Chanel Contos warns of social media radicalization of teenage boys

Chanel Contos, founder of the advocacy organization Teach Us Consent, is set to address the National Press Club regarding the radicalization of young men through social media. Contos alleges that big tech companies are facilitating the spread of content that promotes controlling and violent sexual acts via the ‘manosphere’.

Research from Teach Us Consent suggests that boys aged 16 to 18 are often served misogynistic content within 25 minutes of joining social media platforms, even when settings are adjusted to exclude such material. This content often begins in wellness or motivational spaces before promoting dominance over women as a measure of male worth.

Contos noted that men who subscribe to these ideologies face significant mental health and behavioral risks, including being eight times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and 17 times more likely to have hit a partner. The warnings come amid findings from the 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study, which indicated that Australian teenage boys in this age bracket are committing sexual assault against children at higher rates than adults.