Netflix’s Adolescence exposes manosphere

Could a teenage boy be so influenced by figures like Andrew Tate that it leads to a murder case?  

Netflix’s Adolescence, which hit 24.3 million views in just four days, is sparking an important conversation about the impact of online influencers on young boys.  

The series explores the disturbing rise of toxic masculinity, incel culture, and harmful gender ideologies, with themes like the “80-20 rule” from the manosphere.  

On Tuesday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we spoke to Renee Chopping, a trauma counsellor for survivors of sex trafficking and an advocate for child protection, to unpack it all.  

How online toxic masculinity is shaping teen boys

The storyline of Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, asking whether he was radicalised enough by online content to commit such a violent act.  

Chopping, who led a successful petition to remove Tate’s content from Spotify, said, “I think this series does a really good job of shining a light on a festering cultural wound.”  

“These are not bad boys; they’re being groomed by predators dressed up as life coaches,” she added.  

Chopping highlighted the importance of teaching boys empathy and helping them critically assess the messages they receive from mainstream media.  

She expressed concern that many boys are being groomed to adopt violent, sexist beliefs under the guise of self-improvement and male empowerment.  

“We’re seeing boys brag about being alpha males and dismissing consent like it’s some kind of woke punchline. So, I think the first thing we need to do is open up these conversations with them,” she said.  

Chopping stressed the importance of creating an environment where boys don’t feel accused, as this could trigger defensiveness and make them double down on harmful views.

“I think we need to have more men speaking out on these issues, and we need our boys to be able to look up to men as good role models because in their absence, they’re going to be looking to Andrew Tate to shape their ideas and views.”

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