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.
Image: Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller in Adolescence. Pic: Netflix
“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.
“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: Netflix
Actor 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.”
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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.”
‘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 in Adolescence. Pic: Netflix
He 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.”
A 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.
