The Shift In Boys’ Views On Money And Girls That Therapists Are Watching Closely

Some parents are noticing subtle but worrying changes.

Parents editor at HuffPost UK

If you tuned in to Louis Theroux’s Inside The Manosphere, you might’ve been jaw-to-the-floor shocked to hear the influencers’ reductive views of women. (Or maybe, if you’ve come across this content online before, you weren’t.)

You’ll also have picked up on the huge onus placed on wealth and success.

These influencers are selling a ‘dream’ to other young men, encouraging them to follow their formula to become rich and ‘successful’ – to up their value and worth in a society where they are “born without it”. And some boys are taking it all in.

According to Educate Against Hate, boys are drawn to this kind of content because it offers a sense of belonging, simple answers to complex societal problems, and an element of control or empowerment.

We’re now at the point where nearly 70% of boys aged 11-14 years old have been exposed to misogynistic content online, per Ofcom, and most primary and secondary school teachers are “extremely concerned” about the influence of the manosphere – a collection of websites and forums that typically promote masculinity, some of which amplify misogynistic views – on children and young people.

It’s not a new problem either. This tap has been drip, drip, dripping for some time as social media’s popularity has grown. While there will be plenty of boys who shun these narratives, over time this content can – and does – shift perceptions.

Signs kids are being influenced by this content

Mandy Hickson, a former fast jet pilot who is now a motivational speaker, began to notice subtle changes in her two sons, then in their mid-teens, seven years ago. She said not only did their language, tone and the way they spoke about women gradually change, but so too did their........

© HuffPost