There's a vast online universe where men hang out and hate on women. This is the 'Manosphere', a place home to hucksters, spivs, scam artists and some of the worst humans alive.
But it's also a honeytrap for millions of lost boys simply looking for a story about the world that makes sense. You start out looking for fitness tips or how to get a girlfriend. You end up believing climate change is made up and Donald Trump is a hero.
How does this online radicalisation happen? What does it tell us about politics and power in the 21st century, and how we form ideas about the world? And can anything be done to keep young men out of it?
Joining me on this episode is the journalist James Bloodworth. His book, Lost Boys, explores his torrid discoveries in the Manosphere.
See also this brilliant Guardian deep dive into the Manosphere.
Let me know your thoughts on the show - hello@yourbrainonclimate.com.
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Owl noises = references:
- 14:10. More about The Game by Neil Strauss.
- 29:55. 1/4 young men that have heard of Andrew Tate have a positive view of him.
- 46:04. My chat with Kris de Meyer from January 2025.
- 51:00. Richard Reeves's book, Of Boys and Men.
- 55:01. Yougov poll from October 2025: Gen X are the problem.
- 1:07:47. Josh Sargent's piece in the Guardian.
- 1:09:35. episode about Tiktok's algorithm in Cal Newport's 'Deep Questions' podcast.
- 1:09:45. Just some of what the BBC's disinformation correspondent Marianna Spring has been up to.
The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell. You can follow the show on instagram @yourbrainonclimate, and I occasionally put up a Substack.
YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at https://mondial-studio.com/.