Introduction:

​         The best way to describe the manosphere and its impacts is using Olivia Rodrigo’s song title “1 step forward and 3 steps back.” Every time it feels as if our society has progressed with women’s rights, a countermovement takes place to push back that hard-earned progress. In today’s age of social media, this countermovement comes in the form of the manosphere. First, we will define what the manosphere is, then examine why it has become so appealing to young men, and then finally explore the harmful consequences it creates for both individuals and society.

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What is the manosphere?

​         To understand its greater impact, we must first understand what the manosphere is. The manosphere is an umbrella term for various online communities that promote the idea that men are oppressed due to modern society and feminism. According to UN Women, the manosphere is a “loose network of communities that claim to address men’s struggles – dating, fitness or fatherhood, for example – but often promote harmful advice and attitudes” (UN Women). There are various subgroups that fall under this term, but the main ones are PUAs, incels, MRA’s, and MGTOW.

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​         Pick-Up Artists, or PUA, teach manipulative dating strategies that reinforce the idea that women’s consent is negotiable. Incels, short for ‘involuntary celibates,’ characterize themselves as being unable to attract women and therefore blame the feminist movement and women’s autonomy. While some MRA’s, or men’s rights activists, advocate for legitimate issues such as male mental health, many others promote conspiracy theories about feminism. Lastly, the MGTOW movement, short for Men Going Their Own Way, argue that women are inherently manipulative and men should avoid them entirely.

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​         All of these individual ideologies are perpetrated by content creators such as Andrew Tate, Sneako, Jordan Peterson, Myron Gaines, and even Hannah Pearl Davis. Davis’ inclusion in this list may be surprising, considering she is a woman who advocates against her own rights. However, her content promotes the same anti-feminist content that is highlighted throughout the manosphere, demonstrating that participation in this space is not only limited to men. In fact, female content creators that promote this are often given more attention and used to legitimize this movement’s claims, portraying misogyny as “common sense.” Although these subgroups differ in tone, messaging, and messenger, they share a common worldview: feminism is a threat to masculinity, and men must reassert dominance to restore social order.

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Why is it so appealing?

​         What exactly makes the manosphere so attractive? The manosphere primarily targets teen boys and young men. Oftentimes, these young men and teenagers will search YouTube or TikTok for advice on becoming more attractive, fitness tips, crypto, or how to get a girlfriend. Initially, they’ll see harmless self-improvement content. But because social media algorithms are designed to maximize engagement and keep you watching, they gradually push more provocative and emotionally charged videos. So those innocent videos soon turn into radical anti-feminist content that can ultimately promote a young man’s journey into the manosphere.

The manosphere also gives young men a sense of belonging. According to the American Institute for Boys and Men, there are five times as many men who say they have no close friends as there were in 1990” (American Institute for Boys and Men). As young men feel increasingly isolated from the world, experience higher rates of singlehood, and fewer close friendships, the manosphere gives them a community of sorts. It also gives them someone to blame for their increasing loneliness, namely women and gender equality.

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What are its consequences?

​         Now that we’ve understood what the manosphere is, we can look closer at what negative impacts it has on men and women alike. The manosphere is normalizing violence and sexual assault against women by promoting hostility and narratives that justify controlling them. It also has an increasingly negative impact on the classroom, with “76% of secondary school teachers and 60% of primary school teachers” reporting extreme concern about the effect on online misogyny in school, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Content creators that promote the manosphere not only portray women as subordinate to men, but they also teach boys that showing emotion is a weakness. This leads to worsened mental health issues and increased loneliness, potentially fueling violence and extremism.

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Conclusion:

​         As feminism has pushed us forward and expanded rights and equality, movements such as the manosphere pull us back by promoting misogyny and other harmful rhetoric. To prevent this radicalization, we must understand the true extent and harm it can cause, both online and in the real world.