Discussions surrounding the manosphere, incel culture, and the rise of misogynistic views have been at the centre of conversations in recent years as the world discusses what impact these ideals could have on young people growing up right now. From the way male contestants spoke to their partners on this year’s Love Island UK to the increase of influencers such as Andrew Tate, misogyny is becoming a ‘norm,’ but suggestions on how to overcome it are far from finding a conclusion.

When Netflix’s four-part drama series Adolescence came out at the start of 2025, it sparked a national conversation on misogyny and online safety—one that is still, if not more, relevant today. 

Adolescence sees a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a young girl from his school. The narrative highlights how online rhetoric—specifically stemming from male content creators on social media—can lead to real-world violence. It proved hugely successful not only in raising awareness and initiating conversations but also in its cinematography and innovative use of one-take filming. 

Now, the streamer’s second most-watched English-language series ever (after the first season of Wednesday) has triumphed at this year’s Emmys, winning in six categories. It picked up awards for limited series, direction, writing, as well as three acting awards. 

Owen Cooper, who played 13-year-old schoolboy Jamie Miller in the series, made history by winning the award for best supporting actor in a limited series. The 15-year-old is the youngest ever male Emmy Award winner, and he was just 14 at the time of filming.

He called the experience “so surreal,” and said in his acceptance speech: “When I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn’t expect to even be in the United States, never mind here. I think tonight proves [that] if you listen, and you focus, and you step out [of] your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible. I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Emmys / Television Academy (@televisionacad)

Adolescence star and co-creator Stephen Graham also took home the award for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie. He previously spoke about how the storyline is based on real events. In an interview with Chris Moyles for Radio X, Graham explained: “I read an article about a young boy who’d stabbed a young girl to death, and it made me feel cold.”

He noted that a similar news story appeared a couple of months later, where another young boy stabbed a girl to death, and highlighted that these two incidents were at opposite ends of the country. But he just thought: “Why is this happening? And not just because I’m a father, but I think any human being with a moral compass can look at that situation and think, what’s going on with society today that we’re in this era where these young boys are stabbing young girls to death?”

So, while Adolescence is a work of fiction, it walks such a close line to a possible reality that it remains a chilling watch for some. It even received calls from parents, young people, and some educators for it to be shown in schools, as a reflection of what is happening in society. 

The show dominating this year’s Emmy Awards will hopefully bring its important message back to the forefront of conversations as we continue to tackle the scourge of misogyny that remains rife in everyday life.