Experts Are Explaining Why Teen Boys Might Be Drawn To Manosphere Influencers, And What Parents Can Do About It

The manosphere ― an online community full of misogynistic rhetoric and retrograde ideas about masculinity ― is known for its attention-grabbing content. But a new study suggests there is much more than inflammatory messaging to blame for teenage boys’ interest in this particular online space.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Michigan compiled data from teenage boys to learn more about their thoughts on masculinity, women and the manosphere ― and the results were pretty eye-opening. The study authors analyzed cell phone responses from 601 teenage boys ages 13 to 17. The survey asked questions about who they followed on social media, masculinity and how their parents or guardians portray gender in the home.

The teens also shared their three favorite social media influencers. Researchers then compared the teens’ favorite social media influencers with a list of manosphere-aligned influencers to see if there was any overlap. Less than 10% of respondents named a manosphere influencer in their top three.

The boys were then asked how masculine they believed they were, and rated their masculinity level on a scale from 1 to 5. They also answered questions about their mood, including feelings of depression and hostility. Participants’ levels of depression and hostility were roughly the same whether or not they were involved in the manosphere.

Overall, researchers found that the teen boys who said they liked manosphere creators were more likely to hear ideas that reinforced strict gender norms in their home and more likely to classify themselves higher on the masculinity scale. This suggests that what caregivers model at home has a huge impact on kids and their beliefs around topics like gender roles.

The influence of a household was stronger than whether teens followed Tate or Peterson on social media. Boys with parents who adhered to strict gender norms were up to three times more likely to hold these same views and fall under the influence of the manosphere.

Jami Dumler, a licensed clinical social worker and director of clinical programs with Thriveworks, was not surprised by this finding. Dumler is not associated with the research.

“Sometimes boys are getting these messages online, but they might also be getting [them] in their own home,” Dumler said. “Maybe not outwardly spoken [to] the extreme extents of Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, but thinking about, in your household and family, how do men show their emotions? Is it okay to cry? Is it okay to not have it all together? Are certain high expectations put on men while others are put on women? ...Are we sending balanced messages in our own space?” Dumler asked.

It starts with the guardians and caregivers, she noted. “Wherever we can improve our modeling, it’s going to go a long way because children soak that in.”

This research did have limitations. The boys were not asked why they followed the influencers online — some may be true fans, while others may be “hate-following” the creators. Researchers also gathered responses only once, so the study would not have captured whether participants’ mindsets changed over time.

Shifting away from judgment and leaning into open-ended questions is a good way to connect with teenage boys.

If you notice that your teen is following problematic people on social media, it’s important to lead with curiosity rather than judgment, Dumler said. “If we come in hot and we’re judging this kind of content online, we’re not going to get very far in terms of that opening up, support and next steps,” she said.

The overall goal should be connection and understanding, as well as creating a safe space for your teen to share. “We know that teens are looking for their own control and their own thoughts and development, and so we want to support that, not take over the steering wheel and drive it for them,” Dumler said.

You can do this by letting them steer the conversation and asking them open-ended questions such as “I’ve seen this topic pop up a lot, but I don’t know much about it. Do you?” or “Can you teach me about this public figure? What does he say?” “Let them take charge there. And when they do so, you then learn a lot about what it actually means to them versus what we’re assuming based on studies or social media,” Dumler added.

Having routine one-on-one time can allow these tough conversations to happen.

Dumler explained that teenage boys may turn to the manosphere because they’re “seeking out that strong masculine guardianship or model.”

This doesn’t mean they don’t have people to look up to at home or in their community, but social media is designed to grab attention, which is exactly how Peterson and Tate appeal to men and teen boys. The daily things dads, uncles or grandfathers do day to day may get lost because they aren’t attention-grabbing; they’re just part of the routine.

Regular one-on-one conversations with male role models can be a way to facilitate some of these conversations and address any concerns before they become a bigger issue, Dumler said. “I always encourage starting with setting up a routine one-on-one time,” she noted, which is less intimidating and more productive than a big one-time sit-down conversation.

This could be a weekly drive to practice with grandpa or a monthly donut breakfast with dad. “If we have a certain monthly or weekly routine that my teen knows is going to be coming up, it creates a safer entry,” Dumler added.

It can also help to have these kinds of conversations during “side-to-side” play, meaning while fishing, or while going for a walk, throwing the football around or going for a drive, she said. “There’s another activity involved. It takes some of the pressure off of the conversation,” Dumler said.

If your teenage boy does share misogynistic beliefs during these conversations, you can agree to disagree. “You don’t always have to get in a direct argument of who’s right or wrong,” she said, as frustrating as that can be.

Teenage boys’ frontal lobes are not yet fully formed, so their ability to critically think is still developing, she explained. Adding in more family time, less screen time and more positivity can all help them develop critical thinking skills and make decisions themselves.

“We don’t have to argue with the definition of whatever their belief on social media is. We’re just setting the distinction of our household rules, and that’s where the [research] highlighted that those household rules and the ways that we operate really do have an influence,” Dumler said. Teens are looking for confidence and connection, which is why some turn to the manosphere in the first place. “So, if we think about other ways we can help meet that need and really balance social media or other extreme messages, we’re going to be moving in the right direction,” she added.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.