There is a question that, as a society, we need to start asking:

When a boy or young man feels lonely, angry, rejected or misunderstood, who is he listening to first?

His parents? His school? Professionals? His friends? Or social media?

It is a simple question. But behind a screen there can be an entire world offering answers to people who are still trying to build their identity.

The manosphere is neither a single organisation nor a single ideology. It is a loose network of online communities, influencers, podcasts and forums that discuss men, masculinity, relationships and the position of men in society.

Within it, there are discussions about real problems faced by men: loneliness, mental health, relationships, economic pressures, fatherhood and identity. But there are also spaces where these frustrations are transformed into anger against women, feminism and society.

And we should not assume that this is a phenomenon that does not exist in Malta. In March of this year, MaltaToday published an investigation into what it described as the "quiet rise" of the manosphere among Maltese boys. The article highlighted how ideas and language associated with the manosphere are also entering Maltese online spaces, particularly among young people.

This should concern us.

But it should also teach us something: we cannot judge only the surface of the problem. We need to understand the roots of the challenge in front of us.

Because behind a misogynistic message there may be a young man who has experienced rejection. There may be loneliness. Behind arrogance there may be a lack of confidence. And behind the words, "I feel like an outcast," there may be someone who has spent a long time feeling that they belong nowhere.

This does not justify hatred. But it helps us understand where intervention needs to begin.

For many years, we told boys to be strong. Not to cry because they would look like "sissies". Not to talk about the feelings they experience.

Perhaps we failed to realise that when we tell a boy not to show vulnerability, we are taking away one of the most important tools he has for dealing with life.

And if we do not give someone a space to talk, they will eventually look elsewhere for somewhere to be heard.

Today, the internet often feels as though it has an answer for everything. But not every answer is a good one.

Malta also faces another issue that we cannot ignore: the mental wellbeing of men needs to be discussed much more seriously.

A study of 162 suicide deaths in Malta between January 2015 and June 2021 found that 81% were men. The same study found that fewer than half of those who died had previously been in contact with public mental health services.

These figures do not mean that the manosphere explains suicide. Certainly not. Suicide has multiple causes and contributing factors.

But we have to ask ourselves: are we reaching our men before their pain becomes a crisis?

The problem is not simply whether a man reaches a psychologist when it is already too late. The problem begins much earlier, when a person cannot find a safe space to talk.

If we talk about the manosphere only as a "men's problem", we will make one mistake.

And if we speak about men's problems as though they are not real, we will make another.

A man may struggle with relationships, his appearance, financial pressure, a lack of friends, or a fear of speaking about what he is going through.

These are not imaginary problems.

We need education, dialogue and maturity.

Education about masculinity and relationships

We need to begin discussing education about masculinity and relationships in schools.

We should not educate children only about sexuality, bullying and cyber safety. We also need to talk about rejection, emotions, relationships, respect, consent, loneliness and how to deal with failure.

A boy should learn that it is okay to say when he feels weak.

We need a support service specifically aimed at boys and men.

We need spaces where a young man can walk in without feeling judged. This could take the form of psychological services, support groups or community centres.

What matters is that the first step towards seeking help should be easy.

Children need to learn not only how to use TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, but also how algorithms can influence what they see next.

The government itself, in its consultation on social media reform, has recognised concerns about the impact of excessive social media use on mental health and the role of algorithmic systems in encouraging continued use of platforms.

Children need to see men who demonstrate courage not only when they fight, but also when they listen.

Men who apologise.

Men who care for their children.

Men who respect women.

Men who speak about mental health.

Men who show that strength and tenderness can exist side by side.

We cannot address this issue by simply telling boys who are listening to these messages that they are listening to "bad things".

We need to listen to them.

We need to correct the facts when they are wrong.

And we need to challenge hatred without turning against the person.

This is important because experts interviewed about the phenomenon in Malta have also emphasised the importance of dialogue rather than confrontation, while arguing that boys should be given safe spaces to express what they are feeling.

We need men to understand that their value can also come from character, responsibility, care and dignity.

This is not a war against anyone.

It is a struggle to ensure that loneliness does not become an ideology and pain does not become hatred.

Because behind every screen there is a person.

And that person may not be looking for power.

They may not be looking for dominance.

They may simply be looking for someone to say:

"I understand you. You are not alone."

Ivan Bartolo MP

Shadow Minister for Social Policy, Family and Social Housing