Women report an increase in misogyny on social media: 'We have lost our freedom'
- Rafaela Campos da Silva
- Apr 27
- 1 min read
Jornal O Globo - April 27, 2025
“With these tips, you can destroy any woman’s self-esteem”; “destroy her ego and she’ll crawl at your feet”; “would you date a fat woman?” It’s not just likes and views that are behind the proliferation of sexist content on social media and video platforms, a hot topic since the release of the miniseries “Adolescence” by Netflix. Productions associated with incels (“involuntary celibates” who blame women for their inability to have sex) and redpills (those who believe they have seen the “truth” about women, who are seen as self-interested and oppressive) have proven to be highly profitable. A survey by the Internet Studies Laboratory (NetLab) at UFRJ, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Women, evaluated 137 YouTube channels that preach different forms of hatred towards the female population between 2018 and 2024. Together, they have 3.9 billion views and always have at least some form of associated monetization.
“It’s a business. A real source of income,” summarizes the research coordinator, Luciane Belin. “We’re talking about groups and influencers who have scenarios, fixed frequency, podcasts and interviews with guests. To make matters worse, the platforms have opened up even more space for these people. So much so that we’ve seen a significant increase in these channels since 2022 (the names were not disclosed so as not to increase their engagement). And now you can even put a little store on YouTube.”
