Elon Musk has come under fire once again for amplifying misinformation, this time regarding the popular Netflix drama Adolescence. The drama, which was released last week and has already amassed over 24 million views, casts Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty in key roles. Split into four one-take episodes, it tells the chilling story of 13-year-old Jamie, played by Owen Cooper, who is accused of murdering a female classmate, Katie (Emilia Holliday). Jamie's parents, portrayed by Graham and Christine Tremarco, are confronted with the crisis as police investigate the circumstances surrounding his radicalization and the influence of online incel culture.
Adolescence has received widespread praise for its unsettling yet real depiction of misogyny and the ignorance parents often exhibit towards the ideologies their children encounter online. Yet, the conversation surrounding the show has turned controversial, particularly after Musk, the owner of X, took to the platform this recent weekend. He shared a post from user @stillgray, who claimed that the show was based on real life cases such as the notorious Southport murderer, suggesting that the character's racial identity was altered for the narrative.
The user, known in real life as Ian Miles Cheong, has a following of 1.2 million and reached nearly five million views with his post. Musk's simple reply, expressing shock with the word “Wow,” was met with backlash, as many pointed out the inaccuracies in the claims being shared. User @Shayan86 countered Cheong's point, clarifying, “Adolescence is not based on the Southport attack or a single case. It was already in production and being filmed before Southport happened.
For context, the Southport tragedy occurred on July 29, 2024, when 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana attacked children during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, resulting in three fatalities and multiple injuries. The miniseries Adolescence, meanwhile, was filmed over six months, a process that included a timeline from March to September 2024. The amount of viral misinformation circulating on platforms such as X, particularly when thrust into the spotlight by high-profile figures, is indeed troubling.
In various interviews, Graham has expressed that the inspiration for Adolescence derived from a series of real-life incidents involving youth violence. He shared harrowing anecdotes of young girls who had been tragically murdered in different cities across the UK. “Where it came from, for me, is there was an incident in Liverpool, a young girl, and she was stabbed to death by a young boy. I just thought, ‘Why?’” Graham recounted during a conversation with Radio Times. He referenced multiple cases, including that of Brianna Ghey, who was lured to a park and fatally attacked by two other teenagers.
Graham’s narrative for the show, he explained, was built upon years of observing a concerning trend: “We’ve seen an epidemic of knife crime amongst young lads up and down the country,” he remarked. This urgency to discuss the radicalization of young boys in online forums led to a creative exploration of a pressing societal issue. He referred to influential figures like Andrew Tate as part of the conversation, emphasizing the pressures facing boys in today’s digital age.
“One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and from social media?’” Graham elaborated on the show’s thematic aspirations. The creators were also keen to demonstrate that even young boys come from loving families, showing how external influences can complicate their lives. “When these things are on the news, your judgment instantly goes to blaming the family,” he noted in an earlier interview. “What if that’s not the case at all?”
Now streaming on Netflix, Adolescence is a powerful commentary on the different layers of societal issues affecting today’s youth, urging viewers to reflect on the stories behind the headlines and the realities that may be lurking in the shadows.
