On making real-life conversations to break our hyperindividual algorithms

At Ugnay: Philippine Media and Information Literacy Summit, organized by Out of the Box (OOTB) Media Literacy Initiative on November 8, 2025, non-profits were provided a space to connect with the youth over media, artificial intelligence, and other goings-on in the digital world. Lemonade shared a booth with Gantala Press. We introduced ourselves as youth-oriented and feminist, so naturally, a student asked us, how would we talk to young men who watch Andrew Tate? He said that he was bothered that his peers are hooked on him.

Before that encounter, I have never intently looked up Tate but knew of his notoriety in the way that one soaks up knowledge by being always online. I probably brushed over headlines and caught snippets of short videos of him that strayed into my algorithm, but which I quickly skipped and vanished with a thumb swipe. I dreaded looking Andrew Tate up but I had to to come up with a proper response.

Andrew Tate is a figurehead in the "manosphere", a conglomeration of blogs, podcasts, online communities, and other internet media that promote misogynist ideas. He, along with his brother Tristan, have been arrested repeatedly since 2022 for multiple criminal charges, including of rape, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of women and minors, money laundering, and tax evasion. I delved into his content to try to understand his appeal. He deceitfully uses problems affecting the majority of people (ex. rising prices of goods and declining standards of living) and anti-status quo language (claiming to be against powerful governments and corporations) to promote his misogynist agenda.

Tate essentializes sex and gender, or rigidly categorizes people as men and women ascribed with traditional qualities and roles; vilifies women and gender diverse peoples, and misconstrues feminism; and claims to restore traditional masculinity. He profited off young men through paid courses (claiming to counter "Big Education" or corporatized universities and schools) that teach them how to make money using cryptocurrency and e-commerce, and exploited them to expand his reach by offering them commissions to recruit members in his online communities. Tate is not merely an online provacateur, but has profited off the radicalization of young men, and the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women.

There are several action points to Tate and his online influence. Young people should be provided with the tools to critically engage with online media. OOTB's #MIL4Democracy Handbook has a section on dealing with propaganda in a "post-truth" context characterized by skepticism to institutional media, and susceptibility of public opinion to dis-/misinformation and emotional bias. It provides a framework to critically engage with media messages, and practical techniques to verify news and information.

A well-rounded education curriculum that is not primarily shaped by what the market deems valuable, but includes an introduction to logical fallacies, the historical development of feminist thought and movement, among others, should aid in exposing Tate's fallacious ideas. The Department of Education's proposal to reduce general education (GE) course units would cause further regression. GE courses on humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and other disciplines are foundational to critical thinking and holistic education. Big Tech and their algorithms should also be held to account for pushing ideas that compound harm on women and other marginalized groups.

It would be worthwhile to look into similar local figures who have amassed following and grown influence by projecting a hypermasculine image and regurgitating misogynistic views, such as Raffy Tulfo. Tulfo established his career in radio broadcasting, and expanded on YouTube where he has 30 million subscribers. Tulfo's YouTube platform hosts his show "Raffy Tulfo in Action" which offers arbitration between conflicting parties. It is known for using sensational and sexist language, and humiliating involved parties to garner views. The show has successfully marketed itself as an alternative recourse to inaccessible justice mechanisms in the country, and even made his name a signifier for authoritative action with people using the phrase "ipa-Tulfo" in cases wherein such is needed to address a problem. Tulfo's popularity translated in the 2022 elections where he won a seat in senate with 23 million votes. The appeal of figures such as Tate and Tulfo feed on the sensibilities of the patriarchal status quo, but also bank on the grift of providing solutions to systemic problems.

The young student's question at Ugnay points to the importance of having real-life conversations to break our hyperindividual algorithms. Our interaction reminded us that classrooms and communities should be fostered to hold conversations and create spaces where young people could ask questions; be mistaken and unsure of their opinions without judgment; tinker with ideas; sit uncomfortably with them, especially those that have been ingrained and need unlearning; talk and test out new ideas with their peers; change their opinions many times over; and form new values and identities that could contribute to collective well-being.

Lemonade aims to help create caring communities where difficult conversations could be had. As part of our youth mentorship program, we are developing materials that would help address young men's concerns, and, overall, raise youth with a critical and compassionate outlook on people's variegated experiences and struggles.

We welcome your support to help build caring communities, and volunteers who might be interested in our advocacy. You may learn more about our work through our website and reach out to us through lemonade.manila@gmail.com or through our social media (Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin). #