflected tensions around blame, sympathy and accountability.
• Digital culture is poorly understood by many adults. The show revealed that many parents are unaware of the online worlds shaping their children.
• Concerns that boys are being cast as threats. There is a view that broader cultural conversations about masculinity are casting boys as inherently problematic, which is leading to defensiveness and disengagement. The discussion also revealed how terms like masculinity or toxic masculinity can quickly polarise audiences.
• Some men are reflecting openly and constructively. A group of male commenters shared personal reflections on the challenges of parenting identity and masculinity engaging seriously with the show’s theme.
• There is some backlash against the show’s framing. Some commenters dismissed the program as one-sided, alarmist, or part of a political agenda which they see as targeting boys or conservative values.
• Feminism is reframed as the problem. A number of commenters argued that the real issue is toxic feminism, not masculinity, often expressing resentment toward women or progressive gender norms.
• Racist and conspiratorial narratives are present. Some comment threads were overtaken by anti-immigration, racist and conspiratorial messages, often from anonymous or likely fake accounts. Others are commenters from the US and the UK.
• Younger audiences viewed the show as stating the obvious. Many younger commenters viewed the show as highlighting problems that have existed for some time, pointing to factors like bullying, dating apps or single sex school environments. 

They felt the framing was more relevant for older generations and called instead for basic social skills, empathy and treating others with respect.

Contributors to the conversation

The main contributors to the conversation were concerned mothers and disinterested young people were the least engaged. Given this audience breakdown, these were the most useful themes for communication consideration:

• It gave families a shared language to talk about complex issues evolving in social media in a way that felt relevant and grounded.
• Parents saw it as an opportunity to open the door to more ongoing and honest dialogue with their children.
• It helped bridge a gap between what young people are experiencing and what parents understand or feel equipped to talk about.
• The comments show that some parents are unsure how to have meaningful conversations with their children (particularly their sons) and worry their messages are not getting through.
• Some are feeling overwhelmed by how early boys are exposed to harmful influences especially through peers and online spaces.
• There is a strong desire for guidance on how to maintain connection as boys grow older and start to shut down emotionally.
• Social media and screen time are seen as major barriers to communication, leaving some parents feeling outpaced and underprepared.
• Many parents admitted they were unaware of key elements of online culture, from the meanings of emojis to the concept of the manosphere, and found the show revealing and educational.
• It prompted a shift in how parents perceive the online world, helping them realise how deeply and early kids are exposed to harmful behaviours and language.
• It created a sense of urgency for parents to get more involved in their children’s digital lives, from understanding internet slang to setting boundaries on online activity.
  
  

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