Mayor of London warns of ‘lost generation of young men’ as he takes on the manosphere

• In a landmark speech in central London, Sadiq will warn that that the growing influence of the manosphere risks “a lost generation of young men” — and calls on every part of society to act
• The Mayor will demand tech firms “explain how misogyny spreads like wildfire on their platforms” and publicly set out how they will reform the algorithms feeding hate to children’s feeds, citing UCL research* showing that — five days after setting up new social media accounts resembling vulnerable teenage boys — more than half the videos served to them were misogynistic.
• Sadiq will back restrictions on social media access for under-16s and make it clear that until platforms are safe for kids, a ban is the only way to stem the harms happening right now. He will also call on Ofcom to take a far tougher approach to enforcing the Online Safety Act, warning companies that “the era of impunity is over.”
• A new £1 million package through the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit will support thousands of vulnerable boys in schools and pupil referral units, fund a new programme for fathers, and put footballing mentors into communities across the capital.
• Sadiq will also launch his new public awareness campaign, delivered with charity Beyond Equality and creative agency Ogilvy, urging young men to “ignore the noise and trust their own voice,” alongside the N.O.I.S.E. guide — five simple questions to help boys spot harmful manosphere content.
• A new conversation guide for parents, teachers and trusted adults will also be available from the GLA today, giving them practical prompts for talking to boys about what they’re seeing online.
• New polling commissioned by the Mayor finds only 15% of Londoners think young men and boys have enough positive role models — and that Londoners are nearly nine times more likely to say social media is harmful (52%) than good (6%) for young people under 18.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today call on tech firms, Government, regulators and every part of society to take on the manosphere — warning that the growing influence of the manosphere risks “a lost generation of young men.”

In a landmark speech in central London, Sadiq will demand platforms account for the algorithms feeding hate to young men’s feeds, back a ban for under 16s accessing social media and support tougher enforcement of the Online Safety Act. The Mayor will also unveil a new £1million package of measures to support boys and young men across the capital.

Describing manosphere influencers as “snake oil salesmen who take advantage of young men’s ambition to peddle pound shop misogyny,” Sadiq will argue that platforms aren’t just failing to stop the spread of hate — they are actively rewarding it.

Pointing to evidence showing that manosphere content normalises violence and feeds a drift towards extremism, as well as leaving the young men who watch it feeling more worthless, nervous, and depressed, the Mayor will say that "This kind of content can be catastrophic for the young men who consume it, but its consequences for the women in their lives are terrifying, too."

“These manosphere voices aren’t just allowed to pump out poison,” he will say. “They’re rewarded for it by a system that’s rigged in their favour.”

Sadiq will include himself in a wider call to fellow leaders who share his commitment to social justice, warning that they have ceded ground on masculinity to the manosphere. 

“Toxic masculinity’ is all too real,” he will say. “But I worry that, in our embrace of this type of language, we have too often alienated young men rather than engaging them — leaving them looking for validation elsewhere.

“In our failure to imagine that it could be anything other than toxic, we’ve allowed the conversation around masculinity to become a monopoly market."

Turning to platforms, the Mayor will say that taking down individual posts treats the symptom not the disease — the algorithms themselves are the problem.

“It’s time for companies to explain how misogyny spreads like wildfire on their platforms — and publicly set out how they’ll adjust their algorithms to stop it,” he will say. “If they refuse to act, then the state must step up.”

Calling on Ofcom to enforce the Online Safety Act far more aggressively, Sadiq will say:

“It’s time to show companies that the era of impunity is over. If they cannot protect people on their platforms, they must face the consequences.”

The Mayor will also urge the Government to make Ofcom’s guidance on violence against women and girls mandatory, and back a ban on social media access for under-16s.

“From food to pharmaceuticals, almost every company has to prove that its products are safe before they’re sold,” he will say. “I see no reason why social media firms shouldn’t do the same.

“Until they can prove that their platforms are safe for kids, a ban is the only way to stem the harms we know are happening right now.”

Sadiq will warn that a ban alone is not a panacea.

“The outrage economy is failing all of us — men and boys, women and girls,” he will say.

“Rather than just restricting access to social media, we must reimagine it. Londoners deserve platforms which prioritise people, not just profit, where connection does not carry such a heavy cost."

Addressing the engineers, founders and investors in the room directly, Sadiq will say: “If you believe in a better online world for everyone, then come to the capital — and let’s build it together.”

Polling commissioned by the Mayor underlines the scale of the problem. Londoners are nearly nine times more likely to say social media is harmful (55%) than good (6%) for young people under 18. Just 17% think young men and boys have access to enough positive role models. Over half (55%) of men say they face a lot or a fair amount of pressure to meet societal expectations of “being a man” — rising to 71% among men aged 18 to 24 and 73% among parents. It is that pressure, Sadiq will argue, that the manosphere exploits.

Closing his speech, Sadiq will say: “The deafening silence of the rest of society has allowed manosphere influencers to dominate the discussion. In the process, masculinity has become a lost language. If we’re going to relearn it, tech companies and the government have got to take the megaphones away from online misogynists. But the rest of us have got to start talking, too. And I’m proud to say that, here in London, we’re leading the way.”

Supporting young men at home, at school, and in the community

The Mayor will announce a new £1 million package of measures through his Violence Reduction Unit to support young men and boys across the capital:

At home: Expert-led training for fathers to tackle manosphere ideology by boosting their influence as positive male role models.

At school: Targeted sessions for thousands of vulnerable boys in secondary schools and pupil referral units, focused on masculinity, resilience, relationships and identity.

In the community: A new network of footballing mentors, delivered through the VRU’s partnership with London football clubs and using sport to engage young men and build positive role models.

This builds on the work of England’s first Violence Reduction Unit, which Sadiq established seven years ago and has contributed to a 50% reduction in hospital admissions of young people for knife assault, alongside his new £30 million investment in late-night youth clubs in every London borough.

A new campaign — and new tools for parents

Sadiq will also launch his new public awareness campaign, delivered with charity Beyond Equality and pro bono creative support from Ogilvy.

“Ignore the noise, trust your own voice” invites popular TikTok streamers to “Build a Man” — creating characters live online to spark conversations about positive masculinity.
Early livestreams with @Tigzy_UK, @KieranHDarby and @KingJaeLDN have already reached more than 20,000 young men.

At the heart of the campaign is the new N.O.I.S.E. guide — five simple questions to help boys spot harmful manosphere content:

N — Is it Negative?

O — Is it Oppositional?

I — Does it make you feel Insecure?

S — Is it Simplistic?

E — Who is Earning from it?

 Alongside it launches a new conversation guide for parents, teachers and trusted adults, giving the grown-ups in young men’s lives the language and confidence to talk to boys about what they’re seeing online. Both resources are available from today via the GLA and partner networks.

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Growing up in today’s society, there is no distinction for young people between their lives online or offline, they are interchangeable.

“The online world and social media brings connection and opportunity for young people, but it’s clear there are some who profit from peddling a false narrative about masculinity and prey on those looking for support, guidance and a sense of belonging.

“That’s why we’re delivering a package of interventions at key moments, through school, through families and through positive male role models in the community. They will work to tackle the issues facing our young people and promote a positive sense of masculinity.”

Daniel Guinness, Managing Director at Beyond Equality, said: “The internet can be an important source of learning and connection for young people, including boys and young men. They explore the world, are inspired and build connections and a sense of self through online spaces. However, online life is not without risks. This project is about empowering them with the tools to recognise which voices they can trust and which might be causing them harm. And giving parents and trusted adults the insights to support them.”

Henry, Father, South East London, said: “As a dad, you’re always thinking about the world your child is growing up in, including what they’ll see online. It’s worrying how easily boys can be pulled into content that plays on their insecurities and pushes a narrow idea of what it means to be a man. The campaign and conversation tool gives parents like me the confidence to start these conversations early, in an open and supportive way so I can help my son make sense of what he sees online and grow up knowing there’s more than one way to be a man.”

Yusuf Shobair, 17, from the London Borough of Redbridge, youth advocate, said: "Too often, conversations about young men focus on what they are doing wrong rather than what they need to thrive. Most young men are not looking for division or conflict. They are looking for purpose, belonging and guidance. If good men do not show up in young men's lives, harmful voices online will. Campaigns like this matter because they help young men think for themselves, challenge harmful messages online and understand that there is no single way to be a man. We need to invest in young men not just when problems emerge, but long before they do."

London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said:  “Women and girls are increasingly becoming victims of the real-world harms caused by online misogyny. Campaigns like these, which aim to change the trajectory of young men and boys’ lives before harm is done, are vital in preventing the proliferation of dangerous attitudes and helping to build safer communities both offline and online. Tech platforms must take accountability for the harms amplified by their algorithms, with Ofcom's guidance on women and girls strengthened to a legally enforceable code of practice.”

Charlie Coney, Creative & Strategy Officer, Ogilvy PRSI, UK & EMEA, said: “Our ongoing partnership with the Mayor of London and GLA is rooted in a shared mission to shift societal behaviours and tackle the root causes of misogyny. With the digital world of the manosphere as our battlefield, we brought together creative, behavioural science, PR, social and influence to create a behavioural unlock. We built an interactive gaming platform to spark authentic, peer-led dialogue where it matters most. It’s about meeting young men on their own turf, in their own language, to help them drown out the online noise and redefine masculinity on their own terms.”

Sarah Sternberg, Director of Global Reimagining Masculinities Initiative (Movember), said: "Young men go online for all sorts of reasons - motivation, inspiration and entertainment. But the latest Wave of our Young Men and Media Collective study saw a huge proportion of young being exposed to harmful content online; much of which perpetuates unhealthy ideals of 'how to be a man'.

The solution isn’t to shame young men for being online. We need to be shaping an online world that is safe for young men. We need to increase exposure to healthy content - we know there is a lot of good content out there from creators telling different stories of 'how to be a man', and we need to help young men find them."

Content Creator Kieran Holmes-Darby (@KieranHDarby), said: "I see a lot of troubling masculinity content online that preys on young men’s insecurities and weaponises hope to sell programmes that don’t actually benefit those buying into them. I come from a world of reality TV where there are lots of examples of men behaving badly as it creates good TV so I am trying to speak up and combat toxic masculinity with a more progressive view on what it is to be a man."