Over the weekend I decided to commit and watch Louis Theroux’s latest documentary, Inside the Manosphere. As an avid Theroux fangirl, I was intrigued to see how the documentary would play out and what is fast becoming the most divisive of topics. We’ll skip past the swearing at my TV screen and general feelings of anger, frustration, and fear and get to the point.

Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere exposes a world of influencers, algorithms and audiences locked in a cycle of attention seeking – one that feels extreme and scary. He showed us exactly what happens when social media does what it was designed for, both the power and danger of it all.

It’s no secret that social media has rapidly evolved over the last decade, with the rise of Ai and spreading of misinformation becoming an increasingly worrying problem. When I think back to my first Instagram account, it feels like a distant, almost unrecognisable land – where people would post pictures of the school bus, their newest pencil case, or hanging out at the skate park way past your bedtime. Just teenagers posting harmless content and having a laugh.

Nowadays, social media has given brands more power than ever before. The instant reach, direct access to audiences and the ability to perpetuate narratives (true or false) now shapes conversations in real time.

Putting it bluntly – social media has polarised influence, and this is precisely what makes it so effective.

Theroux’s documentary reveals the uncomfortable truth behind this power. The influencers he meets (who we won’t even mention because who wants to give them more screentime, not me) have built their following through rage-baiting, controversy and extreme stances. And the most worrying part? This is exactly what the algorithms reward.

From “alpha-male” ideologies to the hyper-performative lifestyles and blatant misogyny, the content Theroux explores isn’t just being shared across social media platforms. No, worse. It is being engineered to provoke reactions, outrage, and ultimately to maximise engagement and reach.

What can we learn from this?

Well, social media doesn’t reward truth, it rewards reaction.

But the danger isn’t just what happens online, it’s also what happens because of it. The documentary showcases how these ideas can influence real-life attitudes and views, particularly among young men. With some experts warning that “no child is immune” to these online narratives, it really does show that the real risk isn’t just the misinformation but additionally the normalisation of it all.

So, what does this mean for brands?

The uncomfortable truth is that really, brands like to think they’re separate from this but they’re not. We are all operating in the same space (you know, the one where content is rewarded for performance and not accuracy or integrity). There is a dangerous line being crossed – that being visibility vs credibility, and the fix isn’t a straightforward one.

*Audible sigh

In a system that is built for engagement, it is easy to prioritise what works now over what lasts. All the trend chasing and reactive content can deliver those quick wins, but ultimately, they rarely build trust or long-term value. Attention seems to be easier to get than ever, but harder to deserve.

It’s not like everyone is living under a giant rock though, and thankfully there seems to be a majority of people who are a lot more aware of how content is shaped, manipulated and used.

The answer then isn’t to step away from social media, but to use it more thoughtfully. Theroux’s documentary points to the need for more awareness and ACTUAL critical thinking, pointing at the dangers among those younger audiences who are most likely to be exposed to these narratives.

For brands, this means creating content with clear intentions, prioritising both creativity and credibility, avoiding performance trends (especially those ones that do not align with brand values), and focusing on building trust over time. Just because the algorithm gives you a gold star for something doesn’t mean your brand should.

To summarise, I think the scariest thing about Inside the Manosphere is that it highlights that social media isn’t broken, but in fact is working exactly as intended. The documentary doesn’t just expose a subculture; it exposes the mechanics behind the entire vast social media landscape.

The brands that succeed today and will survive to tomorrow won’t be the ones who exploit that system, they’ll be the ones who understand it and above all, choose a sensitive and sensible way to operate within it.