The manosphere is a complex topic and there are many different opinions as to the level of harm it can cause, why people are drawn into it and what can be done to limit its influence. This article will provide a brief <\/strong>overview of the manosphere and offer guidance tailored for parents and teachers to support the children and young people that they interact with. To gain a more in-depth understanding of the manosphere and the numerous ways it can impact young people, it is advisable to conduct additional research<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n The manosphere is an umbrella term for an online community of websites, forums, blogs and social media accounts that focus on issues related to men, masculinity and men\u2019s role in society. The manosphere emerged in the early 2000s as an online space for men to discuss their lived experiences and desire for self-improvement. However, what began as a means for men to create community has evolved into a dangerous arena in which many men freely share misogynistic<\/a>, racist and bigoted views.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n It can be helpful to think of the manosphere as a mentality from which numerous different groups have formed. For example, \u2018involuntary celibates,\u2019 also known as incels<\/a>, are a group of men who believe that they have been \u2018denied\u2019 sexual or romantic relationships and that women are to blame for this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Incel culture has a very specific set of views and opinions as well as coded language<\/a> to derogatorily refer to women, different races and even other men. Incels are one of the most prominent groups within the manosphere and other popular groups include Pick Up Artists (PUAs), Men Going their Own Way (MGTOWs) and Men\u2019s Rights Activists (MRAs). Whilst these groups may have their own nuances and slightly different focuses, they are all rooted in the same misogynistic views that blame women and feminism for problems within society.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many men who become engaged with the manosphere initially do so in a bid to find community and self-improvement tips. However, many of these groups promote unhealthy behaviours and the idea that physical dominance, emotional control and material wealth are the sole markers of a man\u2019s worth. This reduction of the male identity can exacerbate pre-existing low self-esteem thereby encouraging young men to build themselves up by putting others, particularly women, down. <\/p>\n\n\n The manosphere is a vast online community composed of numerous different groups discussing a wide range of topics. These topics can include health and fitness, gaming, politics, finance, music, film and TV, all of which can easily appeal to boys. As mentioned, many men do not go out of their way to become involved with the manosphere. For many young people, indoctrination begins slowly through their involvement with online forums, websites and blogs on other topics. These topics may then become increasingly misogynistic or open the door for other misogynistic content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a young man may come across an online group discussing a video game that he likes. He might enjoy engaging with this community, talking to them about the games he likes playing and looking ahead at what new games will be out soon. Over time others within the group may start to share views that come across as \u2018self-improvement tips.\u2019 This advice could range from fitness tips to romantic advice and may appear very innocent at first. However, the advice shared may become more extreme and have increasingly less to do with the original topic. As the young boy sinks further into the echo chamber, in which misogynistic views are shared freely, often go unchallenged and are presented as justification for shared problems, he may inadvertently adopt the same views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many boys are also drawn to the manosphere because of the popularity of online influencers. Social media plays a significant part in modern life and whilst there have been differing views on the benefits of banning it for young people, it\u2019s undeniable that it is an intrinsic part of their life. As such, popular creators on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram can be dangerously influential and their popularity can make it easy for young men to take their views as gospel and believe them without question. <\/p>\n\n\n When young men are repeatedly bombarded with videos that have millions of views and share extreme right-wing or misogynistic ideology, it can be impossible to ignore. Moreover, many online influencers claim that their successes in life are due to their lifestyle and opinions on the world. When these influencers then share images of expensive cars and luxurious holidays it can seemingly validate their outlook on what a successful man looks like. This in turn encourages young men to mimic the behaviours they have seen in order to enjoy a similar level of \u2018success.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n When the manosphere first began in the early 2000s it was a space in which men could find common ground with other men. It could be argued that a desire for community was at the heart of the manosphere\u2019s genesis and that a large part of its appeal was that it helped to alleviate the loneliness that many men were experiencing. This is also true for young boys. Those who feel isolated at school and have limited in-person interactions with their peers can easily find community online. Whilst this isn\u2019t inherently negative, this loneliness can fuel the appeal of the manosphere, presenting a space in which a lonely young boy can find community and a reason for why he feels so lonely. In his examination of the appeal of the manosphere, clinical psychologist Dr. Mandeep Bachu notes that<\/a> boys and young men typically look outward to understand what kind of man to become. The most popular voices within the manosphere are those that speak with unquestionable authority and self-confidence. For boys who are struggling with various insecurities this can be incredibly appealing and present a route for them to attain a similar self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Violence against women and girls (VAWG) has been described as a national emergency by ministers in the UK. A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK<\/a> and VAWG makes up around 20% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. Often when people think about violence against women and girls they think of the \u2018extreme\u2019 examples of sexual assault and murder. However, this mentality doesn\u2019t begin <\/em>with physical violence and it is often the culmination of months or years of radicalisation in online spaces that justify and encourage extremely misogynistic views.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rape culture pyramid is a framework that highlights how the justification of certain behaviours can eventually lead to sexual violence. When explicit jokes, unwanted touch and victim blaming are excused as \u2018locker room talk\u2019 or simply \u2018boys being boys,\u2019 gender-based violence is normalised. This perpetuates rape culture as gender-based violence is actively made \u2018acceptable.\u2019 Online spaces within the manosphere frequently excuse rape culture behaviours or even encourage the escalation of these behaviours as \u2018proof\u2019 of a boy\u2019s manhood. The minimisation of the impact of this violence can result in boys perpetrating violent acts as their misogyny goes unchecked and unchallenged.<\/p>\n\n\n As mentioned, some people who engage with the manosphere may not have set out with the intention to do so. Nevertheless, the insidious nature of the manosphere can result in young men following a pathway that leads to toxic, misogynistic views. For young boys this can result in their attitudes towards their female peers and female teachers slowly corrupting, resulting in verbal and physical abuse. However, it is not only women who experience this harm and it\u2019s important to note that the manosphere is also incredibly harmful to the boys and young men who engage with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Incel culture is notorious for peddling a nihilistic outlook and those who have taken the \u2018black pill\u2019 often have a bleak outlook that society will never change and that their life will never improve. For boys who struggle with their mental health, feel isolated and alone or who struggle to feel optimistic for the future, this can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness. Self-harm and suicidal ideation are commonplace amongst incels and seeking support for mental health issues is actively discouraged within the community.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The prevalence of the manosphere can make it feel impossible to challenge. Misogynistic views are freely shared online and many young people have immediate and unfiltered access to the internet whenever they want. Moreover, the popularity and seemingly untouchability of certain manosphere influencers can make it difficult to convey to young people that their outlook on the world is harmful. Nevertheless, parents and teachers are well positioned to challenge the views pushed by the manosphere and prevent children from being sucked into that world. <\/p>\n\n\n Below you will find some tips on what parents and teachers can do to have impactful conversations about the manosphere and its potential for harm. When talking to a young person about the manosphere it\u2019s vital that you approach the interaction with empathy and ensure that you are listening actively<\/a>. If a child feels as though they are being lectured for something they have done wrong they are less likely to listen and this may in fact push them further into the manosphere. Instead, see the interaction as a mutually beneficial way for you to explain why these views are harmful and to understand their individual experiences with the manosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To support young men and boys parents and teachers can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst the influence of the manosphere has leaked into everyday life its main hunting ground remains online. Teaching young children <\/span>critical thinking<\/span><\/a> encourages them to challenge what they see online and therefore be less likely to blindly believe what they see. The popularity of online content can give it a false sense of authority and when friends are sharing the same content it can be hard for young people to challenge it. Critical thinking will provide young men with the tools to question what they see online, form their own opinions and challenge the opinions of others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n When discussing the manosphere with boys it\u2019s important to be curious, not confrontational. Confrontation can cause a young man to shut down as he may feel attacked. A confrontational approach may also serve as \u2018proof\u2019 that what he is engaging with online is true as the backlash that he is facing is out of \u2018fear\u2019 that he has seen the \u2018truth.\u2019 Instead, ask open ended questions that help young people be open about what they are seeing online. This can also help you find positive alternatives. For example, if a boy mentions that he likes a particular creator because of their fitness content, you could use that as an opportunity to steer him towards a different fitness content creator who is a healthier male role model and actively addresses toxic masculinity. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n As mentioned, many young men are drawn to the manosphere due to feelings of isolation, perceived injustices or low self-esteem. The communities that they find online can help to alleviate these feelings and whilst this has the potential to set some young men on a dangerous path, the issues that set them on that path must be addressed. Recognising the appeal of the manosphere is not justifying the behaviour but acknowledging the needs of young men. This in turn can help parents and teachers to present alternative ways to meet these needs. For teachers this can guide them into developing enrichment activities such as <\/span>after-school clubs<\/span><\/a> that can help to foster healthy relationships. For parents it can guide them to seek ways to empower their child so that they aren\u2019t seeking that feeling from online communities. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n Changing someone\u2019s opinion can take a long time, especially when that person has spent notable time within an echo chamber that reiterates the same harmful views. It\u2019s important that you are patient when discussing the negative impacts of the manosphere with young people. What may appear obvious to you is not automatically obvious to them as they have limited life experience compared to the adults around them. Exercising patience keeps the door open for further conversations and gives young people space to change their mind and learn how to think for themselves as they do so. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n Conversations pertaining to the manosphere can easily become upsetting or reference harmful or dangerous behaviour. Whilst it is important to show patience and curiosity when talking to young people, it is also important to remember that you are in the position of authority and can set clear boundaries as to what behaviour is unacceptable. It\u2019s okay to take a break from the conversation or to clearly state that certain views are harmful and whilst you care about the individual you cannot support their thinking. Setting clear boundaries is important as it reiterates that a person\u2019s wishes must be respected. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n As part of encouraging critical thinking it can be beneficial to teach young people about the importance of <\/span>media literacy<\/span><\/a>. Just because something is online doesn\u2019t mean that it is true and teaching a child how to critically analyse the content that they engage with can help them recognise harmful content before they get sucked in. Media literacy also teaches young children about the reality of \u2018click bait\u2019 content, enabling them to better recognise that some influencers intentionally share controversial views solely for likes rather than because they themselves actually believe it.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n The manosphere pushes a very bleak perspective of relationships, often suggesting that they should be dominated by one individual in order to be \u2018successful.\u2019 Teaching children what a healthy relationship looks like ensures that they have the tools to recognise an unhealthy relationship. Not only will this help them in their own day-to-day interactions, it can also help them to challenge the narratives they see online. By teaching young men that a healthy relationship is one built upon mutual respect, trust, equality and good communication they can seek out relationships that are more fulfilling, challenging what they may have been told online a relationship \u2018should\u2019 look like. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n What began as a means to build community has undeniably evolved into a dangerous playing field which is harmful to both men and women. The manosphere has the potential to radicalise young men, incite violence and exacerbate underlying mental health issues. Many young people are slowly drawn into this space and indoctrinated with misogynistic content that twists their perception of the world around them. However, through targeted education, compassion and understanding, this outlook can be challenged and a more hopeful view of the world and a mutually respectful view of women can be obtained.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the harmful influence of the manosphere continues to grow, it\u2019s important for parents and teachers to have an understanding of its impact. 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\n\n\n\nWhat is the Manosphere?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhy Does the Manosphere Appeal to Boys?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhy is the Manosphere Dangerous? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhat Can Parents and Teachers Do? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Encourage critical thinking
![\"drop](\"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/down53.png\")
\n <\/h3>\n \n Show curiosity
\n <\/h3>\n \n Recognise the appeal
\n <\/h3>\n \n Be patient
\n <\/h3>\n \n Set boundaries
\n <\/h3>\n \n Teach media literacy
\n <\/h3>\n \n Teach about healthy relationships
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\n\n\n\nFurther Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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