Online Misogyny Is Rising—And It’s Easy to Miss
Online misogyny is rising—and it’s not always easy to spot. A simple scroll through social media might feel harmless, even entertaining. But listen closely. Behind the trending memes, snarky jokes, and viral reels is a growing undercurrent of something darker. It doesn’t always shout. It doesn’t always look hateful. But it’s there.
From TikTok reels to Reddit threads, from YouTube commentary to Discord servers, online misogyny is spreading—not in outdated rants, but in language that feels current, catchy, and convincing. Disguised as “real talk,” “based opinions,” or even comedy, it slips into our feeds, our conversations, and eventually our minds.
And the most unsettling part? Many of those absorbing it don’t even realize it’s happening. Studies show that harmful gender narratives online are rapidly influencing youth behavior (BBC).
The New Shape of an Old Sin
This isn’t the same old misogyny people once openly preached. It’s been repackaged. Rebranded. Made digestible for digital natives. Today’s version doesn’t always scream hate. It whispers it in sarcastic jokes. In half-truths wrapped in confidence. In videos that gather millions of views by mocking women and dismissing their experiences.
You’ll hear it in the form of “truth bombs” from influencers who say women are manipulative, or inherently less logical, or untrustworthy. You’ll see it in the comment sections where boys defend harmful content as “just jokes,” while girls are left feeling invisible or insulted.
What we’re witnessing is a cultural revival—an intentional reworking of harmful gender narratives for a generation raised online. And it’s reaching boys early. Some hear it in school. Others see it first on YouTube Shorts. Others find it shared in group chats where echo chambers thrive.
Why It’s Spreading So Fast
So why is this resurgence of online misogyny catching fire now? There are many reasons—but one of the most powerful is pain.
A lot of boys today feel lost. They’re growing up in a world that often doesn’t know how to talk to them about vulnerability, rejection, or identity. And when young people feel unseen or unvalued, they don’t always search for healing—they search for certainty. Online, certainty is easy to find. It sounds bold. It feels strong. It blames someone else. It gives shape to frustration.
For some boys, it’s the first time they’ve felt powerful. That’s what makes it addictive.
But what it doesn’t offer is healing. It doesn’t teach empathy. It doesn’t nurture relationships. It doesn’t lead to maturity. Instead, it teaches superiority, defensiveness, and detachment—and those things ripple into adulthood.
What’s at Stake
It’s easy to dismiss all of this as “just the internet,” but that underestimates the power of digital formation. When boys hear the same messages repeated—whether through humor, debate, or commentary—they begin to internalize them. And those ideas don’t stay online.
They show up in how they talk to their friends. In how they treat their sisters. In how they approach relationships, leadership, intimacy, and responsibility. If we don’t address what’s forming our young men now, we’ll feel it later—in homes, churches, boardrooms, and communities.
And while some of this content may seem “harmless” on the surface, the outcome is not. Silence, sarcasm, dismissal—these all become seeds that can grow into something more dangerous. What begins as passive absorption becomes active belief. And that belief shapes action.
Where Is the Church in online misogyny?
This is where faith communities must speak—not with condemnation, but with clarity. Because Jesus didn’t avoid hard conversations. And He certainly didn’t avoid women.
When we look at Jesus’ life, we see someone who broke through cultural barriers to uplift women. He defended the woman caught in adultery. He honored the faith of the bleeding woman. He sat with the Samaritan woman at the well. He entrusted Mary Magdalene with the first resurrection message.
Jesus didn’t speak over women. He spoke with them. He didn’t dismiss them. He saw them.
And if we claim to follow Him, our posture should reflect that same courage and tenderness.
Yet in many modern churches, there is a deafening silence around the topic of online misogyny. Sermons avoid it. Youth discussions skate around it. Parents often feel ill-equipped to address it. And so the messaging of the digital world fills the vacuum.
We Are All Forming Someone
Whether you’re a parent, a pastor, a teacher, or a friend—you are forming someone. Every comment. Every silence. Every endorsement. Every laugh at a joke that degrades. It all shapes someone else’s perception of what’s okay.
We cannot afford to stay passive.
This isn’t about canceling anyone. It’s about calling something out before it takes deeper root. It’s about providing something better. Something healthier. Something whole.
Boys Deserve Better, Too
We often think the solution to misogyny is just to tell boys to “respect women.” But respect isn’t learned through commands. It’s learned through relationship.
Boys need to hear that being strong doesn’t mean being silent. That being a man doesn’t require suppressing emotions or dominating others. That masculinity, when rooted in love, can be powerful and nurturing.
They need safe spaces to talk about what they’re afraid of—without being mocked or misled. They need men who model emotional integrity, who speak up when something isn’t right, and who know that gentleness is not weakness.
For the Men Reading This
You’re not the problem. But you might be part of the solution.
Ask yourself:
Who are the voices influencing you?
How do you speak about the women in your life?
Are you challenging toxic language in your circles—or staying quiet?
You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be aware.
You have influence, whether you know it or not. And in a world that celebrates volume, your quiet example might speak louder than you think.
For the Women Reading This
You are not overreacting. You are not imagining it. You are not “too sensitive.”
What you’re feeling is real. And it matters.
You deserve to be seen. You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be spoken to with dignity, not sarcasm. You are not a burden. You are not an object. You are not here to fit into someone else’s script.
You were created in the image of God—with strength, beauty, wisdom, and worth. And your presence in this world is not optional. It’s essential.
What We Can Do—Together with online misogyny
We need to start talking about this. At home. In churches. In schools. Online.
We need to model better language. To speak truth with compassion. To stop excusing behavior because “it’s just how boys are.” That’s not just wrong—it’s lazy.
We need to show our daughters they are valuable and our sons that strength and softness can coexist. We need to teach both that respect isn’t about rules—it’s about recognizing God’s image in one another.
We need to teach them that online influence isn’t always wisdom. That viral doesn’t equal virtuous. That being funny doesn’t make something right. That the voices they let in will shape who they become.
Real Faith Doesn’t Stay Silent
In the face of digital toxicity, real faith must do what Jesus did. It must enter the uncomfortable space. It must protect. It must lift. It must love with action.
Because the Church shouldn’t just be known for what it’s against—it should be known for how it heals. And healing requires words. It requires presence. It requires noticing what others want to ignore.
A Final Word
Online misogyny isn’t going away overnight. But silence isn’t neutral—it’s permission. And our silence is forming someone.
We’re called to more. Let your life be one that speaks. Let your comments build. Let your posts reflect a better story. Let your presence online and offline show the love that sees, uplifts, and honors.
For more on clarity and presence in a chaotic world, read Why Your First Scroll Might Be Ruining Your Day.
