Guidance for Parents and Professionals: Welcome to the www.manosphere.ch platform, an initiative of männer.ch
Guidance for Parents and Professionals: Welcome to the www.manosphere.ch platform, an initiative of männer.ch
Media literacy, violence prevention, gender equality and sexual education can help reduce the likelihood of boys being drawn into the pull of the manosphere. These competencies can be actively taught and developed.
At the same time, this work requires resources and confronts us as adults with demanding and complex questions.
When is calm trust sufficient? When are clear boundaries necessary? How can feelings of helplessness or concern be addressed constructively? There are no simple answers. What matters is that you are not alone in your concerns.
Parents, caregivers and professionals should initiate a conversation with the boy, adolescent or young man concerned and, where possible, involve other trusted adults. At this stage, it is also appropriate to seek external support.
An uncritical interest in influencers, often referred to as “manfluencers”, who equate masculinity with dominance, muscularity, status, wealth, attractiveness, success and control. One of the most prominent examples is Andrew Tate.
Masculinity is often addressed implicitly, while the apparent focus may be on topics such as bodybuilding, cryptocurrency investment or manipulative dating strategies.
Use of key terms and coded language ( see Key Terms). These include:
Expressions such as Red Pill, Blue Pill or Black Pill, or Alpha, Beta or Sigma male
Numerical codes such as 80/20 or zero-sum
Categorisations such as Chad and Stacy, referring to highly desirable men and women, or Becky, used as a label for a woman perceived as of average attractiveness
Verbs such as “maxxing”, for example “looksmaxxing”, referring to attempts to increase one’s perceived attractiveness.
Emojis such as the red pill, the “100” emoji, often used in reference to the 80/20 rule, or the wolf emoji as a symbol of the alpha male archetype
Such terms and symbols may signal identification with, or endorsement of, narratives associated with the manosphere.
Increasingly dismissive, derogatory or hostile attitudes towards women and issues related to gender equality, expressed in language or behaviour. Irritated, defensive or aggressive reactions to terms such as gender, feminism or “wokeness”. The expression of regressive views on gender roles and intimate relationships, including the belief that traditional hierarchies between men and women should be restored.
Adoption of men’s rights narratives claiming that men are treated unfairly and are now the truly disadvantaged sex in contemporary society.
Expression of stereotypical beliefs about what constitutes a “real man”. This may, though not always, be accompanied by attempts to appear dominant, emotionally detached or “cool”.
Rejection of traits such as empathy, vulnerability or help-seeking, and derogatory attitudes towards men who are perceived as “unmasculine”. It should be noted that susceptibility to such narratives is not limited to outwardly dominant boys; more withdrawn or insecure boys may also be receptive to them.
An increasing focus on wealth, financial gain and material possessions as markers of status and worth.
Explore underlying motivations and perceived benefits. Ask questions such as: What do you gain from this? How does it benefit you?
Ask specific, informed questions, such as: How do you understand statement Y? What do you think you might learn from course X?
Encourage critical thinking and discussion. For example: What evidence does the Black Pill movement provide for its fatalistic claims?
Distinguish between irony and seriousness. Make it clear that even ironic remarks can cause real harm and that individuals remain responsible for their words and actions.
Provide insight into how digital business models work. Explain that algorithms are designed to keep users on platforms for as long as possible, and that companies generate profit through users’ time, attention and engagement.
Support the ability to tolerate ambiguity, hold complexity and recognise that issues are rarely black and white.
Most leisure time spent online, including disrupted sleep patterns. Offline activities and relationships become marginal or disappear.
Openly sexist remarks or devaluation of women and “weak” men. No longer responding constructively to disagreement.
Kill-scoring or “body count” ranking in games, where the number of eliminated opponents or targets is counted and publicly displayed to demonstrate status or “masculinity”.
Encourage meaningful offline activities and relationships. Support the healthy regulation of online use. Promote experiences of competence and self-efficacy.
An in-depth interview with researcher Meadhbh Park examining how incel and blackpill ideologies moved from fringe online spaces into mainstream discourse and influence young men’s perceptions of masculinity.
An institutional explainer by UN Women outlining the structure of the manosphere, its key subgroups and narratives, and the societal risks associated with the spread of misogynistic online ideologies.
A research group led by Dr Fiona O’Rourke at University College Dublin31 identifies the following characteristics as indicators of problematic engagement with the manosphere (see publication):
Some manfluencers promote the idea that a “real man” must have sexual relations with as many women as possible. A counter-narrative also exists: a “real man” should abstain sexually until entering a relationship with a loyal, “pure” and respectful woman. This narrative resonates particularly with strands of the New Right and evangelical traditionalism.
