Inside the Manosphere: How Charities Are Responding to Louis Theroux’s Documentary and What You Can Do

Louis Theroux’s latest documentary on the Manosphere has dropped and everyone has an opinion. 

The film explores toxic masculinity, the treatment of women, and how some content creators with extreme views are using their platform and influence to prey on impressionable young men and boys.

Alongside Netflix’s Adolescence, it seems mainstream media is finally starting to grapple with this often-overlooked corner of internet culture. Fortunately, there are many charities working to promote mental health, positive masculine role models, and supportive communities for boys and young men.

After the rise of Adolescence last year,  the Global Fund for Children (GFC) premiered Boys Beyond Bias – a series of short films that provide a hopeful counterpoint to the series' concerns, which you can read more about here. 

To understand the global response, we reached out to some of the charities that have commented on the documentary for their perspectives and advice. 

White Ribbon

One of the first charities to comment on the themes of the documentary. White Ribbon UK focuses on engaging boys and men in combating violence against women and girls, highlighted the lack of in-person third spaces in their blog post:

Over many years, we have seen the closure or loss of spaces such as youth clubs, community centers and sports facilities, where boys and young men could talk openly about identity, relationships and masculinity. When those spaces disappear, the internet often fills the gap. 

At the same time, social media platforms play a powerful role in shaping what young people see. Algorithms frequently amplify the most controversial and extreme voices because they drive engagement.

To follow up on reading this piece, Smiley News reached out to gather some advice for what next steps audiences can do after watching the documentary and Lynne Elliot, CEO of White Ribbon UK said: 

1. Ask and listen, don’t tell. Don’t make boys feel like they can’t talk about how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking, hear what they’ve got to say and treat it as a discussion, even if you don’t agree. This avoids defensiveness. 
2. Keep the conversation going. The manosphere teaches boys that they will be immediately shut down for voicing these views, so don’t shut them down.
3. Your home is their safe space. Let boys speak about whatever they want to without criticising and keep communication channels open. 
4. Disagree and distract. Where you disagree, put that viewpoint forward clearly and briefly, then move on to another topic, to avoid them feeling lectured and therefore becoming defensive.
5. Approach with love. Remember your little child is still in there and they need your help and understanding. 

Future Men 

Future Men is a charity is a specialist charity supporting boys and men through education, mentoring, and health services that promote positive masculinity, emotional wellbeing, and healthier life choices to prevent social exclusion and build a better future

In a statement they released on LinkedIn about the documentary, they said: 

Most boys are not seeking dominance or conflict; they are seeking connection, purpose, respect and safe spaces to express themselves. When those needs are unmet, harmful online communities fill the gap.

The quote emphasises the documentary themes and highlights how many young men and boys are being brought into these communities. To read the full statement go here. 

The Man Cave 

In an exclusive comment to Smiley News, The Man Cave said:

Inside the Manosphere shines a light on something many adults are only just beginning to understand, that a growing number of teenage boys are turning to online spaces for guidance, identity and belonging.

At The Man Cave, we've worked with over 100k teenage boys in schools and communities across Australia, delivering preventative mental health programs that help them build emotional awareness, healthy relationships and a strong sense of self. We see firsthand that boys aren’t necessarily looking for harmful content, they’re looking for answers. Answers about confidence, relationships, purpose and what it means to be a man.

The challenge is that these needs are often being met by voices that start with motivation but can quickly drift into manipulation, blame and division.

We don’t need to give more airtime to harmful influencers, but this documentary plays an important role in starting the conversation. The real opportunity now is what comes next.

Positive role models matter, and boys are lacking them. One in five teenage boys say they don't have a positive role model in their lives. Boys need men of character in their lives who are respected, capable and care about those around them.

The mental health charity for teen boys suggested that audiences should: 

• Stay curious, not confrontational: If a young person is engaging with this content, shutting it down can push them further in. Ask questions, understand what they’re getting from it, and keep the door open.
• Offer alternatives, not just criticism: It’s not enough to say “this is harmful.” We need to actively point boys toward healthier role models, communities and conversations.
• Create spaces offline: The more connected boys feel in their real lives, with mentors, mates and community, the less appealing these online echo chambers will be.

Charity check-in

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article. 

White Ribbon UK. This UK-based charity engages boys and men in ending violence against women and girls. Through educational programmes, campaigns and community initiatives, it promotes healthy relationships, positive masculinity and safe spaces for young men to explore identity. Learn more here.

Future Men. This specialist charity supports boys and men through mentoring, education and health services. It encourages emotional wellbeing, positive masculinity and healthy life choices to prevent social exclusion and help young men build fulfilling futures.. Discover their work here.

The Man Cave. Operating across Australia, this mental health charity delivers school and community-based programmes for teenage boys. Its initiatives focus on emotional awareness, resilience, healthy relationships and providing positive male role models to support boys’ development. Find out more here.

This positive news article aligns with the UN SDG Quality Education, Gender Equality.