As the new Netflix drama Adolescence goes viral, authorities are urging parents to take a closer look at their kids’ phone activity, especially when it comes to the use of certain emojis.
One in particular has raised alarm: the seemingly harmless horse emoji 🐎. According to UK police, it’s being used as a coded reference to ketamine, a dangerous tranquilizer drug often referred to as “horse tranquilizer.”
In a digital world where communication is constantly evolving, the meaning of emojis has become a lot more complicated. What looks innocent could actually carry alarming implications—especially among teens.
Adolescence and the Dark Side of Online Influence
Netflix’s new miniseries Adolescence is shedding light on how toxic online spaces are influencing young boys. The show follows a 13-year-old boy who commits a violent crime after falling under the influence of misogynistic, extremist content, content often found in the so-called manosphere.
This disturbing corner of the internet glorifies “red pill” ideology, which claims to reveal the “truth” about women and dating, often aligning with incel culture and far-right extremism.
One scene in Adolescence shows kids using emojis to secretly talk about their beliefs. For example:
💣 Dynamite emoji: Refers to an “exploding red pill,” or someone who has embraced incel ideology.
💯 100 emoji: Tied to the incel “80/20 rule,” which falsely claims that 80% of women only want the top 20% of men.
🫘 Kidney bean emoji: Another symbol used to mock or identify incels.
These symbols are used discreetly in chats and social media posts, making it harder for adults to detect what’s really going on.
Police Release Emoji Guide to Help Parents Decode the Danger
In response to growing concerns, police in the UK have released an emoji guide aimed at helping parents spot warning signs. Here are a few key examples from the guide:
🐎 Horse emoji: Ketamine
❄️ Snowflake or ⛄ Snowman: Cocaine
🍁 Maple leaf, 🍀 Four-leaf clover, 🌲 Trees: Cannabis
👽 Alien, 💀 Skull, 🎭 Demon mask: MDMA/ecstasy
Even emojis like 🍰 cake or 🍇 grapes may be used to refer to drugs, depending on the context.
Why This Matters
Children today are growing up in a hyper-connected digital world, one that moves faster than most parents can keep up with. And while social media can be a powerful tool for learning and connecting, it can also be a gateway to harmful ideologies and substance use.
Experts urge parents to stay engaged, ask questions, and know the signs. The horse emoji might not just be about a love for animals, it could be a red flag.
Adolescence may be a fictional drama, but the world it depicts is frighteningly real. If nothing else, it’s a wake-up call: we need to pay attention not just to what our kids are saying, but how they’re saying it.
