Experts urge govts to treat manosphere and misogyny as public health issues: report

Call for education, mental health support and platform accountability to curb online misogyny and wider social harms

Online misogyny and the growing influence of the so-called manosphere should be addressed as a public health issue rather than treated solely as a problem of social media regulation, according to a new viewpoint published in The Lancet.

The authors argue that the online ecosystem, which includes communities promoting anti-feminist beliefs, male victimhood and hostile attitudes towards women, is contributing to a range of social and health-related harms. These include mental health difficulties among young people, violence against women and girls, and discouraging boys and men from seeking professional support.

The Lancet viewpoint describes the manosphere as a commercial network of online communities built around shared ideas about masculinity, misogyny and perceived male disadvantage. It argues that these spaces have become increasingly profitable, with platforms, influencers and content creators benefiting from material that attracts attention through controversy and outrage.

The researchers explain that the ecosystem includes groups such as incels, men's rights activists, pick-up artists and online influencers promoting particular ideals of masculinity. While these communities differ in their origins and beliefs, they share narratives that frequently portray feminism as responsible for men's difficulties.

The report also highlights how financial incentives encourage the spread of such content. Influencers and platforms generate revenue through advertising, paid subscriptions, online courses and products marketed to young men, often exploiting insecurities about appearance, relationships and financial success.

Professor Sarah Hawkes, one of the authors, told Sky News that restricting access to social media alone may not achieve the broader goal of making online environments safer.

“We want to raise the issue that just regulating or restricting access to social media of which the manosphere is part is likely to actually achieve the goals that we hopefully all want which is to make online spaces less toxic, to improve young people’s mental health, to absolutely reduce the violence amongst women and girls,” she said.

Hawkes argued that approaching the issue through public health policy would allow governments to consider interventions beyond restrictions on online content. “By seeing something as a public health problem, you open up a variety of policy leavers that are not available if not all you focus on is restriction and regulation,” she said.

The researchers draw comparisons with tobacco consumption, arguing that although the manosphere primarily targets men and boys, its consequences extend across society.

“It's like tobacco consumption. It is predominantly a male behaviour around the world. Five times more men than women smoke but the harm that is suffered on those who smoke, a lot of that is suffered through the women who live with the men who smoke,” Hawkes told Sky News.

She added that women and girls also experience the wider consequences of misogyny and gender inequality.

“That is exactly the same with the manosphere. While it is aiming to have its customer base for men and boys, the harms are experienced across the society, and particularly by women and girls who experience misogyny, gender inequality and literal violence,” she said.

The report identifies social isolation, economic insecurity, educational disengagement and loneliness as factors that can make some young men more receptive to online communities offering belonging and explanations for their difficulties. It cautions, however, that evidence establishing direct causal links between exposure to manosphere content and specific health outcomes remains limited.

The researchers argue that addressing these vulnerabilities requires more than removing harmful material. Their recommendations include improving access to mental health services for boys and young men, strengthening school-based education, promoting healthier representations of masculinity and making social media platforms more accountable for the content their algorithms amplify.

They also call for greater investment in research to monitor changing online communities and assess whether interventions are working. The authors stress that efforts must confront wider misogynistic attitudes and discrimination already present in society, rather than treating the manosphere as their sole source.

A day earlier, The Guardian highlighted the researchers' call for governments, schools, healthcare providers and community organisations to coordinate their response. It also reported Professor Hawkes's argument that boys need positive alternatives to these online spaces, rather than simply being told to avoid them.

The Lancet proposed investment in education, accessible mental health services, healthier representations of masculinity, platform accountability and research into the evolving online environment. Their central argument is that addressing online misogyny requires tackling the conditions that make such communities appealing, alongside the commercial systems that help them grow.