The rise in online misogyny is a bad sign for the planet
Global Action Plan CEO Sonja Graham writes about 'The Rise of the Aggro-rithm', how it's harming people and planet, and what you can do about it.
The emergence of the Andrew Tate-fuelled manosphere might seem unrelated to the rise of online climate misinformation – but in my mind they are inextricably linked. This is because they have a common cause: an online ecosystem that spreads dishonest and harmful content.
Big Tech’s business model has created a polluted online environment where lies spread faster than truth. Social media platforms make money from keeping us hooked for as long as possible. Their algorithms use our personal data to feed us outrageous, provocative content that triggers strong emotional reactions so we can’t look away – whether they are spreading climate hoaxes or derogatory content about women and girls.
We’re working in partnership with Vodafone and NSPCC – with the launch of the film, The Rise of the Aggro-rithm - to shed light on how these algorithms are harming the UK’s tween and teen boys by exposing them over time to an increasing stream of negative content, gradually desensitising them to the negative views they’re witnessing and impacting their thoughts and actions.
Take two recent stats. A survey commissioned by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that 37% of UK teens categorised as “heavy users” of social media believe climate change is “being purposefully over-exaggerated”, while a recent survey by Vodafone revealed that 69% of 11-14 year-old boys in the UK have been exposed to misogynistic content online.
These facts are alarming in themselves, but what worries me more is the link between them: namely that kids are being routinely and unwittingly exposed to sensational and harmful content that is negatively informing their world view.
My school gate conversations support this. Mums and dads are shocked and often frightened by things their children have said prompted by what they have seen online. The content itself is often held to blame, but this misses the point. Obviously, we want less harmful content, but much of it would stay in the margins if it weren’t for the algorithms promoting provocative content – irrespective of the harms it can cause to those who view it.
Other key findings from the Vodafone research:
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On average, boys aged 11-14 are exposed to harmful content within 30 minutes of being online and 1 in 10 are seeing it in as little as 60 seconds.
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Over half (52%) are aware and have engaged with content from influencers with ties to the manosphere.
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Two-thirds (66%) of boys stated that seeing harmful content online made them feel worried, sad, or scared.
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59% of boys are accessing this content through innocent and unrelated searches: unintentionally fuelling online algorithms.
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1 in 5 parents (22%) have noticed a gradual change over time in the language their son uses to talk about women and girls.
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7 in 10 teachers (70%) report having been subjected to disrespectful language from male pupils in school settings.
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81% of teachers stated this behaviour was negatively impacting female students, and 79% stated that a lack of respect for women teachers is negatively impacting boys listening and learning in class.
It is not in the platforms’ interest to change this. Sensational content shocks us and stops us from looking away. This makes for huge advertising gains. According to CCDH, YouTube makes up to $13.4 million a year from channels posting climate denial content. The Vodafone report exposes a whole ecosystem of “outrage merchants” who are profiting from misogynistic content, with 52% of boys engaging with content from influencers with ties to the manosphere.
So how can we make sure that we stop blaming ourselves and get to the root cause of the problem?
Global Action Plan’s Safer Socials campaign is supporting parents to speak up about the impact of social media on young people and to call for regulators to force Big Tech to design platforms in a way that protects young people from mis- and disinformation – whether it’s about misogyny or about climate change.
Under the new Online Safety Act, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring that Big Tech companies risk assess their platforms for harm caused by design features that affect how much children use the service. We want these risk assessments to cover the algorithmic recommender systems that feed young people content they didn’t choose to see, as well as the persuasive design tactics that keep people hooked online for longer.
These next few months will determine how new online safety laws are interpreted, but the Big Tech companies that profit from these algorithms will be lobbying to maintain the status quo.
That’s why our petition is calling on Ofcom to stay strong and compel Big Tech to make their products safe by design. We need to demand a safer internet that stems the tide of online misogyny and tells the truth about the climate crisis – to protect our children’s futures.