Having open conversations with boys is key to fending off the manosphere threat | Letters

"It's about the platforms that facilitate it, and how social media diverts attention away from things like reading and toward things that largely don't matter. Josh says it himself: in fairness, short-form content is slightly more engaging than Macbeth quotation flashcards. That's truly worrying. It's true that the education system can and should do better, but I also think we need reminding that young people have always felt alienated from the education system."

"So what frustrates me most about the idea of toxic masculinity is that (some) men think that their trials are somehow unique, so they lash out at women. To Josh and others, I say: get off TikTok. It may not be the sole cause of the manosphere, but it feeds on it. Social media itself is toxic: it prioritises that which is trivial and shallow."

Social media platforms facilitate the manosphere and divert attention from reading toward largely trivial short-form content. Short-form content can be slightly more engaging than study aids like Macbeth quotation flashcards, which is worrying. The education system can and should improve, but young people have long felt alienated, disillusioned, and misunderstood. Pressures to conform to expectations around masculinity and femininity persist, and alternatives to dominant norms have emerged slowly. Some men view their struggles as unique and lash out at women. Social platforms like TikTok feed harmful communities. Regaining attention spans, reading demanding literature, and transforming disillusionment into art can offer healthier alternatives.

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