If you've just spent 90 minutes watching Louis Theroux's latest documentary, Inside The Manosphere, on Netflix, you're bound to have some questions – and probably a deep feeling of dread. What is the manosphere? Is it an actual place? How does one leave it?
As ever, Theroux's documentary explores the extreme end of the spectrum, interviewing the likes of Harrison Sullivan (HSTikkyTokky), Myron Gaines, and Justin Waller – all of whom have forged careers in the so-called manosphere. But you don't have to be a self-styled millionaire influencer to access the manosphere; it's under our noses, all the time.
Here, Glamour explores the origins of the manosphere, unpacks why it appeals so much to men and boys, and, crucially, how it impacts women and girls.
What is the manosphere?
The manosphere refers to a loose web of digital spaces that claim to address men's issues, from fatherhood to body image and mental health. In reality, these online communities often promote harmful attitudes and ideologies, which position feminism – AKA the pursuit of gender equality – as a direct threat to men's socio-political status and wellbeing.
The manosphere can be understood as a collection of “anti-feminist online communities which have grown online over the last few years,” says Cécile Simmons, author of CTRL HATE DELETE: The New Anti-Feminist Backlash and How We Fight It. “A few years ago, you could easily keep track of manosphere forums,” she continues, “Today, it's difficult to really know what we're talking about when we talk about the manosphere online because these ideas are circulating everywhere in more or less diluted forms.”
He believes there is a conspiracy against men, that our societies are not patriarchal and never were (because the very concept of patriarchy is a fabrication), and that women should not be allowed to have an abortion without a man's consent.
But it's not just individual influencers who are responsible for the manosphere's harms; it's the tech companies helping them go viral. “The rise of the manosphere is often framed as a cultural crisis driven by a handful of toxic influencers,” says Seyi Akiwowo, author of How to Stay Safe Online. “But the deeper truth is that it grew inside digital platforms whose business models reward outrage, humiliation and conflict because those emotions drive engagement.”
Think about it: why does content depicting women getting ‘owned’ or ‘humbled’ go viral so easily? Andrew ‘Bernie’ Bernard, an educator who facilitates workshops with men and boys about masculinity, previously told Glamour, “It’s the perfect tool, isn't it? There’s this idea that feminism has gone too far, so let's see the manosphere drag them down. Let's invent something that says men are being targeted by feminism, and then let's see the men fight back.”
As Akiwowo says, “When humiliating and scapegoating women drives cheap engagement, humiliation becomes part of the platform economy platforms have built.
“The manosphere is therefore not just a fringe subculture but a predictable outcome of the incentives created by tech platforms themselves. These systems harm everyone: women who are targeted with abuse, and boys and men who are drawn into increasingly extreme content ecosystems. Yet the platforms benefiting from this dynamic face far less scrutiny than the individuals caught inside it.”
UN Women identifies the following (non-exhaustive) categories of manosphere communities:
Involuntary celibates (Incels): “believe that men are entitled to sex, and women purposefully deprive them of it.”
Men's Rights Activists (MRAs): “often take an academic tone to claim that feminism and women’s rights – to vote, to education, to leadership positions – have disadvantaged men.”
Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW): “suggests society is rigged against men – and that it is best to avoid women, and even mainstream society, altogether.”
Pick-Up Artists: “teach members how to coerce women into sex and mock the idea of sexual consent.”
Why does the manosphere appeal to men and boys?
For his book Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere, journalist James Bloodworth interviewed men who felt the pull of the manosphere – and were often consumed by it. He identifies several reasons why the manosphere can seem appealing to men and boys, including the paradoxical societal expectations that shape their lives.
He writes, “Progressive institutions were constantly telling them to embrace tolerance and equality. Meanwhile, in their day-to-day lives, they had to compete in an economic system that rewarded ruthless accumulation and ‘coming out on top’ […] One way to resolve these competing narratives was to retreat back to the certainties of traditional gender roles.”
Bloodworth also notes that, “A person can be more prone to radicalisation into extremist communities when they are going through personal and psychological challenges.”
This is backed up by the data: Equimundo's State of Men 2025 report paints a troubling picture of the various socio-political issues impacting men:
- Nearly two-thirds of men say they have to look out for themselves because no one else has their back.
- 1 in 4 men believe that no one will ever fall in love with them.
- More than half of men are constantly worrying about keeping a roof over their and their family’s heads
While algorithms and societal expectations certainly play a role in pushing young men and boys towards toxic online spaces, Bloodworth warns not to overlook politics. In Lost, he writes, “Victimhood has long been a talking point of those who resent having to cede any of their privileges […] The growth of the manosphere is part of a wider rejection of women's rights that is taking place across the world.”
How does the manosphere impact women and girls?
“The manosphere – and the entire male supremacist ecosystem – has a huge impact on women and girls' integrity,” Cécile Simmons tells Glamour. “At the same time as these influencers and communities gain more power, we've seen a growing range of online abuse against women and girls, we've seen the rise of non-consensual deepfakes, harassment, and many other attempts at silencing women.”
She continues, “The manosphere normalises a range of harmful behaviours. When influencers tell young men that it's normal to make sure their girlfriend doesn't go to the gym or doesn't have an Instagram account, it normalises coercive behaviours and domestic abuse.”
As well as normalising abusive behaviour, the manosphere has introduced an extra level of threat to women's day-to-day lives. “It silences women in public life,” says Simmons. “It has a personal impact on women's integrity, on women's freedom, on women's safety.”
What needs to change?
Seyi Akiwowo argues that the onus should be on tech companies – and on Ofcom, which regulates them – to address the harms of the manosphere. She tells Glamour, “One practical step toward addressing this systematically would be to make measures designed to tackle violence against women and girls online compulsory. The VAWG Code of Practice being developed by Ofcom under the Online Safety Act should be enforceable rather than optional guidance.”
Since the Online Safety Act became law in 2023, tech companies have a duty to protect people in the UK from online harms, including those that disproportionately impact women and girls, such as those that emanate from the manosphere. Ofcom has since released vital guidance on how tech companies can protect women and girls from these harms, but as Akiwowo states, these guidelines are only optional.
More resources on the manosphere
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
