How to Build Safe Communities Online for Young Men

When two-thirds of young men say that “no one really knows them” and 25 percent report feeling lonely, we know that we have a crisis of connection in America. 

What happens when these young men turn to digital spaces to find that missing connection and purpose?  

• 40 percent of them start trusting one or more pro-violent voices online 
• 48 percent start believing that their online life is more interesting than their offline one 
• 1 in 3 of them report not spending time with anyone outside their household in the last week 

How to respond? 

FUTURES, with our partner Equimundo, launched LinkUp Lab, an innovation hub to test, incubate, and scale strategies that reimagine what boys’ and young men’s digital lives can look like. The idea is to meet young men where they are – online – and promote wellbeing, connection, and positive representation and beliefs about manhood.  

 “We're reimaging the online space where men play video games, learn, and connect and creating a healthier community that is supportive and pro-social," said Brian O’Connor, FUTURES’ Vice President of Public Education and Programs. 

Last year, FUTURES and Equimundo released The Manosphere Rewired, a report that presented findings from a six-month deep dive into the lives of young men online. This deep dive included an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of more than 40 hours of Twitch streaming, 1.5 million lines of chat logs, and nearly 37,000 lines of Discord chat logs.

The research also included 15 interviews with moderators and streamers, interviews with seven experts on young men’s lives, a context mapping of 14 male-majority spaces, and more than 100 hours spent observing six online male-majority spaces.

The findings affirmed a complex online universe – much of that monetized, weaponized, and harmful – but also a majority that leans positive.

In an era where men feel isolated and lonely, violent voices online right now are filling a void. LinkUp Lab will counter that messaging and invite men into a healthier community full of the things they need, like purpose, relationships, and meaning.  

“The digital world doesn't have to be a scary place. With 97% of US teen boys playing video games - more than watching TV - it’s a space where we want to be,” said O’Connor. 

To build on our research, LinkUp Lab has launched five pilot programs that will: 

1. Strengthen in-game communities on platforms such as Discord and curb abusive behavior 
2. Partner with online moderators on platforms such as Reddit to redesign the rules, bots, chat features, and more to create positive online communities 
3. Develop videos and educational material on YouTube on mental health, dating, and more 
4. Disrupt algorithms that funnel young men to harmful content and instead create pathways for healthier connections online and off 
5. Map men’s media tastes, beliefs, interests, and communities to generate content that reflects what appeals to them and what doesn’t 

FUTURES and Equimundo are partnering with a number of program developers, researchers, and donors to test solutions to tackle these pressing issues. Current partners include Harmony Labs, Diverting Hate, AMAZE, Puddle and Young Men’s Research Project.   

“I see LinkUp Lab as an important evolution and extension of the work we've been doing for over 20 years, partnering with a variety of adults who interact with youth and creating programming that promotes health, safety, and wellbeing,” O’Connor said.  

“There is a unique opportunity online to counter dangerous messaging, strengthen the positive environment surrounding young men, and boost community engagement. This is what this moment needs.”