Do Misogynous Media Messages Matter?
Media amplifies misogyny, shaping perceptions in youth and young adults.
Posted May 29, 2026 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
Misogyny in the media is not a new phenomenon. In 2014, in the UK, approximately 131,000 tweets containing words about women, many derogatory, were found on Twitter . These tweets spanned over 26 days. That is more than 5,000 misogynistic messages a day. What is different now from before: The power of Big Tech algorithms spreads extreme content.
Stereotypical, condescending, and degrading portrayals of women can be commonly observed across various media formats, including advertisements, online forums, films, music videos, and video games. Not all such messages are deliberately set out to be misogynistic. In some cases, young men are keen to distance themselves from misogyny. Nevertheless, as they seek to bond with their peers , they may engage in practices that are founded on misogynistic forms of masculinity. For example, they may share sexual photographs, without consent, amongst their peer group.
Others are more explicitly setting out to state their misogynistic views, often influenced by well-known influencers they look up to. There are plenty of well-known characters online classified as being misogynistic influencers, such as Andrew Tate, who openly reject gender equality. Such influencers are favourably or neutrally viewed by as many as 42 percent of 9- to 16-year-olds. Before Andrew Tate’s TikTok account was taken down, he had a staggering 11.6 billion views, clearly showing a great interest in what he had to say.
Rather shockingly, it is not just younger people, as a survey by Internet Matters found that over half of younger dads have a positive impression of Andrew Tate, too.
Why should people care?
In a meta-analysis that was published earlier this year, misogynistic media content generates belittling attitudes and behaviours towards women. The research looked at 257 studies spanning 47 years. Interestingly, both men and women were affected by exposure to misogynistic media content. Men were overall more influenced by the messages than women.
Types of misogynous content were also found to affect women and men differently. For example, violent content against women made men hostile but did not sway women. However, if exposed to pornographic materials that humiliate women, both genders were equally affected, as it generated hostile responses.
Age was found to be relevant for adopting negative attitudes towards women. Adolescents were particularly vulnerable, closely followed by those in early adulthood, whilst those in mid- to late-adulthood were likely to be less influenced.
The meta-analysis shows that misogynistic media content can maintain and enable perceptions that lead to women having a lower status in society.
Many people are influenced by misogynistic messages, and recent reports suggest that as many as 73 percent of Gen Z social media users have seen misogynistic content online, and many report weekly exposure; the influence may be widespread.
Frequent, continuous misogynistic messages are likely to lead to further and new levels of serious discrimination against women that may appear in all walks of life, including jury decision-making , wage disparities, and personal safety. However, it is also likely to affect women’s self-esteem and perception of personal abilities as they internalise societal messages.
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Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Ph.D., is a Consumer Psychologist based at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.