Online misogynistic rhetoric is a danger
to women
By Josie Martinez, Reporter
While social media continues to grow, the following of misogynistic influencers such as Andrew Tate does as well. Often, media stars like Tate will give misogynistic dating advice, and when their primary audience is young boys that will soak up this advice, the dangerous effects extend far beyond the internet. The promotion of this dangerous ideology has begun to affect women’s lives on a daily basis, making it even more difficult for them to simply exist and feel safe.
Tate’s promise of teaching young boys how to be a ‘true man’ is slowly developing our society into something that is becoming unrecognizable—especially in western societies. Over the years, misogyny has become more prominent in the general public, especially with the new laws restricting women’s rights. This is not to say that we have not come a long way in progression with women’s rights. Despite this progress, women of all ages across social media have shared personal experiences of how men like Andrew Tate have ruined their relationships with their dating advice targeted towards men that they claim is meant to help. Their boyfriends’ attitudes had changed for the worse when they started listening to these media stars, causing their partners to cut the relationship off.
Tate has begun to glamorize the mistreatment of women—physically and mentally—and people are beginning to follow this idea. As mentioned before, women across the internet have expressed how he has affected their romantic relationships with their boyfriends because they believe in the opinions Tate is sharing, as well as familial relationships. In one video, he describes how he would harm a girlfriend if she accused him of cheating. In another, he details he would throw her belongings out of a window for the same accusation. Women across social media have even shared how their brothers, fathers, and more are taking Tate’s advice and becoming increasingly more misogynistic towards them. Tate’s capability to radicalize young men online and cause extreme harm is getting out of control.
Even now after being banned off of almost all social media platforms, the damage is already done. Tate has been banned from Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook, but the videos and ‘advice’ still exist online, and men still have access to his hateful rhetoric. Videos spread around of him have flooded the internet, giving everyone access to it. Tate had taken over the news in the summer, and his videos have begun to take over once more after his recent arrest.
This new wave of cyber-misogyny is coming as feminism becomes more prominent online in recent years. It dictates women’s self-expression, both online and offline. Women are criticized for being themselves—how they dress, how they talk, and their interests among other things. Social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions on things, but men are using it in a way to deflect their insecurities and toxic masculinity in hope that they will be respected. In order to put a stop to this growing behavior, we cannot allow anyone else to take Tate’s place.