How The Manosphere Of Alt Right Content Targets Boys

So she suggests parents start conversations with their sons, but not by asking them if they’ve been exposed to harmful content. Instead, she says, “Ask them, ‘What are you seeing that’s weird, or that’s strange?’ Because some of what they’re seeing is so normalized, they don’t associate it as harmful.” She says that, in her experience, boys are much more likely to describe toxic content as weird or strange than as upsetting.

“Then you can ask them, ‘Do you know how to change the algorithm? If that’s content that you don’t want to see, what would you do? Do you know what to do?’ And it might be different on different platforms. Ask, ‘Is it something that you think is worth reporting?'” She also notes that this approach requires parents to really understand how social media works, which can be an obstacle for some but one that parents must overcome.

She also gives some examples of how she talks with her own sons about what they see online. “I have three boys, so I get them to show me the kind of stuff that they’re watching, and then we talk about it. And it doesn’t all have to be bad stuff. I might say, ‘Hey, what are some followers that you like?'” 

She also suggests keeping resources handy so kids know they can also call a hotline like Kids Help Phone or Kids in Crisis in case something comes up that they don’t want to talk about with their parents.