UK experts urge public-health response to harms from the manosphere

Authors of a report in The Lancet say the manosphere and online misogyny should be treated as public-health issues, similar to obesity or smoking. They call for a coordinated response involving governments, schools, health services and community organisations.

The report describes the manosphere as a commercial ecosystem of online communities connected by beliefs about masculinity, misogyny and male victimisation. The authors say loneliness, money worries, social exclusion and disengagement from education can leave boys and young men more vulnerable to communities that offer explanations for their difficulties and encourage blame of women and feminism. The report argues that a response should offer boys alternatives, rather than only seeking to remove the manosphere.