Abstract:

My paper addresses the issue of how social media platforms are contributing to the radicalization of adolescent boys. Highlighting how social media platforms instill misogynistic beliefs and values, amplifies extremist content through algorithmic Eco chambers and encourages influences to promote extremist views to young users. The thesis states that social media platforms facilitate the radicalization of adolescent boys. This rising social issue is becoming more prevalent in society due to the increasing number of young users that are active on social media. In contemporary times there is a constant increase of social media in adolescents’ daily lives. Some key examples of radicalization I have explored through my essay are; Reddit providing a platform that allows the growth of misogynistic communities such as the manosphere. I examined how algorithmic eco chambers reinforce and normalise radical beliefs and how influencers like Andrew Tate exploit their platforms to reach and radicalize young male audiences. I also used examples including the impact of social media on British schoolboys and the use of social media in Nigerian schools, are referenced to illustrate both the dangers and potential benefits of these platforms. Some social media platforms can facilitate connectivity and offer benefits including education; however, it still presents as a major threat towards adolescent boys. Social media continuous to be a platform that exposes adolescent boys to infinite harmful ideologies, which outweighs the positive aspects social media can offer.  Thus, the way in which these platforms operate needs to be altered to protect younger users, by implementing strategies that can minimize exposure to extremist content and prevent the radicalization of vulnerable communities.

Conference paper: How social media platforms radicalise adolescent boys

Social media has become an integral part of daily life for billions of users around the world, particularly among adolescents. While it provides a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and knowledge-sharing, social media also has a negative side that can influence young users in harmful ways. In this essay, I will explore how social media platforms have radicalised adolescent boys. To support my thesis, I will argue how social media platforms are fundamental to instilling misogynistic beliefs and values in adolescents through exposing young users to extremist communities. I will highlight how social media use of algorithmic Eco chambers which have a repetitive nature further amplifies and expands extremist and content to these young audiences. Along with investigating the role of influencers and how social media allows extremists influencers a platform to promote harmful ideologies to young users.  Additionally, to these negative ways in which social media can affect a community, I also will acknowledge the benefits social media can offer to communities, such as its ability to foster communication and connectivity between a wide range of users and its ability to create new opportunities for social interaction (Ahoo  2024).

Users of social media are increasingly becoming younger over time allowing young users the ability to easily access a wide range of information from different places and people (Lajnef, 2023). Social media continues to expand and spread connectivity among users, however this expansion contributes to a significant impact on society. (omar et al, 2024). Social media has endless Information on countless topics from a variety of different perspectives. This information can be based on facts but also often is opinion based. Social media is an avenue which enables information to easily reach a wide range of demographics giving it the ability to alter the behaviours, attitudes and decisions of users specifically those of the younger generations (Lajnef, 2023). Young users are much more susceptible to the information they see, causing adolescent users to be easily contaminated by the unethical information they are exposed to, such as extremists’ ideologies (Sugihartati et al, 2020). With youth increasingly becoming active users of social media, they are targeted by extremist communities and are made vulnerable to these negative aspects of social media (Bahadur, 2021). Young people should not be confronted with such extreme belief-based content, as adolescence themselves are still navigating what their identity is and developing their own beliefs and values. The consumption of Extremist content though social media can significantly the impact the organic formation of young users’ beliefs and values. Reddit is an example of a social media platform that spreads radical content, the Manoshpere is a community on reddit that promotes misogynistic ideologies and pro anti-feminism propaganda (Ribeiro et al, 2021). The Manosphere a once niche community is evolving across the web with 28.8 million posts from 6 forums and 51 subreddits (Ribeiro et al, 2021). Due to connectivity and increasing number of young people on social media, communities such as the Manosphere continuous to grow however with the inclusion of young boys (Sugihartati et al, 2020). The Manoshpere are advocates of extreme misogynistic views, manipulating adolescent boys to be radicalised through their community on Reddit (Over et al, 2025). Users on reddit are very likely to be bombarded with extremist content even if not intentionally wanting to see it. Young male users of social media are easily influenced by misogynistic communities given they are in a developmental stage of life. Misogynistic content has the ability to amplify extremist ideologies, reshaping adolescent’s beliefs and values, completely transforming the way these young boys think and therefore act. The growth of online misogynistic communities like the Manoshpere highlights the severe extent in which online communities that are operating through social media and how it can negatively impact the formation of young males’ beliefs and values.  

Algorithm driven eco chambers expose adolescent boys to radical ideologies which supports my argument. This emphasises how social media is contributing to the radicalisation of adolescence. Eco chambers are defined as a “alarming phenomenon in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication” (Morini, 2021). Algorithms have been created to promote continuous content often in the form of an echo chamber to maximise users’ engagement (Rodgers et al, 2022). Algorithmic Eco chambers are giving extremist groups repetitive access to social media users which can create a sense of normalcy of radical content (Fanucchi, 2023). This is calculated algorithm is occurring across multiple social media platforms, its problematic and harmful disrupting an individual’s experience on social media, altering their beliefs, values and stances towards certain topics (Rodgers et al, 2022). Younger social media audiences are prone to falling into this trap of the algorithm, so when they come across extremist content and engage with it, it triggers the continuous cycle of engagement with online extremist communities. Studies have shown how alignment with a community grows stronger the longer a user engages with an eco-chamber (Fanucchi, 2023).  Social media algorithms are strategically pushing extreme content to young male users due to them being vulnerable (Costello et al, 2023). The Manoshpere a Reddit misogynistic community is just one of many communities that use the algorithm to spread extremist ideologies to adolescent boys consequently causing them to become radicalised. Reddit is the home to over 138 000 communities known as “subreddits” and 52 million daily active users (Proferes et al, 2021). Many of these communities are like the Manosphere, spreading extremist ideologies to potentially thousands if not millions of the 52 million people who are on reddit every day. Algorithms without users knowing it are structuring their lives through strategically formulating what they read and interact with on social media and are enabling extremist echo-chambers to amplify their unethical ideologies to a range of social media users particularly adolescent boys (Martin, 2019).

An Influencer is an online personality who share’s content to a range of demographics through social media platforms often their content will include lifestyle, opinions and critiques (Martin, 2019). Influencers careers are often reliant on user engagement and brand deals to generate revenue, however from a marketing perspective influencers have a useful role in many brands marketing strategies (Martin, 2019).  Influencers have a huge impact on consumer behaviour, attitudes and choices through their ability to connect with their followers (Martin, 2019).  Social media gives influences a platform to control or influence users that are engaging with their content. Influencers are often described as marketing geniuses and opinion leaders (Martin, 2019).  Influencers control over consumer behaviour is especially influential towards adolescent consumers who are more impressionable thus more susceptible to the content in which is being promoted (Martin, 2019).  The role of an influencer can easily be abused as not all influences are promoting content that young audiences should witness. However, these influences profit off engagement giving them an incentive to gain more followers.  There are many influences who use their platform to radicalise their audiences. Influencer Adrew Tate a ‘life coach’ advocates that women belong in the kitchen and owe their male partners service and gratitude (Over et al, 2025). Social media platforms such as Reddit, Tik Tok and YouTube are allowing misogynistic influences like Adrew Tate access to children whose brains are still developing (Over et al, 2025). Research identified that 80% of British schoolboys ages 16 -17 had consumed content Adrew Tate content. (Over et al, 2025) Social media is enabling 80% of 16–17-year-old British boys to be radicalised by giving influences like Andrew Tate a platform. Andrew Tate is only one example of the power influencers have over the adolescent users that are on social media this one example shows how easy it is for extremist’s influence.  With the continuation of misogynists spreading extremists’ content through social media this politically incorrect community will continue to promote their beliefs to new audiences and influence more young impressionable social media users to adopt misogynistic behaviours and ideologies which are harmful to the wider community,

Social media platforms have many negative ways in which it can spread extremist ideologies leading to adolescence being radicalised, alternatively social media can also offer benefits to young social media users. Social interaction is essential to all individuals and has a huge impact on both mental and physical health of an individual, social interaction also influences cognitive development (Ahoo 2024). The advancement of social media has allowed connectivity to flourish and interconnect people from almost anywhere is the world (Ahoo , 2024). This advancement of interconnectedness though social media interaction creates a space where users can interact in innovative ways as a result of social media (Ahoo, 2024). This technology is used by over 5.3 billion people worldwide enhancing the quality of life (Ahoo  2024). Ways in which social media directly benefits quality of life include – form of communication with other social media users, easy access to multiple avenues of entertainment and can be used as a instant search engine for users (Ahoo, 2024). Social media being highly accessible acts as a positive and a negative, being accessible to a range of people of different demographics facilitates connection of organisations, communities and individuals (Ahoo, 2024). Ultimately social media is enhancing social interaction which is essential when done appropriately. An example of social media being used appropriately to benefit users is in secondary schools in Nigeria (Ahoo, 2024). In Nigeria studies have found that the use of social media in secondary schools has improved teachers’ connectivity, socialisation and helps establish virtual relationships (Ahoo, 2024). These benefits also meant that students learning methods can be updated accordingly (Ahoo, 2024). Social media providing connectivity to teachers in Nigeria highlights how social media platforms can create benefits for communities. Yet it is still essential for users to be aware of the negative implications that occur when over consuming of social media, remembering to use in moderation. 

To conclude this essay, I explored how social media platforms have contributed to the radicalisation of adolescent boys, focusing on how social media platforms have implemented misogynistic beliefs and values to susceptible adolescent male users, algorithmic echo chambers facilitating extremist communities’ repetitive access to social media users, and the harmful consequences of misogynistic influencers. Supporting these arguments, I have examined the role of online communities like the Manosphere on Reddit, which spreads extremist ideologies and exploits adolescent vulnerability (Ribeiro, 2021). Highlighted the way in which social media algorithms contribute to the creation of echo chambers, reinforcing radical content constantly and normalising extreme content for young users (Morini, 2021). I also discussed the significant influence of online personalities, such as Andrew Tate, whose misogynistic messages continuously reach young male audiences, exploiting them in their developmental stage and radicalising them (Over, 2025). In addition, I also acknowledged the benefits of social media and how platforms have enhanced connectivity all over the world and that social media platforms provide many new opportunities for social interaction. However, when comparing side by side I feel as though the positives of social media platforms are outweighed by the negative aspects of social media platforms have. Social media doesn’t need to be banned from these young boys but in order for them to use safely, social media platforms need to change their operations significantly. Ultimately, they need to change by putting more time into creating platforms that are safe for younger users specifically young boys, adopting strategies that minimise extreme content and overall stop being an environment that allows and promotes extremist communities to spread their ideologies and radicalise adolescent boys.  

References

Ahoo, Terhile. (2024). Digital Connectivity and Social Interaction among Secondary School Teachers in Nigeria. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH. 9. 27-37. 10.56201/ijssmr.v9.no11.2023.pg27.37.  

Bahadur, K. S. (2021). A Brief Study On Negative Effects of Social Media On Youth. Bayan College International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 1(02). http://www.bayancollegeijmr.com/index.php/ijmr/article/view/42

Costello, N., Sutton, R., Jones, M., Almassian, M., Raffoul, A., Ojumu, O., Salvia, M., Santoso, M., Kavanaugh, J. R., & Austin, S. B. (2023). ALGORITHMS, ADDICTION, AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH: An Interdisciplinary Study to Inform State-level Policy Action to Protect Youth from the Dangers of Social Media. American Journal of Law & Medicine, 49(2-3), 135–172. https://doi.org/10.1017/amj.2023.25

Fanucchi, F. F. (2023). Examining the Role of Echo-Chambers Within Online Incel Communities Using Sentiment Analysis and Group Based Trajectory Modeling (Order No. 30688775). Available from ProQuest One Academic; Social Science Premium Collection. (2886778257). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/examining-role-echo-chambers-within-online-incel/docview/2886778257/se-2

Lajnef, K. (2023). The Effect of Social Media influencers’ on Teenagers Behavior: an Empirical Study Using Cognitive Map Technique. Current Psychology, 42(1), 19364–19377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04273-1

Martin, K. (2019). Ethical Implications and Accountability of Algorithms. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(835-850). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3921-3

Morini, V., Pollacci, L., & Rossetti, G. (2021). Toward a Standard Approach for Echo Chamber Detection: Reddit Case Study. Applied Sciences (2076-3417), 11(12), 5390. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125390

Omar, Amina & Ondimu, Kennedy. (2024). The Impact of Social Media on Society: A Systematic Literature Review. 3. 96-106. 10.9790/1813-130696106. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381800701_The_Impact_of_Social_Media_on_Society_A_Systematic_Literature_Review#fullTextFileContent

Over, H., Bunce, C., Baggaley, J., & Zendle, D. (2025). Understanding the influence of online misogyny in schools from the perspective of teachers. PLOS ONE, 20(2), e0299339. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299339

Proferes, N., Jones, N., Gilbert, S., Fiesler, C., & Zimmer, M. (2021). Studying Reddit: A Systematic Overview of Disciplines, Approaches, Methods, and Ethics. Social Media + Society, 7(2), 205630512110190. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211019004

Ribeiro, M. H., Blackburn, J., Bradlyn, B., Cristofaro, E. D., Stringhini, G., Long, S., Greenberg, S., & Zannettou, S. (2021). The Evolution of the Manosphere across the Web. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 15(15), 196–207. https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/18053/17856

Rodgers, R. F., Wertheim, E. H., Paxton, S. J., Tylka, T. L., & Harriger, J. A. (2022). #Bopo: Enhancing body image through body positive social media- evidence to date and research directions. Body Image, 41, 367–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.008

Sugihartati, R., Suyanto, B., & Sirry, M. (2020). The Shift from Consumers to Prosumers: Susceptibility of Young Adults to Radicalization. Social Sciences, 9(4), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9040040