The Power of Positive Male Role Models in Transforming the Social Media “Manosphere” | Social Media

I
Influencers like Andrew Tate have become synonymous with “toxic masculinity,” using a combination of motivational scoldings, fast cars, and demonstrations of sexual prowess to appeal to large audiences of young men and boys. It’s attracting.

But what about the other side of the coin? Are people creating content with healthier messages for the same audience? Or maybe men and boys simply don’t want to hear it? Or?

Jago Sherman, head of strategy at Goat Agency, an influencer subsidiary of marketing giant WPP, says: -Love, self-expression, fighting knife crime, education, but they don’t always make the headlines.

“People like Andrew Tate are using social media to make far-reaching and far-reaching unsubstantiated claims, as if they are providing a ‘quick-fix’ answer to a very complex problem. The problem, of course, is that these statements are most often not true, or are opinions disguised as facts.

In a social environment where creators compete for attention, this ‘shock factor’ content that can be consumed and understood very quickly can sometimes perform better than longer, thought-provoking, neutral content.

Against this backdrop, Labor last week announced plans to promote a more positive vision of masculinity. According to the proposal, schools would develop leaders from their own students who would help counter the misogynistic vision promoted by Tate and others, as well as be more critical of what they see on screen. Students will be supported to explain their analysis skills in class.

Some men who give a more positive vision of masculinity have already broken out and become famous in their own right. Fitness influencers like Joe Wicks, whose career began with his Instagram posts as The Body Coach, may not attract teenage boys with their lewd content. Simple advice delivered in a friendly, almost relentlessly cheerful manner can still garner millions of followers.

Perhaps the biggest symbol of this more assertive approach to masculinity is the philanthropic work of Russ Cook, known to many as Instagram’s biggest geek. If all goes to plan, he will complete his year-long attempt to cross the continent from tip to toe, ending in April. Mr. Cook raised around £200,000. running charity and sand blast and amassed nearly 1 million followers across his various social platforms, conclusively proving the appropriateness of his username in the process.

But there’s an asymmetry in some of the debate around toxic influencers, said Saul Parker, founder of. good side, we work with charities and brands to help them achieve their positive goals. While young women are encouraged to seek out positive role models for their own benefit, young men are often encouraged to seek out positive role models in order to treat women better. It risks ignoring the harm that harmful influencers can cause to boys and young people themselves, and undermines efforts to encourage them to find better people to learn from.

“There’s a generation of men who have been born into very difficult conversations about patriarchy and its impact on women’s lives,” Parker says. “As a result, they’re in a place where they feel like they’re third-class citizens. And accepting that young men are having a bit of a hard time and needing help is difficult, especially on the left. It’s very difficult.”

Because focusing on misogyny rather than the broader message of traditional masculine norms in which the “manosphere” thrives risks overshadowing a second generation of post-Tate pernicious influences, this is important. Through repetition, the boys learn that repeating the casual misogyny of someone like Tate in public is bad, and when asked, they say they don’t like the way he talks about women, but say, “Other things.” often insist that you just listen to him.

“David Goggins is the kind of guy we’re facing right now,” Parker said. “He’s a former Navy SEAL, he’s a huge influence on every social platform, but he and all his… The content is about ‘self-discipline’ and ‘self-motivation.’ He tells me things like ‘wake up in the morning,’ ‘go to the gym,’ ‘take a cold shower,’ and ‘be a man,’ but he never talks about women or sex.”

“Taking women out of the equation doesn’t make it any less of a problem. He just doesn’t have anything nasty to say, so it’s hard to find sharp points.”

In other words, attracting boys to a more positive vision of masculinity does not happen by default. But neither should lose hope. There is nothing inherent in childhood experiences that only stick with toxic messages, and with a little work, better role models can develop.