What to Know
Plenty of parents worry about their daughters as young girls grow up in a world of social media, unrealistic expectations, and influencers telling them what to wear, do, and say to be accepted. But, it turns out, boys are up against the same kind of struggle and the Netflix documentary Manosphere dives into that. Not only does the documentary explain who some of the more toxic male influencers are, including Andrew Tate, but it shows parents the reality of what young boys might be looking up to, even if those young boys don’t realize it.
When someone posted about it on TikTok, parents commented to share how “terrified” they are for their sons. Because if the most prominent male influencers that tween and teen boys come across on social media are all about “looksmaxxing” and sharing their problematic ideology, then the future is looking pretty darn grim.
The ‘Manosphere’ documentary paints a scary picture for parents.
@thealexgreaner Better men help create a safer future for women #masculinity #healthyrelationships #mensupportingwomen ♬ original sound – Alex Greaner
When my preteen son began Googling ways to make his jawline more prominent and how he can achieve the ideal body, I began to understand pretty quickly how much boys are up against when it comes to social media beauty standards. In the TikTok about Manosphere, the user explains that these types of male influencers are “genuinely very dangerous” to young boys.
“These are influencers right now that have built massive audiences of young men, and they are telling them that women are essentially the enemy, that respecting women makes you weak, and that relationships are all some power game,” he says. “And young guys are listening. But here’s the part nobody’s talking about. The opposite of toxic masculinity is not weak masculinity. It’s strong men who treat women with respect. Men who are confident enough that they don’t need to tear down women to feel powerful.”
Parents commented on the TikTok to share their own concerns about learning about the documentary. When some wrote that they are worried for their sons, others commented that they are also afraid for their daughters.
“The algorithm is radicalizing our boys,” someone commented. “And most parents don’t know it’s happening. Studies have shown that TikTok and YouTube begin pushing red pill and misogynistic content at teenage boys within days of them signing up — sometimes within minutes — even when they never searched for it.”
Someone else wrote, “I’m 20 mins in on the doc and I’m already exhausted.” “I’m simply terrified for my son,” another parent added.
People who watched the documentary were legit shocked.
Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere premieres March 11.
— Netflix (@netflix) February 25, 2026
In his first Netflix feature-length documentary, Louis travels to Miami, New York, and Marbella to meet a network of influencers and content creators at the heart of the Manosphere. pic.twitter.com/qb5vznI1qF
Those who know a thing or two about the toxic male influencer on social media might expect the Manosphere documentary to shed light on their content, which it does. But even those who know a lot about the influencers in this genre of sorts already commented on a Reddit thread to say they were shocked to see some of the things depicted in the documentary when it comes to misogyny.
“I’m chronically online and I was extremely shocked. My mouth was open the whole time,” someone commented on the Reddit thread about the documentary. “I’d never even heard of these people besides Andrew Tate.”
Another user added, “I hope this will help a lot of parents to see through this s–t and might have a positive influence on their teen children.”
Some young boys are heavily influenced by ‘looksmaxxing’ on social media.
Not only are some toxic male influencers promoting a kind of hatred or disrespect for women that could grow in boys from a young age, but the ones who are all about looksmaxxing take things a step further. These are the influencers who are talking about having plastic surgery to have the so-called perfect facial bone structure and who make videos discussing the physique of women to critique them on wild levels. And, at the end of the day, it is all incredibly exhausting.
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