Louis Theroux's recent documentary Inside the Manosphere shed light on the toxic online culture recruiting men in droves.
The disturbing trend, which has triggered the spread of harmful, often misogynistic views and patriarchal ideologies, is more prevalent than most think.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, relationships coach Claire Rénier at dating app happn has revealed that the movement will also likely have an impact on romantic connections.
She explained: 'The manosphere is an online community which promotes 'traditional' masculinity, misogyny, and an opposition to feminism.
'Unfortunately, with the manosphere reshaping many men's beliefs and attitudes towards women, which is likely to have a knock-on effect on many women's dating lives, with figures often being prominent advocates for how men and women should, and shouldn't, behave in relationships.
'While the people featured in the latest Manosphere documentary are more extreme examples of this behaviour, it can often be a slow and slippery slope, so it's important to know what to look out for even in the most subtle of signs.'
Relationships expert Claire Rénier has revealed the signs your partner might have become a part of the manosphere.
Shifts to 'transactional' thinking
The expert first explained that an increase in transactional thinking could be a sign of something more sinister.
She said: 'Have you noticed a shift in how your partner views effort and affection - expecting intimacy in exchange for him paying for dinner?
'The manosphere often treats relationships in an incredibly transactional way, focusing on them being like a market or game rather than a loving and authentic partnership.
'As part of this, followers are likely to view 'favours' or 'tokens' as something that should be repaid, rather than focusing on the generosity, trust and reciprocity that should be a mainstay of any healthy relationship.'
Shows an interest in more 'traditional' roles
Influencers in the manosphere typically promote the ideology that men and women have roles - and should stick to them.
The expert said: 'Many influential figures in the manosphere promote 'traditional' roles within a relationship, where the woman submits in ways such as providing full domestic labour for her partner, or having to agree with him sleeping with people outside of the relationship.'
Concerned your partner is part of the manosphere? Here's what to do next, according to relationship expert Claire Rénier
- Think about why he's become part of the manosphere and what he is actually looking for.
Many men fall into the manosphere when they're looking for things like a sense of purpose or ways to improve themselves, and then get caught up in more toxic traits.
With this in mind, I'd recommend encouraging things like an increased focus on their health or career, while rejecting any signs of toxic behaviours such as emotional withdrawal or derogatory language.
As part of this, you can draw firm boundaries - letting your partner know that you value your connection but are looking to be treated with love and respect rather than dominance and control. - It's also worth trying to get to the root of their feelings, specifically rather than what they think the manosphere wants them to say.
If your partner's social media feeds are becoming more and more focused on the manosphere, I'd recommend suggesting that you both take a break from social media or spend time together away from screens at the very least.
However, if your partner begins to behave in a way that's completely unacceptable or out of his previous character, it's worth knowing when to walk away.
If your partner is unwilling to prioritise your relationship over the advice of manosphere figures, or is showing a lack of empathy or is becoming more controlling, it's crucial to draw a line in the sand. - Suggest having some time away, or doing a digital detox.
This is also often a one-way street, with the man not wanting to fulfil the traditional 'provider' role and instead purely seeking a sense of control or authority over the other party in the relationship.
If your partner has recently been expecting you to pick up more of the domestic load or 'women's work' without any balancing out of other responsibilities, it's worth speaking to him about your concerns and finding out why this might be.
It might simply be that he's been busy at work and is struggling to find the time - which ideally he would have communicated to you earlier - or he may have these 'traditional' roles in mind without giving you a choice. - Uses 'psuedo-biological' terms
The expert continued: 'The rationale behind many of the manosphere arguments often comes down to pseudo-biological terms and outdated theories around masculinity and gender roles, so if you hear your partner refer to things like 'alpha' or 'beta' characteristics, 'hypergamy' or 'Chads' or 'Stacys', this could be cause for concern.
'This sort of quasi-evolutionary and outdated psychological reasoning is used to justify why men should be dominant and why women are naturally meant to be submissive, or purely looking for the most attractive or wealthy man.
'If your partner is suddenly showing an interest in this sort of thinking, I would suggest asking where he heard this and whether he really believes it.' - Shows an increased interest in his appearance, or 'looksmaxxing'
Looksmaxxing has caused a buzz in recent times - and if your partner is interested, it could be a red flag.
She said: 'Aside from how you should behave in a relationship, the manosphere also places a great emphasis on appearances, which has given rise to 'looksmaxxing'.
'This is a process of trying to maximise physical attractiveness, with this being ranked with a series of scores.
'It's worth noting that not every man who 'looksmaxxes' is necessarily part of the manosphere, and some could just be looking to improve their appearance for their own self-confidence.
'However, this behaviour could be cause for concern if it comes with these sorts of scores or 'market values' being placed on their female partners.' - Devalues female friendships and influences
Finally, the expert explained that if your partner places less importance on female relationships, it's not a good sign.
She said: 'Unfortunately, misogyny is a core part of the manosphere, with influencers often saying that women can't give good advice to men, and that both women and female friendships are naturally more shallow, less intellectual, and filled with drama.'
The expert concluded: 'If your partner is showing any signs of that ideology, or being derogatory towards women, no matter how small, it's worth having a chat with him to get to the root of these newfound beliefs.
'By telling you things like 'Women don't understand how the world works' or trying to isolate you from your friends, he's attempting to remove your connection to outside perspectives that might challenge this new thinking.'