Adolescence ’s Stephen Graham has issued a warning to parents about the dangers of the internet .
The individual, who is 51 years old, is the star and co-author of the newly celebrated Netflix The series centers around the family of 13-year-old student Jamie Miller, who is implicated in the heinous killing of a young girl. Graham portrays Jamie's dad, Eddie.
Shot in one-take, Each installment tracks the characters in real-time. As they strive to uncover the truth behind the event, Graham delves into relevant topics such as incel culture, misogyny, and the online "manosphere." Inspired by accounts of young women being stabbed, he aims to shed light on these pressing matters.
“I read an article about a young boy stabbing a young girl,” the A Thousand Blows star told The Independent And then perhaps a few months afterward, the news reported another incident where a young boy had attacked a girl with a knife, and to be completely truthful, these events broke my heart.
He mentioned that the plot delves into a variety of complex themes, and emphasized that parents should be "attentive" to the outside factors affecting their kids.
It simply involves recognizing that parenting our children isn’t the only influence at play, nor is schooling their sole form of education," he stated. "There are unseen forces exerting significant impacts—both beneficial and severely detrimental—on our younger generation. Thus, it requires acknowledging that everyone bears responsibility.
Graham wanted to explore the wider influences affecting young boys from “ordinary” backgrounds.
“He mentioned, ‘We desired for him to have humble origins,’ adding, 'From the start, we were careful not to find fault easily. The father wasn’t aggressive at home and never resorted to physical violence against mom, their son, or their daughter. Mom also did not struggle with alcoholism. Additionally, Jamie faced neither sexual nor mental abuse, nor any form of physical mistreatment.’”
He stated that the series subsequently poses the query: "Who is at fault? Who bears responsibility?" The response isn't simple. "Perhaps each of us holds some accountability—family, school, society, community, and even our surroundings."
The Boiling Point The actor proceeded to explore the "minuscule universe of the home" and "the vast cosmos beyond," clarifying that this divide was no longer relevant.
When we were young, if you were told to go to your room or if Kenny Everett was on television and things got a bit steamy, you would be sent away so you couldn't see it," he recalled. "However, nowadays, even inside that same house, when boys and girls retreat to their rooms, they essentially have access to the entire world.
Adolescence does not address Andrew Tate or incel culture directly; this was an intentional choice by writer Jack Thorne to illuminate the intricate factors affecting youth and delve into "masculine anger."
He mentioned that the children aren’t paying attention to Andrew Tate; instead, they’re consuming content far riskier than anything Andrew Tate has produced," explained the speaker. "Our aim was to capture the intricate nature of this young individual shaped by various distinct factors. One key aspect we explored is how incel culture operates with its own rationale.
The Independent has consistently maintained a worldwide viewpoint. Rooted in strong foundations of exceptional international journalism and insightful analysis, The Independent now boasts a readership that would have been unimaginable at its launch as a newcomer in the UK media landscape. For the first time since the conclusion of World War II, these core principles—pluralism, rationality, progressivism, humaneness, and globalization—are being challenged globally. Despite this, The Independent continues to expand.
