Toxic ‘bro’ culture driving Gen Z women from social media, survey suggests
21 March 2025, 00:04
More than a third of young people polled by Amnesty International UK said misogynistic content on social media has affected their mental health.
Six in 10 young people think the words and actions of political leaders including US President Donald Trump have led to more misogynistic and divisive language online, according to polling.
Amnesty International UK said a “toxic ‘bro’ culture is driving many young women away from social media altogether”, as it published findings from its recent survey.
Its polling of more than 3,000 members of Gen Z – those aged 16 to 25 – in the UK last month saw controversial influencer Andrew Tate cited by half of the male respondents as most responsible for the spread of misogyny.
Among women, 58% attributed responsibility to Mr Trump.
Overall 61% of Gen Z respondents said they feel misogynistic and divisive language on social media has grown because of statements or actions by political leaders.
Asked which high-profile social media users bore responsibility for the spread of online misogyny, more than half (54%) of respondents said Tate, 48% cited Mr Trump, just over a third (35%) said tech billionaire Elon Musk – who is unelected but plays a key role in Mr Trump’s administration – and 23% said Reform UK MP Nigel Farage.
More than a third (37%) of all respondents said seeing misogynistic content on social media has affected their mental health – with women more likely than men to say this was the case (44% compared with 28%).
A fifth of Gen Z women reported having left or avoided certain platforms after experiencing online misogynistic behaviour – with 40% of those mentioning X (formerly Twitter), 30% TikTok and 30% Instagram.
The findings come in the same week as former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate said “callous, manipulative and toxic influencers” trick young men into thinking women are against them.
Delivering the 46th Richard Dimbleby Lecture at the University of London, Sir Gareth warned of young men “withdrawing into the online world, reluctant to talk or express their emotions” as “real-world communities and mentorship declines”.
He said a “void” in their search for direction is often now being filled by some influencers who “willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance”.
The Amnesty polling found young men were less likely than women to think online misogyny reflects real societal attitudes (51% of men compared with 71% of women).
Chiara Capraro, from Amnesty International UK, said: “This polling paints a deeply troubling picture of the digital world young people are forced to navigate.
“Tech companies continue to prioritise profit over people’s safety and the result is a barrage of misogynistic content which deeply affects young people’s online experience. A toxic ‘bro’ culture is driving many young women away from social media altogether.”
She said tech companies must “step up and take responsibility for the safety of their users”, arguing that “online misogyny does real world harm”.
Meanwhile, the founding president of a US think tank focused on male wellbeing has said he is working towards setting up a similar organisation in the UK.
Richard Reeves, from the American Institute for Boys and Men, is an ex-director of strategy to former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.
Mr Reeves told the Today podcast he is “working towards a similar institution in the UK”.
The organisation “conducts non-partisan research on issues that affect the wellbeing of boys and men” in the US “and designs programs and policies to help them thrive” according to its website.
:: A total of 3,024 UK respondents aged 16 to 25 were surveyed by Savanta on behalf of Amnesty International between February 13 and February 19 2025.
