What does it mean to be a man? Is it misogynistic views? Adherence to traditional gender roles? Or spreading misinformation?
The newest documentary by Louis Theroux, ‘Inside the Manosphere’, has once again brought to the spotlight the world of toxic masculinity, which has been circulating online for quite some time. The Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’, which was released in March 2025, sparked a large online discourse over the negative effects of social media on impressionable young boys.
This brings up the question of what it means to be a man in the modern day.
Many have been radicalised by the ‘manosphere’, where fragile egos turn insecurities into socially disruptive behaviours, such as homophobia, misogyny and violent dominance. Reasons for this vary. Personally, I assume it is due to the changing social standing of men. In the past, men were the key breadwinners in society, seen as strong figures who did the things women couldn’t, such as fight wars or pay taxes.
Today, this isn’t the case as women are given more equal opportunities to work and lead others. I think this is where young boys are being misled. Instead of being taught to understand their feelings, boys are told to suppress emotions, maintain a tough attitude and strong physique, act aggressively, whilst only being validated by other men. Mainly online.
Social media has given everyone the chance to express opinions. There is a myriad of male-centred podcasts and platforms, where media tycoons, like the convicted sex trafficker Andrew Tate, have begun an anti-women movement. Tate has over 10 million followers on X and is immensely popular amongst young male audiences. He once stated that, ‘women should bear responsibility when sexually assaulted’. His controversial opinions have only extenuated issues as he continues to express his disdain for women, promoting violence and misogyny.
In Louis Theroux’s expose on the lead figures within the ‘manosphere’, there are times in which the facades of these men falter. The UK streamer, HS Tikky Tokky (AKA Harrison Sullivan), spent the majority of the documentary attempting to uphold a hard, unemotional persona. However, when receiving a telling off by his mum over a juice bar, it is apparent that the overly confident, unapologetic man is an act.
According to UK Government statistics, in the year ending March 2025, nearly 8,100 violent crimes against another person were committed by children. Some as young as 11-years-old. Parents are not given any guidance on how to prevent their children from falling victim to societal pressure and social media.
Speaking to my aunt, a mother to a 12-year-old boy, she expressed her own fears over how she should monitor what he sees. She explained how there is a lack of support for parents who have concerns surrounding child safety online. I suppose there is little that can be done without government intervention. Children should be taught in schools how to navigate the social media landscape, or even have a law put in place which further restricts and extends the age at which an individual can join certain apps.
I would argue that social media is not entirely to blame. ‘Boys will be boys’, a saying used to justify violent or offensive behaviour, has been apparent throughout my entire life. When a boy at school pulls a girl’s hair, ‘he just likes her’. When a boy is unable to express sadness, it’s okay because, ‘he isn’t gay’.
Masculinity has been taken so far from what it should mean, which is nothing at all.
