Adolescence: How Can Brands Help Challenge the Manosphere?

The recent Netflix show Adolescence has sparked important conversations about the increasing issue of young male violence, fueled by online toxic influencers who promote harmful attitudes, particularly towards women. After finally watching it, I am convinced that it is essential viewing, particularly for the younger Gen Alpha generation, who are highly vulnerable to the online content they engage with.

The show follows young teens from the Gen Alpha cohort - those who have grown up with unprecedented access to the internet and social media, shaping their understanding of friendships, relationships, and even of themselves. The impact of this digital immersion on mental health and societal behaviour has been a growing concern for quite a few years now. However, Adolescence shines a spotlight on how this exposure, particularly to toxic online influencers, directly effects violence against women and girls. The show demonstrates that even seemingly well-adjusted kids are at risk of being influenced and manipulated by the content they encounter online. This highlights the urgency of addressing the safety of this generation and ensuring they are equipped to critically assess and challenge what they consume online to avoid constructing such a distorted and unhealthy view of the world.

Andrew Tate is perhaps the most well-known figure associated with spreading misogynistic and violent rhetoric on social media. Unfortunately, he is not the only one, and it’s not like this type of content is hard to find; it’s available everywhere, which goes to show how pertinent it is that young people are educated on the dangers of such online figures. Gareth Southgate, former England football manager, made a powerful statement at The Richard Dimbleby Lecture about the dangerous impact of social media on young men and these types of influencers. He notes how they ‘willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance, never showing emotion and that the world – including women – is against them’. Southgate further observes how young men are turning to these online personalities for direction and guidance, often in the absence of more positive role models as ‘many feel uncomfortable opening up to friends or family’.

While such behaviour of sexism and entitlement has become disturbingly normalised, this is where brands can play a more pivotal role; through their marketing techniques, brands can seek to challenge years of harmful stereotypes by establishing a far healthier, more inclusive definition of masculinity. There are a handful of brand campaigns already playing their part in this, including Gillette’s ‘The Best Men Can Be’ Campaign (2019). The campaign's goal was to challenge toxic masculinity, aggression, and emotional suppression, and promote positive, responsible behaviour among men. The ad pointed out harmful behaviours like bullying, harassment towards women, and entitlement, while suggesting that men have a responsibility, and the capability, to stand up against them.

The campaign resonates with the themes Southgate highlighted: the importance of accountability, redefining masculinity, and the significance of positive role models. It attempted to redefine masculinity in a more encompassing way: inclusive, and compassionate. The ending statement ‘the boys watching today will be the men tomorrow’ is so profound for encapsulating the significance of long-term change, particularly in the fight to end violence against women and girls.

In the wake of Adolescence, brands can take inspiration from campaigns like Gillette’s ‘The Best Men Can Be’, which marked a turning point in the broader conversation about providing young people with healthier alternatives to toxic online behaviours and influences. Brands have the power to reach audiences on a scale comparable to these destructive social media personas, and can therefore offer a positive voice amidst the harmful narratives found online. It is evident that these individuals do not have the youth’s best interests at heart – as Southgate says, their ‘sole drive is for their own gain’.

If you haven’t seen Adolescence yet, I highly recommend it. Watching the show is a step toward supporting the ongoing discourse around creating a healthier and more compassionate future.

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