Adolescence: Manufactured Backlash

Adolescence came out on Netflix last week and has been met with clamouring and viral discussion. The bombshell series, written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, tackles the insidious nature of violence against women and how it can take root in even the youngest of men. Reflecting on the experiences that feel disturbingly relatable for many young men growing up in the digital era, it explores the melting pot of social dynamics that shape identity, masculinity, sexuality, romance, role models, school experiences, family, social media, and the influence of manosphere figures.

While offering a moment for reflection it also offered a moment of outrage for some.

The Manufactured Controversy

In keeping with the broader trend of pushback against anything that could be deemed socially progressive, Adolescence became the target of misinformation. One viral post on X falsely claimed that Netflix had “race-swapped” the main character from Black to White.

Right-wing blogger Ian Miles Cheong posted:

“Netflix has a show called Adolescence that’s about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus and it’s based on real-life cases such as the Southport murderer. So guess what? They race-swapped the actual killer from a Black man/migrant to a White boy and the story has it so he was radicalised online by the red pill movement. Just the absolute state of anti-White propaganda.”

The post amassed 13,000 reshares, 78,000 likes, and 4.8 million views. Elon Musk himself replied, saying, “Wow.”

There’s just one problem: none of it is true.

The Truth About Adolescence

Adolescence is a fictional TV series. The protagonist, his family, and the victim are all fictional. The plot is inspired by multiple real-life cases of UK knife crime, woven together into a composite story.

Stephen Graham has explained this repeatedly:

“We’d been asked to create a one-shot piece which was going to be a series, so we were coming up with the possibilities of what we’d make it about, and I’d read an article in the paper about a young boy stabbing a young girl. It made me feel a bit cold. Then about three or four months later, there was a piece on the news about a young boy who’d stabbed a young girl. They are young boys, they’re not men.”

But facts aren’t relevant in an ecosystem that thrives on outrage.

Why This Matters

It’s important to acknowledge these bad-faith narratives, not because they deserve validation, but because they reveal a growing movement intent on derailing crucial conversations. The goal isn’t critique: it’s distraction. The tactic is predictable: reduce complex issues to identity-based grievances, weaponise misinformation and stoke resentment to prevent progress.

There’s no need to entertain race-baiting arguments that cherry-pick statistics to falsely link criminality to racial identity; an oversimplification that ignores systemic factors. Instead, the real focus should be on those doing the work to address these issues, from educators and activists to policymakers and community leaders.

While some are busy manufacturing outrage, others are actually trying to make a difference.

Check out the latest updates from anti misogyny classes coming to schools in the UK

And the work of Mike Nicholson’s Progressive Masculinity