How are our Young Men being affected by Online Messages?
By Rachel Mortimer | Posted: Thursday June 4, 2026
'Looksmaxxing' and 'toxic masculinity' are concepts being thrown around to describe how some online communities are affecting the mental health of young men.
Our family cybersafety hub via Linewize has recently published an article guiding parents around the ideas of toxic masculinity and how it is reaching males of all ages online, pressuring them to be a certain way. The article describes what 'looksmaxxing' is and how parents can notice and respond to their son's behaviours or comments.
You may also be interested in a documentary on Netflix called "Inside the Manosphere". This film documents the growing ultra-masculine community and examines how it is affecting male thoughts and behaviours.