What is toxic masculinity that is depicted in Netflix’s new show ‘Adolescence’?

Toxic masculinity is back in the news – this time courtesy of the hit Netflix TV show Adolescence.

The Netflix miniseries proved popular with the viewers – racking up a massive 23.4 million views – and is also receiving widespread acclaim.

Critics have showered the TV show with praise for its stellar acting, writing and dealing with mature themes in a sensitive manner. They have also praised the show, whose episodes were shot in one take, for its technical nous.

But at the heart of the drama, which deals with a 13-year-old boy in the UK being accused of brutally killing a girl, is toxic masculinity.

This is becoming a more familiar theme the world over – particularly for those with young children and teenagers

But what is toxic masculinity? Why has it struck such a cord? And what about toxic masculinity in India?

Let’s take a closer look:

What is toxic masculinity?

First, let’s briefly examine masculinity.

Society in general expects girls and women to be feminine and boys and men to be masculine.

These masculine emotions typically encompass an entire variety of behaviours including being tough, aggressive, taking risks, showing little or no emotions, pursuing women, wealth and power.

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Growing up, boys are constantly told to ‘toughen up,’ ‘be a man’ and ‘boys don’t cry’.

As per The Conversation, this expected behaviour is reinforced by parents, peers, the media, and the education system.

However, toxic masculinity refers to such behaviours taken to an extreme – to the extent that they are harmful to both the person, and the people in their lives especially women and society at large.

Though the term toxic masculinity has gained widespread usage in recent years, its origins go back to the late 20th Century, as per WebMD.

Men’s movements at the time coined the phrase to describe how certain behaviours negatively impacted them.

The phrase has since made a comeback under the ‘fourth wave’ of feminism that began a decade ago.

As per MensCenter.org, some examples of toxic masculinity are sexual harassment, domestic violence, bullying and misogyny.

According to Healthline.org, those suffering from toxic masculinity also display homophobia, spew anti-feminist rhetoric and display anti-feminist behaviour and are emotionally insensitive.

As per WebMD, toxic masculinity lauds men for having multiple sexual partners, while denigrating women who do the same.

It also eschews a disdain for ‘women’s work’ such as housekeeping or taking care of children.

Those hailing from dysfunctional families, who have been exposed to violence, don’t have access to therapy, and have been rejected by their peers tend to fall prey to these tendencies.

Toxic masculinity also instructs men to use violence and aggression as a way to get what they want. It ties up a man’s self-esteem and self-worth to his ability to get women, wealth and power.

Experts blame toxic masculinity, which treats women as sexual objects, for the rise of rape culture.

As per The Conversation, toxic masculinity can result in and reinforce existing patriarchal behaviours.

It can lead to women being abused and beaten by their partners.

It thus further leads to gender inequalities in society.

Toxic masculinity can also take a heavy toll on those practising the behaviour.

Healthline.org quoted research from 2018 showing that such behaviour can impact physical and mental health in men.

More research showed it can also give rise to poor sleep and depression.

According to MedicalNewsToday, the problem with toxic masculinity is that it adopts a very skewed perspective of masculinity.

Experts say men may also indulge in risk-taking and dangerous behaviour in order to prove their masculinity.

Those suffering from toxic masculinity may struggle to perform academically, may abuse substances, commit suicide, suffer from psychological issues, and struggle to form friendships or connect with people, as per the website.

But experts say toxic masculinity can be countered.

As per WebMd, this can be done by

• Changing societal norms

• Making parents understand the need to avoid humiliating and physically punishing their children

• Creating a safe and healthy environment for children

• Teaching children to properly control their emotions

• Treating mental health issues

• Promoting healthy relationships.

Why has Adolescence struck such a cord?

The release of the TV show comes as societies the world over are struggling with the rise of toxic masculinity and incel (involuntary celibacy) culture.

Social media influencers like the Tate brothers – who have been accused of sexually trafficking women – preach this lifestyle to impressionable young men as the way to get ‘high-status’ women and make money.

This comes in the backdrop of a whole host of websites and forums preaching misogyny and hatred for feminism – collectively known as the manosphere – have come up across the internet.

All this venom seems to be having a real-world effect.

As per WebMd, a survey in the US showed 22 per cent of men say they should be exempted from doing housework. Around 44 per cent said they should be the sole breadwinner and another 28 per cent said that boys don’t need to learn cooking, cleaning, and child care.

Another survey showed that 34 per cent of men in the US say they should have the final word when it comes to their relationship.

Nearly half, 46 per cent, said they should know where their partner is at all times.

Twenty-three per cent of men said violence is okay if you ‘need to get respect.’

Graham, who co-created the show, said he was inspired by real events. “I read an article in the paper about a young boy who’d killed a young girl and three weeks later I was watching the news and there was a story of a young boy who’d stabbed a young girl to death,” Graham told BBC Breakfast. “It really hurt my heart, I just thought, ‘what’s going on in society where this kind of thing is becoming a regular occurrence?”

“I just couldn’t fathom it. So I wanted to really have a look and try and shine a light on this particular thing.”

Thorne added, “The thing that Stephen kept repeating through the process is it takes a village to raise a child. The thing we started talking about is it takes a village to destroy a child.”

“It could happen to anyone and that’s not saying anyone is capable of being Jamie,” he said.

“It’s about parents that didn’t see him, a school system that let him down and the ideas that he consumed. This is an ordinary family and this is an ordinary world and it’s really worrying what’s possible right now.”

“I want it to be shown in schools, I want it to be shown in Parliament. It’s crucial because this is only going to get worse. It’s something that people need to be talking about, hopefully that’s what drama can do,” Thorne said as per BBC.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer agrees. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 19 March, the prime minister revealed that he and his teenage children had been watching the show. “This violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is abhorrent and we have to tackle it,” he told the House of Commons, adding that the Netflix series must be aired in schools.

Parents in the UK have been left worried by the show.

Isabelle, a mother of two daughters aged 16 and 18, said she had been “shocked” by the series and was painfully aware that the story “could be true.”

“You don’t have any insight into the youth culture, you know, Instagram, all that stuff that you have no insight into. And adults are basically shut out… and that’s really scary,” the 49-year-old from Glasgow in Scotland said. “If your child is sucked into it, what do you do, or how do you get them out of it?” she added.

How prevalent is the problem of toxic masculinity in India?

It is no stretch to say that India as a whole remains a staunchly patriarchal society.

Every day the newspapers are filled with stories about violence against women – be it rape, marital rape, domestic abuse, acid attacks, eve-teasing.

We have women politicians that blame ‘interaction’ between boys and girls for rising rape cases and male politicians who try to excuse culprits by saying ‘boys will be boys.’

While it is easy to blame Bollywood and South Indian cinema for churning out movies that glorify toxic masculinity, objectify and sexualise women and cater to the male gaze, the truth is that they are likely serving up what they think sells – essentially giving the public what it wants.

Countering toxic masculinity in our society won’t be easy – but it is necessary.