Digital Influence and Workplace Culture - The Manosphere Effect

By Natalie Lewis, Training Consultant and Curriculum Lead for Leadership and Training, Explosive Learning Solutions

The UK tech sector is one of the most innovative in the world. Yet innovation depends on people and people are shaped by the digital ecosystems they inhabit. Among these ecosystems, the “manosphere” has emerged as a particularly influential and often misunderstood force. These online communities and influencers circulate narratives about hierarchy, dominance, gender, and identity, sometimes framing masculinity and leadership in ways that are harmful to both men and women. For tech leaders, understanding the manosphere is not a political issue; it is a workplace culture, wellbeing, recruitment, and retention issue.

Tech professionals spend more time online than almost any other workforce. They code, research, collaborate, learn, and socialise in the same spaces where manosphere content circulates. Algorithms often amplify emotionally charged content, high-certainty messaging, and grievance-based narratives. Over time, ideas like emotional suppression, toughness as competence, and scepticism of inclusion can influence how people communicate and behave in teams. These digital patterns can spill over into workplace interactions, shaping everything from meeting dynamics to mentorship and career progression.

In highly online, male-dominated environments, these influences are particularly pronounced. Managers increasingly report:

Resistance to inclusive language and diversity initiatives.
Dismissive responses to DEI discussions.
Behaviour framed as “meritocracy” used to silence equity concerns.
Overconfidence or defensiveness masked as “logic.”

Although these behaviours are not always intentional, they emerge predictably where online narratives intersect with traditional workplace norms. Over time, this creates a culture where some voices are amplified while others are minimised, undermining collaboration, trust, and innovation.

Gender Imbalance and the Tech Workplace

The underrepresentation of women in tech amplifies the impact of these digital narratives. According to BCS data (2024), women make up just 21% of IT specialists and 19% of tech leadership roles. In such environments, exclusionary or misogynistic attitudes can become normalised because behaviours that might be isolated in balanced workplaces are instead reinforced.

Women in tech often experience:

Frequent interruptions and dismissal of ideas
Greater difficulty gaining credibility for contributions
Assertiveness being mislabelled as “abrasive”
Subtle pressure to conform to “boys’ club” norms

These experiences shape career progression, influence retention, and contribute to a culture that discourages women from applying for senior roles or leading complex projects.

Manosphere narratives also intersect with broader societal risks. Research and campaigns, including the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, highlight how misogynistic attitudes online are linked to harassment, coercion, and real-world abuse. Digital content that normalises aggression, entitlement, or gendered hierarchy can influence perceptions long before any direct harm occurs. In tech, subtle exclusionary behaviours can make women more vulnerable both within the workplace and in society.

Risks to Men: Mental Health and Restrictive Emotionality

Men are also at risk. Restrictive emotionality- the belief that showing stress, vulnerability, or emotion is a weakness is reinforced both online and in workplaces where logic and performance are prized over empathy. Men may:

Avoid asking for help
Suppress stress, internalising burnout
Mask vulnerability with frustration or anger

In high-pressure roles, these behaviours contribute to burnout and mental health challenges. Stigma around male vulnerability often prevents men from speaking up, leaving managers unaware until problems affect performance or wellbeing.

Why Awareness Matters

Leadership today is not just about technical expertise; it requires awareness of online influence, cognitive bias, and gendered dynamics. Managers who understand these forces are better equipped to foster psychologically safe environments where all team members feel respected, heard, and empowered.

Training equips managers to:

Recognise harmful online narratives and their influence on behaviour
Facilitate respectful and inclusive discussions
Challenge dismissive language or exclusionary humour
Support equitable participation in meetings and decision-making
Identify early signs of stress or restrictive emotionality, particularly in men
Promote women’s visibility, confidence, and career progression

Proper training allows managers to intervene early, prevent harmful patterns from taking root, and protect mental health, performance, and retention. It also benefits men by clarifying expectations, highlighting invisible micro-behaviours that can harm colleagues, and providing tools to navigate grievance-based narratives.

Organisational Responsibility

Tech workplaces are uniquely exposed to online influences. Employees are immersed in spaces where harmful narratives spread rapidly, and informal internal communication channels can normalise dismissive or hostile behaviours. Organisations as a whole must recognise that ignoring these dynamics increases risks of harassment, exclusion, and off-duty harm, all of which carry safeguarding and reputational implications.

Leadership visibility, representation, and proactive intervention are critical. Lack of women in senior roles reinforces gender hierarchies, weakens challenge to harmful norms, and signals tolerance of exclusion. Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations and leaders may face liability if harassment or hostile environments are enabled or insufficiently challenged. Training strengthens the need for proactive changes needed to protect both leaders and their organisations while safeguarding women and girls.

Benefits Beyond Compliance

While safeguarding and legal compliance are crucial, the benefits of awareness training extend further. Managers who understand the manosphere effect can:

Improve collaboration in distributed or hybrid teams
Reduce conflict and prevent escalation of micro-behaviours
Retain and recruit women and underrepresented groups
Support men struggling silently and challenge restrictive masculinity norms
Build resilient, psychologically safe, and innovative cultures

Summary

UK tech innovation depends on people. Yet digital ecosystems like the manosphere shape behaviours, amplify exclusion, and impact mental health. Men face risks of burnout and stress due to restrictive emotional norms, while women encounter subtle and deliberate barriers and behaviours that can affect career progression and increase societal risk, including harassment and abuse.

Training managers is essential. Awareness equips leaders to recognise harmful narratives, foster inclusive and psychologically safe teams, support wellbeing, and protect staff while improving performance, recruitment and retention. Understanding the manosphere effect is not about blame; it is about equipping managers to lead effectively in a digital world. Leaders who can navigate digital narratives thoughtfully are positioned to retain talent, protect teams, and build workplaces where collaboration and innovation thrive. For tech leaders, understanding how these digital narratives spill into hybrid teams isn’t political, it’s essential for psychological safety, performance and talent retention. In a sector defined by digital transformation, humancentred leadership is now a core competitive advantage.

References

BCS. (2024). BCS diversity report 2024 – Addressing the under-representation of women in technology. Retrieved from BCS
Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The Fearless Organization. Wiley.
Gov.UK. (2025). Violence Against Women and Girls: National strategy. Retrieved from Gov.uk

About the Author

I am Natalie Lewis, consultant and curriculum lead at Explosive Learning Solutions. I joined ELS in October 2025 after a 24-year career in the Royal Air Force. I also represent Team GB in Para-Volleyball. My interest in this topic stems from decades spent in male-dominated environments, where I witnessed institutionalised norms affecting both men and women, and where online influences increasingly shape beliefs, behaviours, and wellbeing.

About the campaign

techUK’s March TechTogether campaign continues with a focus on ‘empowering women in tech from classroom to c-suite'. Following International Women's Day our insights this week focus on female retention and growth in tech workplaces, spotlighting successful female tech leaders, gender pay disparities in the tech world, and addressing workplace biases and strengthening DEI initiatives.