As the influence of the manosphere increases, more and more young people are exposed to extreme misogynistic language and ideas. Teachers and parents hear misogynistic words in everyday conversations between children and teenagers, as well as many new manosphere terms that they might not understand.
Misogynistic language spreads and normalises degrading ideas about women and girls, creating and reinforcing a culture of inequality, discrimination and hate. It also has a devastating impact on the mental health of girls, non-binary people and boys.
In this blog, we offer some information about the manosphere and misogyny among young people and how it affects their mental health. We also provide some advice for parents in addressing and challenging misogynistic language among children.
What Is the ‘Manosphere’?
The term ‘manosphere’ refers to a collection of online communities that identify themselves by the belief that men are superior to women. These communities share degrading ideas about women and girls, portraying them as illogical, selfish, greedy and scheming. They use these ideas to justify discriminatory and violent behaviours, including harassment and control.
Many manosphere influencers hide their hateful speech behind self-help and fitness tips, or advice about dating women, absorbing manosphere communities into mainstream culture.
How Does the Manosphere Influence Young People?
Many children and adolescents are exposed to the manosphere through social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. In these uncensored environments, young people can easily find themselves viewing videos or posts that propagate hateful ideas about women and girls. Some children and adolescents may be drawn into the manosphere, internalising its beliefs and actively searching for misogynistic content.
Research shows that a worryingly high proportion of adolescent boys agree with the ideas shared within the manosphere. In one survey, over half of 16- 17-year-old males had a positive view of Andrew Tate, a key manosphere influencer. In contrast, only 1% of female respondents shared a positive view.
Understanding ‘Foids’ and Other Misogynistic Language
One aspect of manosphere culture involves the introduction of new words that directly degrade women or conceptualise misogynistic comments. This language quickly and easily reaches the classroom, spreading through social media accounts and socialisation.
Some words that parents might hear boys using include:
- ‘Foid’, a degrading term that equates women and girls to robots (‘femoids’), implying they lack intelligence and even humanity
- ‘Looksmaxxing’, a term that encourages men and boys to improve their physical appearance in order to make themselves more attractive to women
- ‘Jestermaxxing’, a term similar to looksmaxxing that emphasises being funny or hilarious
How Should Parents Respond to Misogynistic Language?
If parents hear misogynistic language, it’s important to call it out. Misogyny is drastically changing the environments that young people are growing up in, and its impact is severe. Misogynistic words should never be ignored, even when children may not fully understand their meaning.
Sometimes, it’s tempting for parents to simply shut down misogynist language through phrases like ‘don’t say that’ or ‘do you know what that means?’. But responding in this way can prevent parents from having quality conversations with children and adolescents about misogyny.
Instead, it’s better to say something like “I heard you using this word and I’d like to speak with you about it and understand what you think it means”.
For younger children, this might mean using short and simple sentences to explain that the word they are using is an unkind word that is mean and offensive, not fun and silly. For older children, you can introduce the concept of misogyny and the way it degrades a group of people. It’s important to make sure that conversations are age-appropriate.
As words like ‘foid’ become more normalised online and offline, we can expect some children to use it without really understanding what it means. But that’s not true for everyone.
Some young people will be very aware of its meaning, and use it with the intent to disrespect, bully or shame. In these cases, it’s even more important to intervene.
How Can Parents Support Young People Who Have Experienced Misogyny?
If a girl has been called a ‘foid’ or another misogynistic term, parents should step in to offer support. This might involve:
- Validating their feelings and acknowledging how hurtful these experiences can be
- Asking how they would like to be supported
- Helping them find firm, clear responses to this kind of language, such as “I’m not available to be referred to with that word”
How Do Misogyny and the Manosphere Affect Young People’s Mental Health?
When girls or women experience misogyny and sexism – at school, home or when socialising – it can seriously impact their mental health. Research has linked gender-based discrimination to depression, poorer mental functioning and psychological distress.
In many regions, misogyny against women and girls is increasing. In the past ten years, the US has seen a rapid and disproportionate rise in depression among teenage girls, as well as a rise in sexual violence.
Misogynistic language, beliefs and actions often involve the sexualisation and objectification of women’s bodies. Girls experiencing misogyny can start to objectify their own bodies. This self-objectification is linked to disordered eating behaviours and body shame.
Misogynistic influencers don’t only target women and girls: they also frequently attack and oppress LGBTQ+ people, spreading homophobic, transphobic and queerphobic beliefs. These actions exacerbate discrimination and violence towards groups of children and teenagers who are already survivors of exclusion and abuse. LGBTQ young people experience greater anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress than heterosexual youth.
Toxic masculinity and misogyny also harm boys and men. Gender norms discourage boys from reaching out for help with mental health challenges or freely expressing emotions such as worry or sadness. This can seriously impact their well-being.
Misogyny and Identity Development
Adolescence is a time of identity exploration and development. During their teenage years, young people’s identities are usually very malleable and easily shaped by specific experiences.
This means that exposure to sexism and misogyny during adolescence can have a particularly powerful and enduring impact on their self-concept and the way they perceive themselves. When these beliefs are not challenged or replaced by alternative, feminist ideas, teenagers can internalise misogyny and integrate it into their identities. This can impact how their self-identity long into the future.
The Wave Clinic: Transformative Recovery Programs for Young People and Families
The Wave Clinic offers specialist mental health treatment spaces for children, adolescents, young adults and families. We take a whole-person approach to mental health care, emphasising the role of past traumas and social relationships in shaping how young people think, feel and act today.
We prioritise inclusivity and fairness, challenging internal and external stigmas and discrimination in all their forms.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our programs, get in touch today.
