Chanel Contos, a prominent Australian activist known for her campaigns on consent education and social media reform, has emerged as a significant voice in discussions about gender relations and online radicalisation. Contos first gained national attention in 2021 after she asked followers on Instagram whether they had experienced sexual assault by students from all-boys schools, drawing a widespread response. Since then, she has advocated for mandatory consent education through her organisation Teach Us Consent, receiving $3.5 million in federal funding in 2024 to further the cause.
Contos has advised lawmakers, appeared before Senate committees, and addressed the National Press Club to promote campaigns such as Fix Our Feeds, which calls for greater transparency and user control over social media recommendation algorithms. She argues that platforms deliberately funnel young users, particularly boys and young men, toward increasingly misogynistic content, contributing to radicalisation and reinforcing harmful attitudes.
Her approach targets not only the online “manosphere”—a loosely connected network of online communities known for misogynistic content—but also the business models of tech companies that generate profits by maximising user engagement through emotionally charged material. Contos proposes that algorithmic feeds should default to showing chronological posts from followed accounts, requiring users to opt-in to recommended content.
The Australian government has recently taken steps to give users more control over algorithms, aligning to some extent with her recommendations. While acknowledging the role of social media, some analysts caution that radicalisation and extremism are multifaceted issues. It is noted that the narrative portraying young men as the primary source of extremism—in particular misogynistic violence—may overlook broader social and ideological currents.
Polling data from the United Kingdom offers a more nuanced picture. A recent survey of 2,000 British youths aged 18 to 30 found that young women tend to hold more negative views of men than vice versa, challenging the assumption that misogynistic online communities alone drive gender divides. The poll also suggested that among university-educated women, attitudes were more left-leaning and critical of capitalism and men compared to working-class women. Moreover, despite perceptions of systemic injustice, statistics show young women in Australia and elsewhere often earn more than their male counterparts in full-time roles.
Critics have also pointed out that while Contos references far-right extremism several times, she gives scant attention to other forms of radicalism, including far-left and Islamic extremism, which also contribute to violent and extremist behaviours in Australia. Furthermore, some argue that focusing predominantly on male violence without equal consideration of women’s agency may limit understanding of the complex challenges affecting relationship formation and fertility rates, which are declining in Australia.
Australia’s total fertility rate dropped to 1.48 babies per woman in 2024, well below the replacement threshold of 2.1, indicating demographic concerns that intersect with social and cultural factors. Experts suggest that initiatives addressing gender dynamics and extremism should consider these wider contexts to foster healthier societal outcomes.
As the national conversation continues, balancing the recognition of male-perpetrated violence with a broader examination of social attitudes, economic conditions, and ideological diversity remains a critical challenge for policymakers and advocates alike.