Teens and the manosphere: 3 ways to help them resist masculinist rhetoric
Teens and the manosphere: 3 ways to help them resist masculinist rhetoric
From an interview with Samuel Tanner and François Gillardin of the Université de Montréal school of criminology
In today’s online landscape, social media allows ideas to spread faster and farther than ever before—for better or for worse. The “manosphere,” a network of online communities that promotes masculinist views, has attracted a growing number of teens by playing on their insecurities, need for belonging, and developing identities.
While there’s no easy solution to this complex and deeply rooted issue, there are things we can do to help the teens in our lives resist masculinist rhetoric. And as adults, we have a responsibility to do so. With the right approach (i.e., without dramatizing or moralizing), we can play a key role in educating teens, helping them critically assess the messages they hear, and giving them healthier models to emulate.
We have collaborated with Doctoral student François Gillardin and Professor Samuel Tanner of the Université de Montréal school of criminology, and the Centre pour l’intelligence émotionnelle en ligne to bring you three ways you can help at home, at school, or in your community.
WHAT IS MASCULINISM?
Masculinism is a social movement that claims that society oppresses men and privileges women and feminists. This ideology promotes traditional, misogynistic, and anti-feminist values and glorifies “alpha males”: men and boys who are dominant, protective, and providers.
While this movement is not new, it has exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks in large part to social media influencers with millions of followers. These creators subtly (or not-so-subtly) promote masculinist ideals on their platforms, often repackaged as motivational or self-improvement content, which is particularly popular with teens.
In collaboration with the Centre pour l’intelligence émotionnelle en ligne
HOW DOES THIS TYPE OF DISCOURSE IMPACT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TEENS?
Masculinist rhetoric upholds a violent and inflexible view of gender roles that can have a harmful effect on boys and girls, especially during adolescence—a time when their identities are in flux.
Here are a few examples of masculinist messages teens may encounter:
- “Real” men are stereotypically masculine: They’re dominant, they don’t show their emotions, they’re wealthy and powerful, and they control women.
- Women should “stay in their place,” cater to men’s desires, and define themselves in relation to the men in their lives.
This type of discourse can put a lot of pressure on boys and men to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy standards. In young people, who are still developing their reasoning skills, this can lead to:
- Low self-esteem
- Risky behaviour
- Fear of rejection or of failing to meet others’ expectations
- Trivialization of violence and inequalities
3 WAYS TO CHALLENGE THIS DISCOURSE AND SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE
Manosphere content generates a lot of engagement, which allows masculinist ideas to spread rapidly. As soon as a teen interacts with this type of content—watching a video, sharing a TikTok with a friend, or even reading the comments on a post—the social media algorithm will start recommending similar content. This creates an echo chamber effect, which in turn leads to confirmation bias.
While some teens are able to take a step back and critically assess the ideas they’re presented with, others may not realize that they’re viewing problematic content.
🧠 DEVELOPING DIGITAL SKILLS AND CRITICAL THINKING
Teens today automatically turn to social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram as their primary source of information. Because of this, it’s important to encourage them to think about how these platforms work so they can understand how content is promoted, filtered, and prioritized.
What can you do to help?
The first step is to start the conversation. Talk to them about:
👉 How their interactions (likes, follows, views) influence the content they’re shown
👉 How to spot ads and promoted content and fact-check information using reliable sources
👉 Why it’s important to think critically about seductive yet simplistic arguments
You can also remind the teens in your life that some influencers:
👉 Profit off of their audiences by peddling “advice” that doesn’t align with reality
👉 Exploit their audience’s emotional vulnerabilities to gain views
👉 Rely on shock value (inflammatory language, controversial positions) and attention-grabbing scenarios to maximize views and shares
👉 Teach manipulation tactics disguised as techniques to boost self-confidence, while using these same tactics on their audiences
👉 Use shady marketing techniques (edited photos, fake testimonials, etc.) to appear more successful than they really are
Work together to set boundaries for screen time 📲
Discussing screen time and technology use shouldn’t be taboo.
Getting teens involved when setting family rules for screen time and social media usage helps foster their engagement and autonomy.
🛠️ Here are a few helpful resources to get you started:
Helping Teens Develop Digital Well-Being – Fondation Jeunes en Tête x CIEL
Family Online Rules – MediaSmarts
Parent-Teen Agreement on Cell Phone Use – PAUSE
Family Screen Use Agreement – PAUSE
🗣️ MAINTAIN AN OPEN DIALOGUE
It’s not always easy to talk to teens about important issues, but you don’t need to be an expert to start a conversation about the content they’re consuming or the messages they’re hearing online, at school, or from their friends.
The important thing is to give them a safe, nonjudgmental space where they can express themselves freely and feel heard and respected.
👉 There’s no time like the present
There are tons of jumping-off points for discussing the pitfalls of online content: a news story, a conversation your teen overheard at school or while hanging out with friends, etc. If you’re still unsure, a good place to start is watching a TV show together (like Adolescence) and discussing the episode.
Here are a few questions you can ask to help the teen in your life reflect on and express their opinion:
- I know you follow this influencer . . . What do you like about him? What messages resonate with you? Why?
- Do you agree with what he says? What do you think?
- Do you think this way of thinking could have an impact on other things, like relationships between girls and boys?
- Do you feel like social media exposes you to different points of view, or do you mostly see the same type of content over and over again?
You can also scroll social media together and share your opinions on content you don’t agree with. This can be a good way to model critical thinking.
👉 Encourage them to talk about their feelings.
Accepting their emotions without minimizing or judging them helps them feel safe to express their feelings. Anger, admiration, discomfort, confusion . . . all emotions are valid and deserve to be heard.
While masculinist rhetoric is mainly targeted at boys, it’s just as important to talk about it with girls, since they’re likely to encounter it as well, whether online or at school.
👨👦 EXPOSE THEM TO POSITIVE MALE ROLE MODELS
As parents, we are the first role models our children will encounter. Though we’re not always aware of it, we send messages through our actions, our words . . . and our silence. Children model what they see and hear, and what we do on a daily basis counts just as much, if not more, than what we say.
To help young people resist masculinist rhetoric and develop a balanced view of relationships, it’s important to expose them to respectful, caring, and authentic male role models. This could be:
- Someone they already know and admire (a family friend, teacher, coach, big brother, etc.)
- Positive characters in movies, books, or TV series
- Most importantly, you—through your words, actions, and reactions
Remember, it’s more important to be consistent than perfect. Using respectful language, being open to listening, valuing empathy, expressing your emotions without shame, questioning stereotypes . . . All of these small gestures send the powerful message that there are other ways of being a man or an influential person.
🧾In brief. . .
You don’t have to be an expert to help young people resist masculinist rhetoric. You just need to be there for them, be ready to listen, and ask questions.
✅ Encourage critical thinking and reflection
✅ Work together to set limits on screen time
✅ Talk openly about what they see, hear, and feel
✅ Help them find positive, caring male role models
Just like when they’re learning to drive, teens need our guidance to learn to safely and independently navigate through the flood of information that surrounds them.