I’m A Doctor: Shut Down The ‘Manosphere’ Before It’s Too Late

For the young men of 2026, the internet has become a dangerous soup of misinformation and misogyny repackaged as self-improvement tips peddled by bad actors.

Across all platforms, a growing ecosystem of ‘manosphere’ influencers are promoting harmful and extreme “health” trends to millions of people too young to know the difference between clickbait and genuine advice.

Content in this space normally begins innocently: advice on fitness, dating, and socialising, for instance. However it can quickly spiral into darker themes.

The promotion of unlicensed drugs sold on shady websites, misusing steroids rebranded as ‘biohacking’, starvation diets, and the pernicious “looksmaxxing” trend (where participants have been encouraged to alter their faces using hammers) are all encouraging physical harm in the pursuit of a perfect appearance.

Young men are actively encouraged to partake – and can be either shamed or cast out of the circle if they do not toe the line.

Most of the online personalities promoting such behaviour have no medical qualifications or understanding of the risks involved in what they are encouraging people to do.

They speak, however, as a voice of total authority to vulnerable and insecure audiences who have come to them looking for guidance.

Young men who are struggling with body image, self esteem, and loneliness find themselves particularly susceptible to their promises of quick fixes, instant desirability and success.

The problem is only exacerbated by a social media algorithm which rewards shock and outrage. The more outlandish the content, the more attention it receives, and the more money the creator makes.

Social media has become a dangerous echo chamber in which ludicrous ideas are amplified and go viral long before a qualified professional is able to give their opinion.

Increasingly, the young men snared into this world are following through on the advice they receive online and purchasing medications either by deceiving legitimate providers or from the black market.

By taking drugs such as anabolic steroids or weight loss medication from unlicensed sellers, men are putting themselves at real risk from contaminated batches, incorrect dosing, or the drug simply being something else entirely.

Besides the physical dangers, there are psychological risks as well. Toxic online masculinity culture pushes unattainable body standards and encourages shame, anxiety, and obsessive behaviour.

The body is viewed as a project which needs to be worked upon constantly – and the moment it reaches the desired standard, the goalposts are moved so that more ideas and products can be sold to them.

A coordinated and strong response is urgently needed if we want to keep boys and young men safe.

Schools need to provide better education on how to spot medical disinformation on the internet and to remind people that health information should be coming, first and foremost, from doctors – not influencers.

There must also be tougher action on social media influencers who are found to be spreading this harmful misinformation online.

People should not be allowed to continue to profit from encouraging dangerous behaviour simply because they have worked out that the algorithm rewards scandal.

While the social media ban for under-16s, due to come in next year, will offer some protection from this kind of content; meaningful penalties such as removal from platforms, and thus loss of income, would go some way towards shutting down these dangerous online communities.

The government must also tighten controls on the expanding black market for medications.

It is not acceptable that substances which should only be in the hands of licensed doctors and their legitimate patients are widely available via back door channels and are being taken by those with no medical need.

When vulnerable people are able to access such medication and take it without supervision, they risk coming to real harm.

Dr Zak Zafrani is a GP and Men’s Health Specialist at Numan.