A new genre of men has been flooding the internet over the past few years: “alpha males.” These men appear wildly successful; they all seem to be wealthy, family-driven, and intelligent. But on deeper examination, their so-called “masculinity,” is nothing more than a degrading and disrespectful attitude towards women.
The men in these typically short-form vertical videos are depicted with oversized muscles dry-scooping creatine for their consumption while convincing boys they can become rich without ever getting a degree. The virtues of hard work and determination once encouraged for success in academic and career goals are sidelined and the focus has become making money fast and easy. Welcome to the manosphere.
While self-improvement itself is not harmful, many manosphere influencers package motivation alongside sexism and hostility towards women. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the number of manfluencers young males follow, and the higher likelihood of them holding dehumanizing views on women. This content isn’t about improving the confidence in men, it’s about diminishing it in women. With boys believing a woman’s value lies in her appearance, some women have succumbed to being sexualized and to being solely treated as an object, or something pleasing to the eye. The blatant disdain of females portrayed in these videos is disappointingly obvious.
Are these misogynists the most inspiring role models we want to be influencing young boys, especially since this content seems to be pervasive?
According to recent studies, 73% of adolescent boys encounter masculinity-related content on a daily basis. Masculinity-related content is often defined by four main frameworks: self-reliance, dominance and control, risk-taking, and avoidance of femininity. This form of lifestyle video is easy to access through social platforms, television shows, and movies, and rarely highlights the type of men that young boys should emulate.
The alarming truth about social media platforms is that they do not simply host this content; their algorithm actively encourages its rapid spread. Common Sense Media reports that 68% of adolescent boys have come across digital-masculinity content, without actively searching for it. Young boys are watching videos under the guise that it is entertainment when in reality they are being targeted by algorithms and corporations. Without the intention of consuming such grotesque content, it’s still being forcibly fed to young men.
The effects on young males viewing and consuming pervasive monosphere content is detrimental to their mental and emotional well-being. One study concluded that boys with high exposure to masculine content are 30% more likely to report feeling lonely, and 41% more likely to desire changing their appearance. Instead of empowering young men, this online culture traps them in impossible expectations of what a “real man” should be. Young men are receiving messages that they must look like a body-builder by the age of 16, which can be unattainable, but they believe their happiness and success depends on it.
Well, what’s the issue with encouraging young boys to be the best version of themselves?
Because instead of elevating men, the manosphere diminishes them, selling insecurity disguised as confidence, convincing boys that success depends on dominance, emotional suppression, and the degradation of women.
Yet the most dangerous aspect of the manosphere, may be its distorted definition of masculinity itself. What truly makes a man has many biological, societal, and psychological factors. But the manosphere truly only focuses on a few of those traits while diminishing the capabilities of women. Through rapid misinformation of what being manly actually means, old ideals of women not being “fit” for certain jobs, or abilities, because of their “femininity” are still being enforced today through men.
These ideas aren’t helping young men. Recent studies of boys exposed to this content show that 27% of young males who avidly watch masculine content, report feelings of extreme nervousness and sadness. Those watchers are 10% less likely to prioritize their mental health as non-avid watchers. As these harmful messages spread across social media platforms, the line between entertainment and indoctrination becomes increasingly blurred for impressionable young audiences.
Stopping the cycle may seem near impossible, but an end to this madness is in sight. The most efficient way to get rid of manosphere content is to starve the algorithm. By using “Not interested” buttons, unfollowing accounts, and blocking influencers that push the masculinity agenda, we can stop money from entering these men’s pockets simply by spreading misogyny and gym content on the internet. Still, social media platforms are lightly regulated by the government and the potential for misinformation and inappropriate content remains high.
If we continue feeding boys misogyny disguised as masculinity, we should not be surprised when they grow into men who confuse dominance with strength.
Works Cited
Liberatore, Josh. “‘Masculinity’ Influencers Are on the Rise – so Are Mental Health Risks for Young Men.” Athletech News. EDD. Last modified June 10, 2025. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://athletechnews.com/masculinity-influencers-mental-health-report/.
Renström, Emma A., and Hana Bäck. “Manfluencers and Young Men’s Misogynistic Attitudes: The Role of Perceived Threats to Men’s Status.” Springer Nature Link. SPL. Last modified October 30, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-024-01538-2.
Robb, Michael B., and Supreet Mann. “Boys in the Digital Wild: Online Culture, Identity, and Well-Being.” Common Sense Media. SSRS. Last modified October 8, 2025. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2025-boys-in-the-digital-wild-report_for-web.pdf.