Enterthe “manosphere.
Then,Kaitlynn Mendesreached out.
Mendes says that a lot of manosphere content centers on common anxieties among adolescent boys.
It draws them in by presenting “easy” answers to complex problems like how to attract a mate.
Mendes explains, “If you’re a teenage boy, this is a really big time of change.
Unfortunately, these initial, helpful messages lead to more harmful ideas.
If you really want to be successful, you have to act like the ‘alpha man.’
And if you want a ‘high-value woman,’ these are things that you have to do.”
According to Mendes, the message can boil down to, “Forget about women as individuals.
Treat all women as though they’re they’re the same.
It also really paints them in quite a bad light.
So, it sounds convincing, and it sounds smart.
Sometimes, they reference real academic publications or studies.
It’s just that they misconstrue what the study is actually about or what it’s showing.”
But the thing is, attraction is never this simple.
She responded, “I think you’re right.
In addition to science-y sounding words, manosphere creators also useparticular slang.
But it does come from these kinds of manosphere communities.”
And the problem goes much deeper than people saying offensive things online.
And in countless other instances of violence against women, trans people, and racial minorities.
Mendes says, “It’s not just the big-name people.
There are lots of people every day who are trying to capitalize on some of these trends.
This kind of content is everywhere.
Because as much as they say they care about us, they don’t give a shit about us.
They don’t care about our mental health.
It’s disgusting.'
I do think boys have a harder time expressing disgust because they’re not ‘supposed’ to.
Because some of what they’re seeing is so normalized, they don’t associate it as harmful.”
“Then you’re free to ask them, ‘Do you know how to change the algorithm?
If that’s content that you don’t want to see, what would you do?
Do you know what to do?’
And it might be different on different platforms.
Ask, ‘Is it something that you think is worth reporting?'”
She also gives some examples of how she talks with her own sons about what they see online.
And it doesn’t all have to be bad stuff.
I might say, ‘Hey, what are some followers that you like?'”
I remember it was something actually criticizing Tate.
My son asked why.
‘Ohhh,’ He said, ‘like for sex stuff?
We are fortunate they seem grounded and are learning independence instead of feminine dependence and weaponized incompetence.
My brother grew up with a large group of friends that he regularly hung out with.
Very suddenly, he stopped hanging out with them.
When they hung out in person, it wasnt much better.
His friends would joke that women belong in the kitchen, amongst other gross stereotypes.
My younger brother told me he couldnt be friends with them anymore after this.
