Manosphere should be treated as public health crisis, academics warn

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 23:50 · Archive

Academics call for the manosphere to be tackled like smoking and obesity, saying it harms boys' mental health and promotes misogyny.

Academics have published a report in The Lancet calling for the manosphere to be treated as a public health problem. The manosphere is defined as a diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimisation, centred on claims of a crisis of masculinity and that feminism has disadvantaged men.

The authors argue that the manosphere has evolved into a highly lucrative online industry. Content creators monetise boys' and young men's insecurities through products and paid content that normalise health-harming masculinities. According to the report, men's problems are framed as the result of feminism rather than structural conditions. The system rewards extreme expressions of misogyny and aggrieved masculinity because outrage and grievance are profitable.

The academics call for a coordinated response from governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health approach to tobacco use and ultra-processed food. Professor Kent Buse, a co-author and co-founder of the social justice thinktank Global 50/50, said: 'This is a business model, not a fringe.' He warned that regulation will likely be framed as an attack on freedom, mirroring the tobacco industry's playbook. Professor Sarah Hawkes, another co-author, said the manosphere offers boys belonging and identity by explaining why life feels hard, and added that a response removing only the manosphere without offering something credible in its place would fail.

How it is being reported

• Manosphere must be treated as public health problem 'similar to smoking', experts warnThe manosphere must be treated as a public health problem in a similar way to smoking, academics have argued. Authors of a new report published by The Lancet define the movement as a "diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimisation". They argue the manosphere has directly contributed to health harms, including violence against women and girls and mental health issues. Researchers also claim male-centric influencers have delegitimised the idea of boys and men seeking help. TRENDING Stories…GB News · 30 Oct, 02:04
• Sexist 'Manosphere' is 'as bad for the public as smoking and fast food'Researchers say the Manosphere where women are seen as weak and only fit for childbirth, should be treated as a public health problemThe Mirror · 29 Oct, 23:41
• Manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public health issues, say UK expertsReport calls for an effort to tackle harms in similar way to obesity and smoking, and stresses need to ‘offer boys something better’ The manosphere and online misogyny should be treated by the government as a public health issue, in the same way as obesity or smoking, experts have said. Writing in the Lancet, the authors of a new report argue that a coordinated response is needed, involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations, similar to the public-health response to tobacco use and ultra-processed food. Continue reading...The Guardian · 29 Oct, 23:30
• Manosphere must be treated as a public health problem like smoking, academics warnBoys and young men have their insecurities cultivated in the manosphere and subsequently monetised, the study warnsThe Independent · 29 Oct, 23:30

In this story: The Lancet · Global 50/50 · Sarah Hawkes · Kent Buse

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