Elon Musk has come under fire for allegedly disseminating ‘misinformation’ on social media concerning Netflix’s latest crime-drama series, Adolescence.
On March 20, Ian Miles-Cheong, a right-wing journalist from Malaysia, initiated a discussion on social media about Adolescence, a crime story crafted by Stephen Graham, known for This Is England, and Jack Thorne, writer of Enola Holmes.
The series, consisting of four parts and featuring actors Graham and newcomer Owen Cooper, draws inspiration from a series of actual events involving young boys violently attacking girls.
Graham shared his thoughts with Netflix’s Tudum, saying, “It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’” He continued to express his concerns over recurring incidents, aiming to shed light on the issue and question the societal factors contributing to such events.
He went on to say, “We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” adding that the series aims to present a relatable family experiencing a nightmare scenario.
Viewer statistics indicate that an impressive 24.3 million people in the US have already watched Adolescence, with many praising it as the ‘best drama’ available on Netflix.
Many have also shared their opinions online, including Miles-Cheong, who has made inaccurate claims criticizing the Netflix series.
He suggested that Adolescence was inspired by the 2024 Southport attack, where Axel Rudakubana tragically killed three young girls.
Miles-Cheong falsely stated, “Netflix has a show called Adolescence that’s about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus and it’s based on real-life cases such as the Southport murderer.”
He further claimed, “So guess what. They race swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the story has it so he was radicalized online by the red pill movement.”
Graham clarified that Adolescence is not based on the Southport attack and does not focus on knife crime. Instead, it explores Incel culture and online dangers.
Musk has faced criticism for his ‘concerning’ role in propagating misinformation by simply replying “Wow” to Miles-Cheong’s incorrect statement.
This single-word response has garnered over 308,000 views, 12,000 likes, and more than 300 comments.
Critics responded, questioning Musk’s responsibility given his influence, with comments such as, “Musk, Given that you have quite a lot of influence, do you think the responsible thing to do would be to check the accuracy of other people’s statements before drawing attention to them?”
Comments continued to pour in, with users expressing concern over misinformation, the series’ themes, and Musk’s role in spreading false information.