Toxic Masculinity and Incel Culture in Adolescence: A Portrait of a Broken Boyhood

What happens when a teenager’s growing pains collide with a world of online cruelty, toxic masculinity, and misunderstood emotions? Adolescence, the critically acclaimed 2025 British psychological crime drama miniseries, dives headfirst into this question with unflinching intensity. Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, Adolescence is visually and emotionally striking with its unique format; each of its four one-hour episodes is a single continuous take, immersing the audience in real-time raw emotional chaos. 

Adolescence follows the story of Jamie Miller, a teenager who is arrested for the murder of his classmate Katie Leonard. While Jamie insists on his innocence, his family is thrown into emotional turmoil, especially his father, Eddie, played by Stephen Graham, who struggles with guilt and helplessness. As the police investigate further, troubling layers emerge where it's shown that Jamie was subjected to brutal online bullying, labelled with the "incel" emoji by peers, hinting at deep emotional wounds and moments of identity crisis. 

A Boy Looking for Power

Adolescence isn’t just a coming-of-age story. It’s a transparent portrayal of a young man’s psyche under pressure from society, from family, and from the twisted expectations of manhood. The series masterfully illustrates how boys are often taught to internalise pain and suppress emotional expression. Jamie’s silence isn't just about guilt or fear; it's a reflection of a broader societal failure to create safe emotional spaces for boys. His confusion, anger, and loneliness simmer beneath the surface because no one ever taught him how to name those feelings. The show challenges the myth that boys are naturally "less emotional".  Behind its surface tale of youth and rebellion, the film quietly unpacks how toxic masculinity and incel culture seep into the bones of vulnerable children. Masculinity, in this story, isn’t about strength or character. It’s about how they exert control, especially over women. Since ancient times, boys have been taught that being fearless, powerful, and strong defines what it means to be a man. He has been taught, either directly or indirectly, that being invulnerable and in control is how men are valued in society. In the show, Jamie is not influenced by societal ideology; rather, he becomes radicalised due to feelings of loneliness, rejection, and confusion about his identity and what it means to be a boy. The show highlights that this form of toxic masculinity is not solely instilled through politics and societal norms but rather emerges from social media, memes, jokes, echo chambers, and peer influence. 

The protagonist's aggressive outbursts throughout the show illustrate his attempt to demonstrate masculinity and assert dominance over those around him. However, these actions are not true expressions of confidence or power; rather, they stem from fear and insecurity. He is scared of being perceived as weak and compensates for this by acting aggressively. Additionally, whenever Jamie tries to express confusion, sadness, or vulnerability, he is either implicitly or explicitly admonished. This response leads him to develop defence mechanisms that cause him to internalise his pain, which ultimately manifests negatively as hostility or stoicism. The peer culture in his world is rife with casual homophobia, misogynistic jokes, and competitive displays of dominance. These are structural norms set forth by years of indoctrination of society that reinforce the idea that being weak equates to being feminine, and being feminine equates to being worthless. 

As viewed in the 4-episode series, Jamie couldn’t handle being rejected by a ‘flat-chested’ girl who was vulnerable after her topless pictures were circulated in her school. He thought he was entitled to her and that he deserved her. Even though she instigated him by ridiculing him online with her comments, he thought he held power over her, especially as she was in a vulnerable position. While talking to Dr Briony Ariston, he mentions that “I could have touched any part of her body. I really wanted to, but I didn’t. Most boys would’ve touched her, so that makes me better.”

This text illustrates his sense of entitlement towards her and how he believed that doing the bare minimum made him superior to his peers. It highlights the deep-rooted effects of toxic masculinity and social media culture on his mindset. He exhibits extremely low self-esteem, insecurities about his masculinity, a lack of confidence, and hostility towards women. Additionally, in the third episode, when the doctor attempts to analyse his personality, he resorts to projecting an intimidating image whenever he feels that he is losing control of the situation. This behaviour reflects his need to assert dominance over women, as seen in his interactions with both her and the therapist.

The Incel Pipeline  

One of the most chilling aspects of the show is how emojis become tools of digital bullying. Jamie is taunted with an “incel” emoji, something seemingly trivial, yet it's loaded with judgement, ridicule, and alienation. Adolescence doesn’t directly mention terms like “incel” or “red pill”; instead, it very subtly addresses the topic. The protagonist's bitterness, entitlement, and simmering rage toward women come from a place of rejection and humiliation. Jamie struggles with low self-esteem, which leads him to seek validation rather than just love. This sense of entitlement often arises from toxic masculinity being prevalent in incel culture, where women are viewed as objects rather than as individuals with their own autonomy and power. Jamie feels compelled to accept this narrative because of his environment and the media he consumes. He absorbs this harmful perspective, as he lacks a role model to demonstrate a genuine understanding of masculinity. This depicts the way women are viewed in the real world, awash with online echo chambers, meme culture, and toxic forums where negative scripts about women and self are validated and intensified.

Women as Mirrors, Not People

In "Adolescence", the female characters often act as mirrors, reflecting what the protagonist wants to see in himself. He clings to them not as independent individuals but as objects that contribute to his emotional state—either as proof of his worth or reminders of his failures. To him, women exist solely as validators of his status, rather than as separate entities with their own needs and dreams. This situation exemplifies the essence of toxic masculinity, where men rely on women to validate their manhood while simultaneously resenting them for holding that power over them. 

He views relationships with women as transactions instead of meaningful connections. He values them only when they confirm and validate his self-worth. Even the women closest to him, such as his mother and sister, are dismissed in the last episode. During a family’s car trip, he primarily acknowledges his dad, overlooking the importance of the two most significant women in his life. Additionally, when the doctor enquires whether his dad has female friends, he becomes offended at the suggestion that his dad is cheating on his mom. He believes that friendships with women cannot exist without some form of attraction. Seeing his dad as a role model and observing that all of his father's friends are men, he concludes that this is the only way to form relationships. This illustrates how women are not perceived as complete human beings worthy of friendship.

The System That Fails Boys

The show does not romanticise this behaviour; rather, it highlights the environment that fosters it. In a society that teaches young boys to suppress their emotions, mock empathy, and reject vulnerability, the blame for such behaviour lies not only with individuals but also with the flawed system as a whole. Consequently, these boys grow into men who perceive emotional expression as a sign of weakness. The show subtly addresses this issue during adolescence, emphasising that it is not just an individual problem but a systemic one. This perspective goes beyond personal failure to acknowledge the broader cultural and societal pressures faced by teenage boys.

These challenges are further intensified by the lack of male role models or examples of similar situations, such as those faced by their fathers. Stephen Graham’s portrayal of the protagonist’s father adds a poignant layer to the already emotional plot of a father who loves his son but struggles to connect with him. The show highlights how a parent’s emotional illiteracy and unresolved trauma can be passed down to their child, negatively affecting their upbringing and shaping the environment in which they grow. Moreover, schools, churches, and counselling systems are portrayed as being reactive rather than proactive when it comes to addressing male vulnerability and misogyny. Cultural media, including films, video games, and influencers, often normalise behaviours such as dominance, detachment, and disdain for emotional expression in men. This contributes to the cycle of toxic masculinity, which equates vulnerability with weakness. As a result, boys are encouraged from an early age to seek validation through power, control, and aggression, rather than forming meaningful connections with others.

Adolescence isn’t simply the tale of a boy whom women ruin; rather, it is the story of a boy whose identity is undermined by a culture that offers him a false model of manhood. This process involves a gradual and devastating unravelling of his sense of self, where toxic masculinity does not create strength but instead leaves a void. This hollowness cultivates paranoia and isolation with nothing but silence. The essence of adolescence is not just about criticism; it is a heartfelt plea. Young men need different narratives to guide them, such as models of masculinity rooted in empathy, self-worth that is not solely based on achievement, and mutual respect. Without these elements, it’s all too easy for them to fall into a shallow version of manhood. The show subtly argues that empathy serves as the solution, where true adulthood involves not dominating others but having the courage to care, listen, and be vulnerable.

The real tragedy lies not only in the toxicity that takes hold of the protagonist but in the knowledge that it could have been prevented. The concept of community as a source of healing naturally follows from this idea. The responsibility for shaping healthier masculine identities rests with everyone, families, schools, communities, and the media we consume. Adolescence illustrates how easily a fractured boyhood can lead to destructive manhood when young men lack proper guidance and support. The wounds depicted are not just personal; they are widespread, permeating the fabric of society and influencing the values, relationships, and emotional landscapes of society. This change in the system requires us to start at a basic level and gradually progress from there. It involves having open conversations, sharing responsibilities, and being willing to rethink what it means to be whole, not just for ourselves but for future generations as well.