The Solutions to the ‘Manosphere’ Crisis Need To Go Beyond Phone Bans

Misogynistic radicalisation isn’t driven by technology alone

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When I first started writing about the dangers of online radicalisation among boys and young men years ago, plenty of people were quick to dismiss the threat entirely. Some even claimed that raising awareness only made you part of the problem.

Of course. A classic move.

Today, with misogynistic rhetoric showing up in classrooms and figures like Andrew Tate — one of the internet’s most influential ‘manfluencers’ — facing serious allegations of human trafficking and rape while still attracting support from millions of boys and men, it’s much harder to deny the scale of the crisis. The release of Adolescence, Netflix’s new drama that tackles online extremism within the ‘manosphere’ — a network of interconnected misogynistic communities, including men’s rights activists and incels (involuntary celibate) — has further sharpened public attention on the issue. More importantly, it’s sparked urgent questions about what kinds of interventions are actually needed to counter its influence and the deeply anti-women, anti-feminist beliefs it promotes.

Jack Thorne, one of Adolescence’s co-writers, recently called for the British government to take ‘radical action,’…