Paul Murphy: Big Tech, Manfluencers and Rising Misogyny
Paul Murphy addresses how the online manosphere and social media algorithms are normalising misogyny and harming young men and women. He criticises big tech, wealthy profiteers and the government's refusal to act, and calls for respect for survivors at Bessborough.
Key claims: Paul Murphy argues that manfluencers monetise extremism to maximise clicks, pushing young men toward toxic behaviours and financial harm. He points to recent coverage, including Louis Theroux's expose, and warns that the prevailing profit motive rewards the most extreme and hateful content.
Policy failure: Murphy says the government has refused to turn off the algorithms that normalise misogyny and ignored expert advice. He recalls that the AI committee and others were not heeded when a bill was proposed to address these online harms.
Human cost and immediate ask: Murphy highlights research from Women's Aid showing widespread sexist beliefs among young men and stresses that women and girls pay the highest price. He urges the minister to support survivors of mother and baby homes by opposing construction over the mass grave at Bessborough and notes protesters will be outside the Dáil shortly.
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Over the last week, I think a lot of people have been watching Louis Theroux's expose of the online manosphere, where manfluencers peddle misogyny, racism, homophobia and transphobia, which is then force-fed to young men via toxic social media algorithms. Like the big tech companies, the depraved billionaires who profit from these toxic algorithms, the only value system that the manfluencers have is money. Maximising engagement and clicks by making the most extreme content they can think of and then monetising the attention of young men and boys by flogging them club memberships, cryptocurrency and other sorts of snake oil. Young men and boys who buy what big tech and the manosphere are selling pay the price financially and emotionally. Anyone who takes Andrew Tait's advice on relationships is likely to end up as an incel or an abuser. The highest price of course is paid by women and girls, not just those unfortunate enough to end up in a relationship with these damaged men or to be assaulted by them, but every woman and girl who is now living in a climate of misogyny that is getting worse by the day. Research by Women's Aid has found that two-thirds of young men hold or don't disagree with traditionalist sexist beliefs like a man's worth is measured by power and control over others and real men shouldn't have to care about women's opinions or feelings. I'm sure Donald Trump and Elon Musk would agree. Does the government agree? I presume it would say no but they act as if they do because they've refused to turn off the toxic social media algorithms that are normalising misogyny and hate. They didn't listen to the experts, they didn't listen to the AI committee when they voted down our bill to do precisely that. I also want to call on the minister to show some respect for women and girls by supporting the call of survivors of mother and baby homes not to build over a mass grave at Bessborough. They'll be outside the Dáil protesting very shortly.
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