Netflix drama Adolescence has sparked debate about the challenges faced by young people in an age of social media, unprecedented peer pressure and shifting gender dynamics.

Sir Gareth Southgate echoed the concern in his 2025 Dimbleby lecture, condemning the rise of “callous, toxic influencers” who promote hyper aggression and materialism as the paths to success.

Extreme voices appear to have become an inescapable part of the online experience for some young men, and inevitably those influences will feed into how some of them act and think.

Kantar Media TGI data has identified a shocking shift in views among young men aged 15 to 24 about the role of women as leaders and their wider employment rights. In Britain in 2019, 83% of young men aged 15 to 24 agreed ‘women are just as capable as men at being leaders’. However, this has fallen to 51% in 2025.

This trend is not exclusive to the UK and can be seen in European countries too, for example in France and Germany. In Germany in 2021, the data found that 5% of young men agreed ‘a woman’s place is in the home’, but this has grown to 22% today in just four years. In Brazil the proportion of men who ‘completely agree’ that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ rose by 50% in the past three years.

The number of young men who agree ‘I think we should strive for equality for all’ has declined across Britain, Germany and Spain since 2019. It is rare to see such a rapid change in attitudes among a specific cohort in so short a space of time.

What’s behind it?
One factor driving this trend seems to be a sense of disempowerment among young men, possibly exacerbated by the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. TGI data shows that young men are 35% more likely than the average adult to agree ‘there is little I can do to change my life’, and they are considerably more likely than women to believe this. This change has been rapid in recent years, with the proportion of all young men agreeing with this up from 24% in 2022 to 34% today.

Our data also shows that young men are particularly susceptible to influence, and are particularly heavy media consumers. We found that men aged 15 to 34 who disagree that women are just as capable as men at being leaders are 98% more likely than the average adult to be amongst the heaviest 20% of internet users. They are also more likely to be among the heaviest consumers of gaming and mobile internet.

This is exactly the scenario addressed by Adolescence: young men, at a formative stage of life, being exposed to distorted views in online spaces without adequate oversight.

Reasons to be optimistic
Fortunately, there are compelling reasons to be optimistic – and steps we can all take to address this challenge. For young men, the fact that they are open to influence in one direction means they can also be influenced in a more positive and productive way.

Our data also shows that support among all adults for the working and leadership rights of women is relatively high and robust. The vast majority are still fully supportive of women as leaders: 82% of adults in Britain agree ‘women are just as capable as men at being leaders’.

Indeed, older men have been increasingly likely to support women’s rights across recent years. Our TGI data shows that in 2000, 15% of men aged 65 and over agreed that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’, but this has fallen steadily to 4% today.

Data must shape our response
For young men, this data highlights the need for urgent action so that the hard-won rights of women are enhanced rather than undermined in the future. We need to challenge the increasingly prevalent thinking that equality in all forms is a zero-sum game.

Organisations of all shapes and sizes understand the important role they play in supporting workplace equality, but first they need to recognise and understand this trend among young men before it becomes entrenched.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach – whether it’s an awareness raising campaign, mentorship programmes, or working with brand ambassadors as positive role models.

However, regardless of the tactics there are some essential questions to consider before getting started: Is your inclusion campaign reaching the people it needs to reach? Is your messaging tuned to what your audience is thinking and consuming? Will your investment cut through the noise? How will you define impact?

These questions are best answered by starting with the kind of data and insight that allows you to build a nuanced understanding of your audience – their circumstances, attitudes, and behaviour – rather than relying on out-of-date stereotypes.

Within our team, looking at this data felt like a stark warning about the need to recognise what’s happening, what’s driving it and what must be done to respond effectively. Brands, employers, and content creators hold untapped power to be a part of the response – and their actions can help to reach young people and our society as a whole for the better.

Rachel Macey is managing director for TGI & Insight, UK and Ireland at Kantar Media