Boys as young as 11 are being exposed to misogyny online, experts have warned, with three–quarters saying harmful content appears without actively searching for it.
A study has found that teenage boys are receiving targeted content that promotes violence and derogatory views of women.
It follows the widespread impact of Netflix‘s drama series Adolescence, which told the story of a 13–year–old boy who brutally murders his classmate.
And it comes as Louis Theroux‘s ‘Inside The Manosphere’ documentary has left parents ‘terrified’ by the ‘toxic behaviour and extremist views’ of the world of alpha male influencers.
The show explores how extremist influencers are manipulating young boys with their ideas surrounding masculinity and gender roles. These ‘ambassadors’ claim to be the figureheads of a rebellion against feminism and modern society’.
And although parents will – understandably – be horrified by the scenes, it’s likely their sons have already been exposed to it on social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok.
The poll of 500 teenage boys aged 11–14 revealed that 73 per cent have seen misogynistic or harmful content online – on average within 18 minutes of logging on.
‘Our latest findings show that young boys are still being exposed to misogynistic and harmful content almost as soon as they go online, driven by algorithms designed to keep them scrolling,’ a spokesman for VodafoneThree, who commissioned the survey, said.
It follows the widespread impact of Netflix’s drama series Adolescence, which told the story of a 13–year–old boy who brutally murders his classmate (Pictured)
With the release of Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere, parents have again been left ‘terrified’ by the ‘toxic behaviour and extremist views’ of the world of alpha male influencers
The poll reveals that the proportion of young boys exposed to this content has risen from 69 per cent two years ago, demonstrating how algorithms are targeting them with an increasing stream of negativity.
Experts said over time, this content gradually desensitises them to the harmful views they’re witnessing.
A quarter of the young boys polled said they are shown content that is negative about women and girls within the first minute of being online – more than double the amount compared to 2024.
This could include objectifying or belittling women, using intimidating or humiliating behaviour towards women or pursuing unwanted sexual comments or advances.
For almost a quarter of teenage boys, the content that they regularly encounter online makes them feel bad about themselves compared to seven per cent from two years ago, the study revealed.
Parents are also noticing a shift in behaviour among their sons, with half saying they have witnessed their child saying something inappropriate that they believe may have been picked up online.
‘It’s concerning to see that, in just two years, exposure to this material has risen, fuelling the ‘manosphere’ and normalising extreme ideas of masculinity,’ the spokesman for VodafoneThree added.
‘With viewership of this material more than doubling, we continue to urge regulators to help make content platforms safe by design, so children and young people can enjoy the benefits of the internet without being exposed to unsolicited and damaging content.’
In his documentary, Louis Theroux explores how extremist influencers are manipulating young boys with their ideas surrounding masculinity, interviewing the likes of Harrison Sullivan (HSTikkyTokky) [Pictured left)
For Louis Theroux’s documentary, the 55–year–old interviews the likes of Harrison Sullivan (HSTikkyTokky) and Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (Sneako).
Amidst a string of concerning scenes are several showing very young boys obsessing over the extremist influencers and declaring themselves ‘huge fans’.
Sharing their thoughts on the deep–dive documentary, concerned parents wrote in the comments: ‘Watching this now and I am speechless. As a mum of four boys it is terrifying.’
Elsewhere viewers branded the men studied in the documentary ‘disgusting and dangerous’ as they claimed their behaviour was ‘insecurity amplified to terrifying levels’.
The synopsis for Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere reads: ‘With rare access and no holds barred, the acclaimed documentarian investigates a growing ultra–masculine network and its controversial influencers.’
The Manosphere itself refers to an online network – including forums, websites and blogs – that promote anti–feminist beliefs, masculinity and misogyny.
