Researchers are calling on governments to treat the online “manosphere” as a public health concern, warning that communities organized around misogyny, male grievance and rigid ideas of masculinity can have consequences well beyond social media.
A report published Friday in The Lancet examines the loosely connected online spaces it defines as the manosphere. The report describes these communities as being united by beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimization, including the idea that feminism is responsible for disadvantaging men and creating a crisis around masculinity.
Its authors link the movement to harm affecting both men and women. They identify possible consequences for men’s mental health, violence against women and the willingness of boys and men to seek assistance when they are struggling. The report says manosphere messaging can portray help-seeking as illegitimate, making it harder for people to access support.
A broader response than platform regulation
Sarah J. Hawkes, a professor of global public health at University College London and one of the report’s authors, said viewing the issue through a health lens could give governments more ways to respond. She told BBC Radio 4 that treating the manosphere only as a question of regulation would overlook other measures that public health policy can offer.
“By reframing the manosphere as a public health issue rather than just a regulatory issue, we open up a number of additional policy levers that public health approaches can provide.”
Hawkes called for a co-ordinated government response that would include improving access to mental health services, as well as to skills and employment opportunities. The report’s approach places online activity within wider social conditions, rather than presenting boys and men themselves as the source of the problem.
Concerns about profit and vulnerability
The authors also point to financial incentives behind some manosphere messaging. Hawkes said people can make substantial amounts of money from content that encourages boys and men to invest in financial schemes or purchase unregulated supplements and hormones. The report therefore connects the movement not only to beliefs and behaviour, but also to commercial practices that may take advantage of insecurity.
Kent Buse, a health policy professor at Monash University Malaysia and a co-author, said online platforms can benefit from the anger and uncertainty expressed in these communities. He compared the movement’s tactics with what he described as a strategy historically associated with the tobacco industry: shifting responsibility onto individuals while portraying regulation as an attack on freedom.
“Boys and men are not the problem,” said Buse. “The problem is the conditions that leave them isolated and without a secure future, and the companies that profit from their anger and insecurity.”
The report’s recommendations point to several areas for governments and health systems:
- Expand access to mental health services for boys and men.
- Improve access to skills and jobs.
- Develop a co-ordinated response across government rather than relying only on platform regulation.
- Pay attention to the sale of unregulated supplements, hormones and financial schemes promoted through these networks.
The authors’ argument is that a health response should address both the digital messages people encounter and the conditions that can make those messages persuasive. Their concerns include isolation, uncertainty about the future and barriers to seeking help. For readers, the report frames the issue as one involving mental health, safety and consumer protection at the same time, while emphasizing that boys and men should be able to obtain support without being stigmatized.
