Sana Yousaf case: Toxic masculinity or media influence at play?

On June 2, 2025, Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old social media influencer from Upper Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was brutally shot dead at her home in Islamabad’s Sector G-13, on what should have been a joyous celebration of her 17th birthday. Known for her vibrant TikTok and Instagram presence, with over 800,000 and nearly 500,000 followers respectively, Sana captivated audiences with content celebrating Chitrali culture, women’s rights, and education.

As a first-year MBBS student and daughter of a social activist, she embodied ambition and advocacy, making her a beacon of inspiration for young Pakistanis. Her life was cut short by Umar Hayat, a 22-year-old unemployed man, who shot her multiple times at close range after a brief conversation and fled the scene. Islamabad Police arrested Hayat in Faisalabad, recovering the murder weapon, his clothes, and Sana’s phone, with CCTV footage and mobile data aiding the investigation.

According to Islamabad Police Chief Ali Nasir Rizvi, the murder was premeditated, driven by Hayat’s obsessive fixation on Sana Yousaf, who had repeatedly rejected his advances for friendship. This rejection, perceived as a personal affront, culminated in a calculated act of violence, with Hayat parking his motorcycle near her residence before the attack. While initial speculation suggested an honor killing tied to Sana’s social media presence, police clarified that her refusal to engage with Hayat was the primary trigger. The case ignited widespread outrage, with the hashtag #JusticeForSanaYousuf trending across platforms like X, spotlighting the pervasive issue of violence against women, particularly influencers who challenge patriarchal norms in Pakistan.

A Parallel in Fiction: The Protagonist of Adolescence

The appalling facts of Sana’s killing echo the thematic investigations presented in Netflix’s Adolescence, which premiered in March 2025 and examines the psychological terrain of a young male perpetrator driven to violence. In this fiction, the character of 13-year-old Jamie Miller kills his female school friend, Katie Leonard, when she rejects him and brands him an “incel” on social media. Jamie’s act of violence is driven by a toxic combination of reduced self-esteem, online “manosphere” radicalization, and social expectations conflating masculinity with dominance. His interaction with incel culture, including reference to figures like Andrew Tate and concepts like the “80/20 rule” (estimating that 80% of women are interested in only 20% of men), fuel his feelings of aggression, interpreting rejection as a humiliating loss of status that legitimizes his violence.

Adolescence: The Best Netflix Show of 2025

While Umar Hayat and Jamie Miller differ in age and context—Hayat a 22-year-old in Pakistan, Miller a fictional 13-year-old in the UK—their mentalities converge in striking ways. Both exhibit a dangerous sense of entitlement, where a woman’s rejection is perceived as an intolerable challenge to their identity. Hayat’s premeditated murder, driven by Sana’s refusal to reciprocate his interest, mirrors Jamie’s violent response to Katie’s dismissal. In both cases, rejection becomes a catalyst for rage, rooted in a belief that women owe men attention or affection. This entitlement reflects a broader toxic masculinity, where autonomy is seen as a threat to male dominance, a theme amplified in Sana’s case by Pakistan’s patriarchal cultural backdrop and in Jamie’s by online echo chambers.

Sana Yousaf last conversation with criminal Umar Hayat

The Role of Media in Glorifying Violence

The parallels between Sana Yousaf’s case and Adolescence raise critical questions about the societal and cultural influences that shape such violent mentalities. A 2018 study published in Aggressive Behavior by Anderson et al., titled “Media Violence and Aggression: A Meta-Analytic Review,” provides insight into how media portrayals of violence can exacerbate aggressive tendencies. The study, analyzing over 400 studies, found a significant correlation between exposure to violent media—such as films, TV shows, and video games—and increased aggressive behavior, particularly in young males. It notes that “glorification of violence in media, where aggressive acts are depicted as justified or heroic, can desensitize individuals to real-world violence and reinforce beliefs that aggression is an acceptable response to perceived slights” (Anderson et al., 2018, p. 159). This is particularly relevant to young men like Hayat and the fictional Jamie, who may internalize media-driven narratives that valorize violence as a means of asserting control or reclaiming power.

In Adolescence, Jamie’s consumption of “manosphere” content on social media platforms explicitly fuels his violent ideology, portraying women as gatekeepers whose rejection warrants retribution. While not much is known about Hayat’s media consumption, the cultural glorification of male dominance in certain Pakistani media narratives—where women’s defiance is often framed as dishonor—may have reinforced his entitlement. X posts following Sana’s murder draw parallels to Adolescence, with users noting that both cases reflect how media, whether online propaganda or cultural tropes, can amplify toxic beliefs. The Anderson et al. study underscores that repeated exposure to such narratives can normalize violence, particularly when individuals already feel marginalized or rejected.

Societal Implications and the Path Forward

Sana Yousuf’s murder and the fictional narrative of Adolescence highlight a disturbing intersection of toxic masculinity, entitlement, and media influence. Both Hayat and Jamie represent young men who, unable to process rejection, resort to violence as a means of asserting control. While Adolescence explicitly ties Jamie’s actions to online radicalization, Sana’s case suggests a blend of cultural patriarchy and potential exposure to similar toxic ideologies, as speculated in public discourse. The outrage following Sana Yousaf’s death, coupled with the reflective lens of Adolescence, underscores the urgent need to address the root causes of such violence.

To combat this, societies must challenge the normalization of toxic masculinity in both media and cultural narratives. Educational campaigns targeting young men, stricter regulation of online platforms promoting harmful ideologies, and media literacy programs can counteract the glorification of violence. As Anderson et al. (2018) suggest, reducing exposure to violent media and promoting critical engagement with content can mitigate aggressive tendencies. For Pakistan, addressing patriarchal norms that enable entitlement, alongside amplifying voices like Sana’s, is critical. Her legacy as an advocate for women’s rights and cultural pride should inspire action to prevent future tragedies, ensuring that rejection is met with respect, not retribution.

References

• Anderson, C. A., Bushman, B. J., Donnerstein, E., Hummer, T. A., & Warburton, W. (2018). Media Violence and Aggression: A Meta-Analytic Review. Aggressive Behavior, 44(2), 149-163.