A teenage survivor of the manosphere has spoken out about how young men are being drawn into harmful online communities, warning that society must offer constructive alternatives to counter the influence of figures like Andrew Tate. Josh Sargent, 17, says he was lured into these spaces between the ages of 12 and 14, where he was exposed to misogyny and political extremism.
Sargent describes how algorithms flooded his feed with muscular, wealthy men promising money, meaning and manhood. He says the core appeal was feeling listened to: 'They make us feel listened to, heard and considered. Of course in reality, that's nothing more than a facade – a dodgy sales tactic.'
The teenager argues that the constant pairing of 'masculinity' with 'toxic' in online discourse alienates young men and drives them further into the manosphere. He says he struggled to recall the last time he saw the word 'masculinity' without the negative qualifier on his social media feed.
Sargent calls for the education system to provide healthier versions of the content offered by manosphere influencers, such as financial education, entrepreneurship and fitness. He warns that when society does not provide a listening ear, an algorithm will fill the void.
He credits nuanced media coverage of these issues with helping him escape, but stresses the need to reframe the conversation: 'Not as innately evil flaws in the young male demographic, but as an expression of uncertainty.'
