Netflix’s four-part British miniseries ‘Adolescence’ is one of the most powerful pieces of TV you’re likely to see this year. It’s raw and honest in its portrayal of social issues such as male rage, toxic masculinity, misogyny, male supremacy influencers, bullying, indoctrination, crime, mental health, social media, and poor parenting. It’s deeply uncomfortable to watch. It’s truly devastatingly emotional.
And it’s making some parents worried that they might not notice the problems their children are dealing with, and who they’re influenced by, until it’s far too late.
Social media, online communication, slang, and emojis—which reveal more than adults might think at first glance—form a core part of the story in ‘Adolescence.’ Today, we’re looking at some of the hidden meanings that certain emojis have, as shared by law enforcement. Scroll down to take a look.
Warning: there will be some minor spoilers about the plot of ‘Adolescence’ ahead.
The TV series ‘Adolescence’ tackles incredibly sensitive topics such as toxic masculinity, social media influence, mental health, and male rage
It’s no surprise if you’ve heard about ‘Adolescence,’ the TV show has been dominating the media after its recent release.
Putting aside the stellar acting and camerawork for a moment, it’s the type of series that doesn’t hold back and tackles incredibly sensitive issues and the consequences they have on society head-on.
The show follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy, Jamie, after the stabbing of a teenage girl. Over the course of 4 episodes, the series looks at how this devastating crime affects different parts of society.
Lead investigator DI Luke Bascombe doesn’t quite understand the hidden meanings of emojis, which takes his investigation in a different direction
Image credits: Netflix
In the second episode of ‘Adolescence,’ there’s a scene where lead investigator DI Luke Bascombe’s son pulls him aside to explain how he’s been embarrassingly floundering in his investigation because he doesn’t really get how social media communication works in this day and age.
The teenager takes the time to walk his dad through the real meanings behind seemingly innocent emojis, including pills, beans, and how different-colored hearts can imply very different things, etc.
In the show, one important aspect of the story is the hidden meaning of certain emojis. Here’s a list of some meanings of emojis, as shared by the Surrey Police
Meanwhile, here’s a recent list of emojis and how they’re used, as compiled by the Australian Federal Police
Image credits: The Australian Federal Police
The first episode looks at Jamie’s arrest during an early morning raid, as well as his processing at the police station. The second episode follows DI Bascombe as he visits Jamie’s school. The third episode looks at a child psychologist’s attempts to figure out what makes the suspect tick. The fourth and final episode follows Jamie’s family and the fallout of their son’s arrest. (The entire show is worth watching, but if you’re pressed for time, the third one is the most powerful, from our perspective.)
The show’s plot revolves around the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie (right)
Image credits: Netflix
Slang and the meanings behind certain emojis change over time and depend on culture, context, and location. These meanings can also differ between social groups in the same geographic area, as different people attach different meanings to emojis and abbreviations.
So, it’s no wonder that not everyone will immediately be able to decipher the real meanings of specific emojis. You need to spend time within a particular social group to truly understand their thinking. Or, like in the show, you need an insider to walk you through things that might seem obvious to some while leaving others completely oblivious or misinterpreting things.
In ‘Adolescence,’ lead investigator DI Bascombe’s son explains to him how certain emojis are used by his peers
The pill emoji can refer to someone being ‘red-pilled’ (i.e., exhibiting misogynistic points of view); the beans can refer to someone being an incel (involuntarily celibate)
In the show, red hearts can mean love, purple can mean that someone is h*rny, yellow means “I’m interested, are you interested?”, pink can mean that someone’s interested but not in intercourse, and orange means “you’re going to be fine”
‘Adolescence’ is being hailed as a landmark TV show. Writer Jack Thorne told BBC Radio 4 that the goal was to “look in the eye of male rage” as the central character, Jamie, has been “indoctrinated by voices” like Andrew Tate’s and “voices a lot more dangerous” than him, too.
Erin Doherty, who plays a child psychologist in one episode, has some of the most emotional scenes in the entire series
Image credits: Netflix
Actress Erin Doherty, who plays a child psychologist in the third episode, had this to say to BBC Radio 4: “This show has the bravery to just peel back the layers and go, let’s talk about this thing, because we’re still dealing with it today. There are still issues cropping up in the news today.”
She continued: “So all we can hold ourselves accountable for is having the discussion, and hopefully that’s what it does. It just allows parents, aunties, uncles, even just friends, to engage in the conversation.”
Many emojis have meanings that aren’t immediately apparent. For instance, the clown face might indicate that someone is feeling like a fraud
What are your thoughts on ‘Adolescence’? How did the series impact you? Are you at all worried about the effect that social media and influencers can have on children? If you’re a parent, what do you do to connect with your children and foster a relationship based on transparency and trust? Have you ever had trouble deciphering the hidden meanings of emojis? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Here’s what some internet users said after watching ‘Adolescence’
Meanwhile, here’s what some people had to say about the use of emojis
