If you've watched the series " Adolescence ," you probably have a lot of questions - one of them is what the emojis used by Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) and the other kids at his school meant.
In the second episode, investigator Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) learns that he misinterpreted a series of emojis left by Katie (Emilia Holliday), the murdered teenager, on Jamie's Instagram profile, believing them to be flirtatious.
It's only when his teenage son Adam (Amari Bacchus) explains it to him that he realizes there's a darker message behind these icons.
The red pill
In the second episode, Adam breaks down the meaning of emojis, telling his father: "The red pill means, 'I see the truth.' It's a call to action from the manosphere."
The manosphere refers to a group of websites, blogs, and online forums that promote masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism. In these forums, the “red pill,” a term borrowed from the film “The Matrix,” has become a symbol of awakening to the “truth” surrounding gender dynamics.
Dynamite emoji
Adam goes on to explain that Katie's comment on Jamie's profile includes a dynamite, which refers to a "red pill that explodes" meaning Jamie is an incel .
Incels are a subset of the misogynistic online community known as the "manosphere." According to the Anti-Defamation League, they are a group of "heterosexual men who blame women" for not having romantic relationships.
Emoji 100
Adam describes the "80/20" rule, which is associated with the 100 emoji. He says: "80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. According to the misogynist community, women, you have to cheat on them because you'll never "win" them the normal way."
Investigator Luke Bascombe then questions how Jamie could be involuntarily celibate when he is only 13, to which Adam replies: "Katie is saying he will always be like that."
Involuntary celibate - someone who desires a romantic or sexual relationship but is unable to have one despite wanting to. The term has evolved over time, initially describing a wide range of people who struggle with loneliness or lack of romantic success. However, in recent years, the term has become associated with certain online communities that express frustration, discontent, or misogynistic views ( incel ).
Heart emojis
During Adam's conversation with his father, he points out that heart emojis can have different meanings when used by younger generations. He explains: "Red heart means love; purple - I'm excited; yellow - 'I'm interested, are you interested'; pink - 'I'm interested, but not for sex'; orange - 'You'll be fine'. Everything has a meaning. Everything has a meaning."
Beans emoji
Adam adds that the bean emoji is also used to identify or self-identify as an incel . This may be related to the resemblance to coffee beans. The coffee bean meme, popular on platforms like 4Chan and Reddit, has been used to demean women and reinforce harmful stereotypes.
