Gender role online content 'worrying' young people

Some young people in Guernsey say they are worried about the type of content being presented to them on their feeds by social media platforms.

The discussion was sparked by a recently released documentary by Louis Theroux, Inside the Manosphere which explores prominent men on social media and their views on what Netflix calls "ultra-masculinity."

Charley, 17, said she is worried about the role social media plays in promoting certain views on gender roles.

"If a person is already having some of those views, hearing it over and over again just reinforces the belief it's okay and that it's normal to think like that," she said.

The so-called manosphere is an online space where men are seen to share their views on what they describe as "traditional" masculinity - where men hold a dominant role in a relationship and women are subservient.

She added that since watching the Netflix documentary, the topics have been appearing on her social media pages, both supporting and criticising the manosphere.

Bella, 15, said: "I definitely think it's worrying because I feel like there's a lot of young people who are going to watch this."

She said what people see on social media, shapes them: "It's nature and nurture, if you're growing up with technology, it's nurturing you to be what you see online."

Youth worker at the Youth Commission, Emmie Bougourd, 25, said educating young people about algorithms and how they affect what you see on social media is key.

"Algorithms aren't going to change any time soon, so I think the only thing we can do is provide them with that knowledge and information so that they can then make more informed decisions," she said.

Charley agreed that without understanding how algorithms work "it's really easy to interact with things and just become surrounded with that content all of the time which can create a really negative space".

Liam Doherty, founder of the youth service, Apollo, works regularly with boys and young men and said it was clear that "kids need to be around positive male mentors".

He said it was often those most vulnerable who were swept up in the content online because they were looking for role models.

"Those who are most exposed to it are those who don't have places to go, they don't have things to do and they don't have people to be around who are positive influences," he said.

Doherty said the youth group recently went swimming, built a bonfire and played games on the beach.

"These are the kinds of places, the things to do, the people to be around that are going to protect from the pull of this content."

He said if access to negative influences and behaviours were not "nipped in the bud" then it was going to "cost us down the line"

"By having access to positive male mentors, things to do, places to be, we're not going to be spending on employment and social security, on housing, on prison," he added.

Laura Simpson, digital safety lead for Guernsey Police said the content, which is often described as misogynistic can have a "dangerous" impact.

She said: "Ultimately women and girls die from this kind of content being unchecked and that violence against women and girls, there is that direct link through to misogyny and that misogynistic content."

She is urging parents to be open and aware: "It's not all on the kids it's on us... if you're not open when things do go wrong your child is less likely to come to you, we see that time and time again unfortunately."

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