As young men look to shape their personal identities, they’re met with content telling them what it means “to be a real man”.
Content that says
- “men should be the ones to bring money home and provide, not women”
- “guys have to act strong even if they’re nervous or scared”
- “men should use violence to get respect if necessary”
We’re seeing the very real effects of this content that not only highlights, but celebrates misogyny, violence, and traditional masculinity.
Young men start by searching for advice on finances, fitness, and dating, but soon their algorithms are promoting messages of misogyny and violence against women.
In the latest episode of the Too Into You podcast, hosts Mary and Madeline sit down with ebbie Ging, Professor of Digital Media and Gender in the School of Communications at Dublin City University.
Debbie teaches and researches on gender, sexuality and digital media, with a focus on digital hate, online anti-feminist and men’s rights politics, incel subculture and the radicalisation of boys and men into male supremacist ideologies. Her research also addresses youth experiences of gender-based and sexual abuse online and educational interventions to tackle this issue.
Debbie been researching the manosphere for over 10 years watching it grow from a subculture on the fringes of the internet to a mainstream force reaching most young boys.
Together we chat about:
- Influencers, systems, and algorithms of hate that the manosphere has created to target and exploit young men
- Red-pill, the ‘Male loneliness epidemic’ and incel culture
- The impact this is having on young men and their intimate relationships
- The real world impact for women and girls