If you’ve just binged Adolescence on Netflix and are newly alarmed by the manosphere’s influence on teen boys, you’re not alone. The manosphere is a network of online groups — including incels, pick-up artists, and the Red Pill community — that promote masculinity, misogyny, and anti-feminism.
These movements are growing in popularity among adolescents, and their hateful ideologies and violent rhetoric pose a real threat to kids.
This guide breaks down the manosphere meaning, the risks it poses, and how parents can talk to their teens about the dangers of online misogyny.
The manosphere is a loosely connected group of websites, social media influencers, and online communities (such as subreddits) that claim to promote men’s issues — but often do so through a lens of sexism and hate.
The manosphere includes several distinct communities:
“Incel” is a mashup of “involuntary celibate.” Men who self-identify as incels are unable to find a sexual partner, despite feeling entitled to one, and blame women for their loneliness.
Inceldom is permeated with self-pity, resentment, misogyny, racism, and sexual objectification. These communities frequently endorse violence and harassment toward women and “sexually successful” men, as well as promoting self-harm and suicide.
MGTOW advocates avoiding all romantic relationships in order to remain independent and focus on one’s own goals. The MGTOW community is steeped in the same anti-feminism and misogyny as the rest of the manosphere, including violence, hatred, and online harassment of women.
While some in the MRM advocate for legitimate issues like custody rights or men’s mental health, many others use MRM to promote anti-feminist and misogynistic views.
Pickup artists share strategies to manipulate or coerce women into sex. Although their focus on sexual success has made PUAs the object of derision from incels and MGTOW, they share much of the sexism, sexual objectification, and misogyny of these groups.
In the manosphere, “taking the red pill” means accepting that feminism has led to societal biases against men. The Red Pill community advocates for regressive gender roles.
The Red Pill community references the 1999 film The Matrix, in which taking the blue pill is choosing to remain ignorant of the “true” nature of existence, and the red pill means accepting reality, no matter how harsh or unfair.
Teenage boys are engaging with the manosphere at alarming rates. There are several paths they might take into the manosphere:
Yes. Parents should be concerned about the manosphere — especially if they have a teenage boy.
The movements involved in the manosphere spout sexism, hate, misogyny, and violent rhetoric. These groups have been accused of radicalizing boys into extreme misogyny and violence against women, and many are on the watchlists of advocacy groups working to combat hate and extremism, like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.
Helping your child recognize and reject the manosphere is possible. Here’s how:
Work to create an environment where your child is comfortable coming to you to discuss what they encounter online. Openly discuss the concept of gender roles, toxic versus healthy masculinity, and the dangers of misogyny and the manosphere.
Help your child learn to spot bias, false narratives, and extreme ideology. Teach them to question what they see on the internet and to engage in online spaces in a way that’s aligned with their values.
Kids don’t always recognize red flags themselves. Use a monitoring app like BrightCanary to supervise their activity and see if they engage with manosphere content.
The manosphere is a collection of online communities that promote masculinity while spreading misogyny and anti-feminist ideologies. These groups have been accused of radicalizing boys into hatred and violence against females. Parents should educate their children on the dangers of the manosphere and help them develop the skills to reject it.
BrightCanary helps parents monitor their child’s digital activity — including Google, YouTube, and social media — to catch warning signs early. Download the app and start your free trial today.
