Key result
The manosphere is an under-recognised commercial determinant of health implicated in mental health impacts, gender-based violence, and reduced help-seeking in boys and men.
This Viewpoint argues for reframing and addressing the online 'manosphere' as a commercial ecosystem and public health problem contributing to mental health harms and gender-based violence.
The manosphere, a diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny, and male victimisation, is an under-recognised determinant of health harms. This network has been implicated in considerable health harms: widespread mental health impacts, especially in young people; violence against women, girls, and gender minorities; and delegitimising help-seeking in boys and men. In this Viewpoint, we argue that the manosphere is best understood and addressed as a public health problem.
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Hawkes et al. (2026) conducted an editorial in Health harms associated with the manosphere (mental health impacts, violence against women/girls/gender minorities, reduced help-seeking). The manosphere (commercial ecosystem of online communities) was evaluated. The manosphere is an under-recognised commercial determinant of health implicated in mental health impacts, gender-based violence, and reduced help-seeking in boys and men.
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