What do we need to know about the manosphere and young people’s mental health?

The manosphere is an international network of social media influencers and communities promoting male supremacy and anti-feminist ideologies. Young men are engaging with this extremist content at high rates. Despite growing concerns among educators, policymakers and researchers, systematic data on the long-term impact of the manosphere on young people’s mental health and behaviour remains limited. However, preliminary data suggest that the manosphere is encouraging sexist attitudes, exacerbating existing inequalities in schools, and spreading dangerous messages about mental health. We discuss the current state of research, highlight the challenges of measuring engagement with online misogyny, and propose priorities for future work. Our commentary underscores the urgent need for multi-level interventions to counteract the negative effects of the manosphere on the attitudes of young men, and their downstream consequences for the mental health and well-being of women and girls.