What Young Men Really Think of Manosphere Content on TikTok
Parents often hear that algorithms push boys into extreme online spaces. New research from the Movember Institute of Men’s Health and the University of Melbourne shows the picture is more complicated. Young men themselves say manosphere content mixes useful advice with material they recognise as harmful.
Researchers spoke with 142 young men aged 16 to 25 from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their average age was just under 19. The study, published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, asked them directly how they navigate masculinity content on TikTok. One clear line emerged from the responses: “some of it’s fucked, some of it’s useful.”
That blunt summary captures the dual reality. Boys and young men are not passive consumers. Many actively weigh what they see.
Why This Research Matters Now
TikTok’s For You feed delivers a continuous stream of short videos based on what a user watches, likes and comments on. Earlier work by the same team examined real viewing histories from a similar group of young men. They found masculinity content appears in tiers. Everyday fitness, sport and lifestyle videos sit at the surface. Beneath them sit messages about status, dominance and, further down, more explicit misogyny or risk-taking.
The new paper focuses on how young men interpret this material. It is timely because platforms still amplify content that promises quick confidence or success. Irish parents and teachers already see the effects in classrooms. Boys quote influencers on fitness or dating while also repeating rigid ideas about emotions or relationships. The research gives us their own words rather than only outside analysis.
As a former Garda who spent years investigating online harm, I recognise the pattern. Algorithms reward engagement. Strong opinions travel further than balanced ones. Yet the young men in this study were not simply absorbing everything. Many described a process of selective engagement.
What the Young Men Actually Said
Thematic analysis produced two main themes. The first was a blueprint for masculine self-development. Participants valued practical tips on training, money and confidence. At the same time they criticised unrealistic standards, influencer scams and the pressure to suppress emotion.
One 22-year-old Australian man put it plainly in related reporting from The Conversation: he found the content toxic yet still wanted the confidence it appeared to offer. That tension appeared across responses. Young men wanted tools for real life. They also spotted when the advice became harmful to themselves or others.
The second theme concerned navigating manosphere ideologies. Participants recognised anti-feminist or essentialist claims embedded in mainstream videos. Some rejected them outright. Others treated them as one voice among many. The study shows critical appraisal is already happening for many of these young men. They weigh perceived benefits against ideological harm.
This is not a free pass for the content. The researchers note that any perceived upsides do not cancel documented harms to women, mental health or broader attitudes. Yet ignoring what young men say they value makes effective responses harder.
Practical Stakes for Parents and Schools
Irish families can use this evidence without treating every fitness video as a gateway. Start with the conversation the young men themselves describe. Ask what they watch and why it appeals. Listen before correcting. The How RU Doin Online approach fits here. A simple check-in reduces secrecy and lets boys explain the useful parts themselves.
Schools already manage short-form video effects. Our earlier piece on short video platforms and body dissatisfaction showed how comparison drives harm, particularly for girls. The manosphere work extends that pattern to boys. Rigid ideals about strength or emotional control create their own pressures. Teachers who notice shifts in language or hostility toward female classmates can connect the dots without over-reacting to every comment.
Device rules still matter. Platforms have not fixed the recommendation systems that move users from lifestyle content toward more extreme material. Limiting time and reviewing safety settings reduces volume. However, the research suggests pure restriction without discussion leaves the appeal unaddressed. Boys who feel their need for guidance is dismissed may seek it elsewhere.
Recent Irish data on children feeling safe online showed a gender gap. Boys reported higher safety than girls overall. That does not mean boys face no risks. Algorithmic pathways into rigid masculinity content can affect relationships, mental health and peer behaviour inside schools. Open discussion protects both groups.
What Platforms and Policy Still Need to Do
The study calls for approaches that use young men’s desire for self-improvement while embedding digital literacy and safeguarding. Safety by design would mean recommendation systems that do not escalate from gym tips into misogynistic or nihilistic material. Current systems still do.
Irish parents cannot wait for perfect platform changes. Practical steps remain available. Review TikTok’s family pairing or restricted mode. Set clear expectations about what “useful” advice looks like in real life. Model healthy conversations about emotions and relationships offline. When boys see that adults take their goals seriously, extreme online answers lose some of their power.
The research does not claim all masculinity content is dangerous. It shows young men already separate the parts they find helpful from the parts they find harmful. Our job is to support that critical capacity while reducing the volume of the harmful material. Ignoring either side of the equation leaves the problem intact.
References
- Fisher, K., Powell, L., Lewis, E. C., Chhabra, J., Gerrand, V., & Seidler, Z. (2026). ‘Some of it’s fucked, some of it’s useful’: Young men’s experiences navigating masculinity content on TikTok. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2026.2740002
- Fisher, K., Lewis, E., Gerrand, V., & Seidler, Z. (2026). ‘It’s pretty toxic… but just a little, I want to be like that’: what young men think of manosphere content. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/its-pretty-toxic-but-just-a-little-i-want-to-be-like-that-what-young-men-think-of-manosphere-content-293192
- Movember Institute of Men’s Health. Masculinity Content Research. https://movember.com/programs/masculinity-content-research
Related Reading / Further Guidance from CODA
- Introducing #HowRUDoinOnline?
- Why the Gender Gap Demands Action for Children Feeling Safe Online
- Short Video Platforms Fuel Adolescent Body Dissatisfaction
- Screens in Schools Clinicians Warn of Health Crisis
- Online Grooming on Snapchat TikTok and Instagram
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Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education and training for schools, parents and organisations. Our guides support practical conversations about online behaviour and the choices people make. However, education and app settings do not replace safeguarding or professional support.
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