What is the manosphere: Key terms, meanings, and why it matters
Understand the language shaping masculinity online and how it shows up on both the internet and in the real world
The internet moves fast, and its language moves faster.
Inside the “manosphere”, online communities are spreading hateful ideas of what it means to be a man and using words as the fuel to their ideologies.
While over 40% of young men trust online influencers spreading hateful message,Footnote 1 almost half of parents are unaware that hateful and sexist content is intentionally targeting their kids.Footnote 2 And it doesn’t just stop there. These online communities are spilling into real-life. In 2025, 80% of educators have witnessed misogynistic behaviours in classrooms, including disrespect toward women and unhealthy stereotypes.Footnote 3
The first step in stopping misinformation is knowing when it is happening. Here is a list of common manosphere terms you might see and how you can help the young men and boys in your life build a healthier understanding of masculinity.
Manosphere
The “manosphere” is a name for a group of online communities that share strict and often aggressive ideas about what it means to be a man.Footnote 4 These communities often claim that feminism and gender equality have hurt men’s rights. They push the belief that to be a “real man” you need to show emotional control, be wealthy, look good, and have power – especially over women.Footnote 5
Under the guise of offering “community” and “role models,” the manosphere often targets vulnerable young men and boys, preying on their insecurities and gradually exposing them to radical beliefs.Footnote 6
Why should you care?
The ideologies and beliefs within the manosphere are making their way into schoolyards, workplaces and intimate relationships. The manosphere builds dangerous environments for women and other minorities that can have a lasting effect on men and boys’ personal and social lives.
The manosphere significantly impacts men’s mental health and distorts their perception of the world, creating a hostile and dangerous environment for all.
Incel
Incel stands for “involuntary celibate.” Incels are men who have been unsuccessful in their romantic or sexual relationships with women.Footnote 7 Many turn to online incel spaces looking for comfort but instead get pulled into toxic communities filled with hate. These spaces blame women for their struggles, often encouraging violent, hateful views.
Why should you care?
Incel culture creates a dangerous environment for women and girls around the world. The promotion of extreme misogyny and hatred towards women often encourages violence. Those online communities often share the belief that women owe men sex or that violence is a justified response to rejection. In some tragic cases, these beliefs have fueled real-world attacks,Footnote 8 including mass violence.Footnote 9
Even beyond physical harm, incel ideas contribute to a larger climate of fear, harassment and inequality for women and girls globally – especially online.
Red pill / blue pill
The red pill / blue pill ideology was first introduced in the 1999 movie The Matrix, where the main character must choose between a red pill that reveals the harsh “truth” about the world and a blue pill that lets him stay in comfortable ignorance.
Fast forward to today. Manosphere communities have claimed the metaphorical pills, redefining them to mean a red pill reveals the harsh “truth” that the world favours women over men, and a blue pill refers to anyone who disagrees with the red pill’s ideology.Footnote 10
Why should you care?
The red pill notion tends to create a dangerous animosity towards women, often encouraging manipulative tactics and violent behaviours. The ideology reduces women to objects men have to win over by asserting their dominance and using control.
The red pill ideology encourages men and boys to hide vulnerability. Instead of true self-worth, boys chase external approval and harmful standards.
Alpha / beta
In the manosphere, the terms alpha and beta have been claimed by men’s rights activists and online communities, coming from a deep misunderstanding of animal behaviour and used to push narrow views about what it means to “be a man.”Footnote 11
- Alpha: An “alpha male” is seen as the “top” kind of man – showing strength, confidence and control in ways that allow him to dominate those around him, especially women. In the manosphere they believe that every man should strive to be an “alpha” to gain power and respect
- Beta: A “beta male” is used as an insult to describe men who are seen as emotional, submissive, too nice, or unable to take control in relationships. Supporting gender equality or feminism is seen as “beta” behaviour
Why should you care?
These redefined terms fuel harmful beliefs about gender, where men must be aggressive, dominant and control women to be respected. It creates a state of constant competition between men, which can have serious impacts on their mental health. These ideas can fuel misogyny, disrespect, and even violence against women and girls.
Pick-up artist and hustle bros
A pick-up artist (PUA) is someone who claims to know special tricks or techniques to get women to have sex with them. They often treat dating like a game, where women are seen as targets to be “won” or “conquered” and mock consent.Footnote 12
PUAs usually give advice online or through books and courses on how to “seduce” women by using manipulation or confidence tactics. These strategies often include giving backhanded compliments and using rehearsed lines or routines to manipulate women’s responses.
“Hustle bros” combine the misogynistic dating advice of PUAs with hyper‐macho masculinity and get-rich quick schemes. “Hustle bros” emphasize a relentless pursuit of wealth, violence, and competitiveness.Footnote 13
Why should you care?
In the manosphere, PUAs and “hustle bros” are part of a larger group of communities that talk about masculinity, dating, and gender – but often in a way that spreads sexism or blames women for men’s problems. These groups frequently reinforce the idea of “male supremacy”.Footnote 14
PUAs and “hustle bros” approach often reduces women to objects to be won, rather than people to be respected.
What you can do
If you’re concerned about how manosphere ideas show up in social media feeds, classrooms, and group chats, here are practical ways to build resilience, both on and offline:
- Talk to young men and boys: Start open, judgment-free conversations about what they’re seeing. Encourage critical thinking. Ask them how this content makes them feel, who’s behind it, what evidence is offered, and who benefits. Keep these conversations going
- Encourage healthy and expansive masculinities: Normalize and model a wide range of expressions of masculinity; including showing emotions, asking for help, caring for others, and building respectful relationships. Discuss gender stereotypes and their impacts. Make space for feelings and celebrate empathy, kindness, and consent as strengths. Read about how Next Gen Men is creating safe online spaces for boys and masculine-exploring youth in the digital age
- Explore My Friend Max Hate: This campaign from White Ribbon features an online resource hub that educates individuals on how to recognize harmful online groups and provides support for young men and boys seeking to escape
- Discover tools to address gender-based violence (GBV): Find clear, easy-to-follow workbooks designed by industry experts, key facts and powerful infographics as part of the national GBV awareness campaign It’s Not Just. Learn more about how the manosphere is linked to gender-based violence and how you can support awareness and prevention