Stephen Graham on how the rise of incel culture influenced new Netflix show Adolescence
Stephen Graham's new Netflix series Adolescence centres on a 13-year-old boy arrested for the murder of a young girl and the rise of incel culture.
Stephen Graham says the rise of "misogynistic tendencies" is concerning and we're "all accountable to an extent" to finding a solution.
His new limited series Adolescence looks at the impact of social media on children and the accessibility to radicalised views online.
Speaking to Sky News, Graham says there was a certain moment for him that inspired him to create the show.
"I read an article about a young girl who was stabbed to death by a young boy, and then a few months later, on the news there was a young girl who, again, had been brutally stabbed to death by a young boy in a completely different part of the country.
"If I'm really honest with you, that hurt my heart and I just thought, why? Why does this kind of thing happen? What is this society? Why have we reached this point where this kind of thing is happening? What was the reason?"
The four-part drama, he says, doesn't have the answer but instead holds a mirror up to society asking how can the growing presence of incel culture be quashed?
"You look at it and you see that we're kind of all accountable to an extent. There's failings within the school system, there's situations where the education system can look at this, look at what's happened with that kind of rise in these misogynistic tendencies.
More on Netflix Related Topics:Netflix Stephen Graham"The society as a whole can look at this, parents obviously can look at this, and the government in many ways."
What is the term incel?
Derived from the phrase "involuntarily celibate", an incel culture in its simplest is someone who deems themselves unable to find a romantic partner despite desiring one.
A more radicalised sub-culture of incels has surfaced online in recent years which includes individuals who dislike feminism and believe that women have become too sexually selective.
They believe men are the superior sex and men have the right to objectify and criticise women as a result.
Influencers like Andrew Tate have been connected to the growing corner of the internet in which young boys are being radicalised from the certain viewpoint.
Image: Ashley Walters as Detective Inspector Bascombe in Adolescence. Pic: NetflixActor Ashley Walters, who stars alongside Graham in the series, says reading into the existence of the misogynistic group came as a bit of a shock and it worries him about the world children are growing up in.
"I'd seen bits of the Andrew Tate stuff kind of popping up online or whatever, but I never really delved into it. And for me, this was the first real experience.
He adds: "I do sometimes feel sorry for [kids]. When I was growing up, I was in a bubble. I didn't have a clue what was going on in the States and other parts of the world.
"It was just kind of in my little area that I grew up in with my family... I wasn't seeing Bentleys and designer clothes and all of this stuff. It's like I was happy with what I had. And now you're exposed to everything. It's no wonder that kids mentally grow up quicker."
Read more from Sky News:Who is the real Belle Gibson?Meet the Eurovision hopefuls who sing their trollers' insults
The Top Boy actor believes it can be hard for young boys to talk about their emotions.
"It's really important that we have these conversations and we make it normal to have discussions just like women and young girls do about feelings and whatever they're going through.
"That was one of the big reasons why I wanted to be a part of this conversation that we're creating, because I'm a strong advocate for, as a man, being vulnerable, crying in front of my friends, and just saying how I feel.
"It's even difficult for me at times, so I can't imagine how young men are at the moment... everything that's going on around social media in their lives, how difficult it is for them to start this conversation."
Install the Sky News app for free
'This government needs to do something'
Co-creator and writer Jack Thorne agrees and says the government should step in and guide children and their parents to the correct use of social media.
"I think this government needs to do something. And there's a private members' bill going through the Commons on Friday that has been watered down quite extensively by this government because they're frightened of big tech.
"And we need to be having conversations like Australia's having conversations, whether they're actually putting in legislation about restricting social media access.
"We need to be having those conversations in this country and we're not. And if we don't have these conversations, it is going to get worse."
Image: Fatima Bojang as Jade. Pic: NetflixHe adds: "Doing this show I spent a lot of time in a lot of dark places. I saw where the web went and where the web goes. And it's not about Andrew Tate. Andrew Tate is the shorthand for adults.
"There's much worse stuff out there. And it teaches kids a logic... that makes sense of the world for them in a really distorted and ugly way. And unless we look at that and talk about that, things are only going to get worse."
Get Sky News on WhatsAppFollow our channel and never miss an update
Tap here to followA government spokesperson said: "We are committed to keeping young people safe online.
"Starting next week, Ofcom can begin enforcing the Online Safety Act's illegal content duties, targeting the most harmful material.
"By summer, children will be protected from harmful content, and platforms must take steps to ensure age-appropriate experiences online.
"These protections will act as the foundation and our priority is implementing them quickly and effectively.
"We also know there will be more to do and have already acted, including commissioning a study to assess current research on the impact of social media and smartphones, strengthening the evidence base on their impact on children's wellbeing.
"This will enable us to swiftly consider all options to inform our next steps in the safety of children online."
Adolescence is out on Netflix on 13 April.
While the team in the hit Apple TV + football series is fake, the locations are real. Why not discover some of the landmarks for yourself and pretend to be Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt or Lasso himself?
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
PRUE Leith has been officially replaced on The Great Celebrity Bake Off as Channel 4 debut her replacement. Prue, 84, last year announced she would be stepping back from the celebrity version of th…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return.”
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Rapper Playboy Carti told Kai Cenat that he wants to do more stuff with streamers after saying his stream with Adin Ross was a little “awkward.”
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
To celebrate St Patrick's Day, why not test your knowledge of everything Irish with this quick-fire quiz?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
AFC Richmond are back
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Kansas football coach will be back on our screens to teach his team to 'Leap before they look'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
It’s been two years since we last heard from Ted Lasso but the show is officially set to return for a fourth season. Apple TV announced the beloved character’s return on Friday. It stars Jason Sudeikis as an American coach of a U.K. soccer team and is based on a character he played in promos for NBC Sports. The series premiered in 2020 and went on to win seven Primetime Emmy Awards in its first three seasons. The series made stars of its supporting cast, including Brett Goldstein, Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple. Sudeikis is hinting the new season will be about taking chances.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Daniel Bannister, 50, has been locked up after turning up at the star's home
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Jason Sudeikis already confirmed his involvement.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A SMASH hit show is officially returning for a fourth series – two years after its last ever episode. The stars of Ted Lasso will reunite after months of rumours in a move that will leave fan…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The football comedy kept millions of people entertained during the pandemic
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Playboi Carti finally releases his highly anticipated, long-awaited Music album with a feature from Kendrick Lamar on the song Good Credit.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel gets the Netflix faux-blockbuster treatment, and the result is like a 10,000 volt charge to your groin.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.
