Perhaps no other TV series has gained the kind of cultural relevance in recent times as the British universal hit ‘Adolescence’. Written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, the limited-series has jolted parents, educators, and government officials to acknowledge the hidden dangers of social media. Just four intense episodes have initiated a much-needed conversation on a pressing global issue: the rising influence of toxic masculinity among teenage boys.
The concern goes beyond boys merely spewing misogynistic drivel. In the UK, for instance, the surge in violent incidents involving teenage boys attacking and even killing girls has left communities in shock. The victims and perpetrators are children — between 13 and 16 years of age — and their futures hang in the balance as the number of such incidents continues to rise.
Public discourse often stalled at how it happened, rarely exploring the why. That’s where Adolescence steps in. It focuses on the perpetrator, a 13-year-old boy, and the socio-cultural factors behind his violent behaviour. It spotlights how web content, particularly ‘manosphere’ ideas, distort vulnerable young men’s perceptions, amplifying toxic ideas. Manosphere is an umbrella term for forums and communities that promote misogynistic ideologies.
When discussing the rise of toxic masculinity among adolescents, mental health professional and trans rights activist Fred Rogers says, “We don’t really need a Netflix documentary to understand patriarchy. It’s been part of our society for thousands of years. In India especially, individuals assigned male at birth are seen as a boon, while others are treated as inferior.” From his lived experience as a parent and a man of trans experience, Fred believes the roots of toxic masculinity go deep — into households, school corridors, online spaces and even playgrounds.
With every child on social media, harmful ideologies travel quickly. “They all know who Andrew Tate is — the infamous influencer facing multiple charges, including human trafficking. They talk about how women are taking away men’s jobs, and how it’s okay to beat up women. By Class 5 or 6, children are familiar with terms such as alpha/beta/sigma male,” says Anson P D Alexander, director, NGO Kanal, which focuses on children’s welfare and conducts regular workshops with schoolchildren.
For the uninitiated, the concepts stem from animal behaviour studies — wolves, chimpanzees, and the like. An alpha is dominant and assertive, a beta is subservient, and a sigma is a so-called lone wolf.
Characters such as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Homelander from The Boys became the symbol of sigma males, making the manosphere more attractive. “However, these behaviour patterns belong to animals,” Anson notes. “Aren’t we humans supposed to be more emotionally and intellectually evolved?”
Messages from movies
It is true that misogyny and the glorification of the ‘bad boy’ image have existed for a long time. Many popular films with anti-heroes — from Pistha, Mannan to Adithya Varma and Animal — have entertained and influenced generations. But with social media, the stakes are higher. “Social media preys on young boys and their emotional need to ‘belong’,” says Tasneem Jahan, a parent. “Vulnerable children end up in the digital arms of toxic influencers who give them a false sense of community and belonging. To avoid figures like Andrew Tate filling the void, elders — especially men in the family — have to be emotionally available to them. They need to be role models.”
Much of the problem, Fred says, begins with silence at home. “As parents, we avoid talking to children about gender identity, stereotypes, body image, consent, or sexuality — even though kids as young as six or seven are already forming ideas. We distance ourselves from reality. Kids aged 16 or 17 will explore sexuality, but we pretend as though nothing’s happening.”
Fred stresses the importance of early conversations at home. Having come out when his younger child was just a toddler, he began introducing age-appropriate resources and cartoons to help explain concepts of identity and expression. “If we start early — at age four or five — children grow up with open minds. When I pick up my kids, I see 10- and 13-year-olds discussing patriarchy, gender identity, and their right to express themselves. That’s only possible when parents create that space.”
Beyond misogyny
The consequences of silence, however, are not limited to home. Dr L Ramakrishnan, a public health professional affiliated with NGO SAATHII, highlights the institutional neglect that often follows gender nonconformity. He explains that SAATHII has documented numerous cases of bullying of gender-nonconforming children across eight Indian states: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Manipur, Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat, and Delhi. “Bullying of queer children assigned male at birth almost always centres around their being not masculine enough, ‘girly’, and hence — by patriarchal logic — inferior,” Ramakrishnan says. “These toxic behaviours reinforcing masculinity and punishing femininity point to causal connections among sexism, homophobia and transphobia.”
Queer activist Sivakumar TD aligned with Vistaara Project agrees that toxicity doesn’t stop at the borders of straight or cisgender communities. “It also seeps into our relationships, our friendships, and even our ideas of love. I’ve seen gay couples replicate heteronormative dynamics, where one person is expected to be ‘the man’ — dominant, emotionally distant, decision-maker.” These stereotypes reinforces harm.
Toxic masculinity is the underlying principle of these ideologies, they add. “The manosphere says the world is unduly favourable to women. Such discussions are increasingly happening among men. Another consequence that not many are aware of is this can result in severe isolation and even suicide,” says Dr Arun B Nair, psychiatrist.
Delfina, another queer activist, observes how these pressures play out online. “Online platforms are flooded with content that tells you how to ‘be a man’ or what makes a ‘real woman’. For queer and trans youth, this is especially harmful — it limits exploration and punishes authenticity. The pressure to conform doesn’t just come from outside. Many queer and trans folks internalise gender roles from media and family. It becomes this silent expectation that if you’re of a certain gender, you must present a certain way to be seen as valid. That hurts.”
Children, Fred insists, are far more open to change than adults. “Children are resilient and eager to learn. Adults need to unlearn and create safe spaces free from shame or bullying. Parents must take the initiative to find age-appropriate resources. Just like we don’t talk directly about sexual violence, we still need to create space for children to talk openly. The statistics around abuse and harm are alarming. We must be present — not just to protect children, but to raise them with empathy and awareness.”
As Fred puts it, confronting patriarchy and toxic masculinity means starting where it matters most: at home. The conversation is long overdue — but it is also well within our reach.
SLANG BANG
Alpha: The powerful, dominant, or assertive male in a group
Beta: A subordinate male animal in a particular group
Sigma male: Solitary, masculine man, often called a ‘lone wolf’
Manosphere: A collection of websites, online forums and portals promoting masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism
Red pill: Taking the red pill means ‘awakening to the supposed truth about the nature of women and feminism’ from a misogynistic view
80/20 rule: Only 20% of men can attract the romantic attention of 80% of women. The rest of 80% of men have no chance of a relationship.
MRAs: Men’s Rights Activists
MGTOW: Men going their own way and who abstain from relationships with women
Incels: Involuntary celibate. They define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner and may blame women and girls for it.
Pick-up-artists: Men who know how to attract women
Negging: Ignoring or undermining women to lower their self-confidence