The challenge
There is growing concern in Australia and internationally about the gender-based harms associated with young men’s online behaviours, including misogynistic radicalisation, technology facilitated gender-based violence, AI deepfake pornography, and harmful manosphere content. These concerns have intensified scrutiny on boys, masculinity and digital cultures, creating urgency around understanding how young men navigate online spaces and how educational interventions might support more gender-just forms of online engagement.
Project overview
This project builds on the book Young Men’s Online Lives: Cultivating Critical Digital Dispositions for Gender Justice (Keddie & Flood, 2025), which includes a suite of activities designed to foster young men’s critical digital dispositions for gender justice. The research will trial and evaluate these activities with young men aged 16–21 years through a series of online workshops and follow-up interviews. The study will explore how participants perceive the relevance, usefulness, and engagement potential of the activities in supporting critical reflection about gender, masculinity, and online life.
The project is informed by a gender justice and critical literacies framework and organised around four critical digital dispositions (Pangrazio, 2018):
- curatorial intentionality
- scepticism
- ethical engagement
- reflexivity.
Outcomes
The project will generate insight into which activities young men find most engaging and meaningful for supporting critical engagement with gendered online harms. It will refine the critical digital dispositions framework for gender justice and provide recommendations for future longer-term educational interventions in more socially supportive and relationship-based contexts.
Funding
Deakin University strategic research funds
Timeline
2025-2026