10 Wild Misconceptions About Women That Still Exist In The Internet Age

Incels (involuntary celibate) are one of the more hateful misogynistic communities online. Some members have even been involved in real-world violence against women. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only misogynistic online community. Other toxic communities in the broader “manosphere” - a coalition of sites online oriented towards men’s issues - include:

• MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way): Men advocating their separation into a woman-less society;
• The red-pill community: A broader online community that idolizes what it sees as traditional gender roles and masculine ideals. Many men in this community hold misogynistic beliefs about women’s familial responsibilities and roles.
• MRA (Men’s Rights Activists): The men’s rights movement is a broader movement advocating a focus on numerous issues affecting men. Some members of this movement see women as adversaries in solving men’s issues, while others embrace feminism.
• Pick-up artists: This is a community of men who see women primarily as objects of desire and believe that the use of specific algorithms or formulas - collectively called “game” - will help them attract women.

Read on for one professor’s insights into the problem of online misogyny.

Bored Panda reached out to Professor Chuka Nestor Emezue, Ph.D., MPH, MPA, CHES at Rush University for additional insights into the problem of misogynistic hate online. As an expert on children’s, women’s, and family health, Professor Emezue has conducted research into these hateful online communities and potential de-radicalization interventions.

For many of us, it seems like comments like these might be products of ignorance. Professor Emezue explained, however, that it’s not that simple: “I believe that ignorance is not the root cause of the issue at hand. It is too easy to just blame a lack of awareness of what is moral and sensible today. The current global climate surrounding masculinity has created a perfect storm - contributing to this rise in global misogyny. Factors such as unattended mental health problems, hopelessness, progress made by women in various fields, extremist political beliefs that reinforce male dominance, and poverty contribute to this phenomenon.”

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