Welcome to The Pixel Project’s Fathers for Pixels blog interview series!
We created this interview series:
- To acknowledge the vital role dads play in families, cultures and communities worldwide.
- To showcase men from different walks of life who are fabulous positive non-violent and non-sexist male role models.
- To provide dads worldwide a positive platform to share ideas about stopping sexism, misogyny, and violence against women and girls.
This year, participating dads talk about parenting in the age of online misogyny and violence against women and how fathers and father figures can teach, mentor, and guide their sons in navigating the influence of the “manosphere” among their peers and the rise of online “rape academies” where men congregate to learn how to rape and sexually assault women and girls.
Our third Fathers for Pixels interview of 2026 is with Stuart Chase from Canada.
Picture courtesy of Stuart Chase.
The Dad Bio:
Stuart Chase lives in Vancouver, Canada. He is a senior communicator by profession, and a married father of two teenagers.
1. What is the most challenging thing about being a dad in the age of misogyny and violence against women that are now turbocharged by technology and the internet in the form of the “manosphere” and online “rape academies”?
Particularly in my case of having two older teenagers, the level of control I have over what media my kids take in is reduced compared to what it was when they were younger. As parents, my wife and I both want to respect the agency our kids need to become functional, productive adults. But the kids are both still just that—kids. SO, the challenge is balancing a respect for their autonomy but still injecting enough critical thinking and caution into their lives that they apply the right filters to the imagery and ideologies they are inundated with, as social media/web users and as growing young adults in the world.
2. How do you think fathers and father figures can help young men and boys navigate pressure from their male peers to join these easily and widely accessible toxic male influencers, communities, and platforms?
MY behaviour and willingness to call out poor behaviour is the model for my kids—my son in particular. Every day, I model respect for women and girls. With my wife, with my colleagues, with my teammates (I row on a mixed-gender crew for Canada’s national team as a para athlete), and with my daughter. My wife and I are both very quick to inject ourselves into passing commentary and conversation our kids have about what they have seen online/in social media. “Ah, you say that’s funny, what you saw. Why? Sounds like casual misogyny to me. Don’t buy into that / don’t let your friends get away with thinking that’s funny.”
I think it’s very important to be clear about what I find acceptable or not, to sit in that decisiveness, and teach my son that in adopting that powerful approach to unacceptable behaviour or ideals, your ownership of it trumps the “cool” factor of perhaps trying to fit in with friends or peers.
3. What do you think fathers can do to help their daughters stay safe both online and offline given that high levels of online violence against women facilitates offline violence against girls in schools and universities?
In our house, our daughter does feel most comfortable disclosing her troubles and worries to my wife, rather than me. But I don’t let that stop me from telling my daughter that she is ALWAYS welcome to share anything with me, any time; that there will never be shame or judgement from me if she has questions about hard topics like this; and that I absolutely want to hear about any mistreatment she has experienced herself, or viewed content that has made her uncomfortable / she feels is wrong.
Long story short, even if you know your daughter may think you can’t help with these issues BECAUSE you are a man and men are the problem, keep reinforcing to her that you are a safe space, that no subject is too awkward or embarrassing, and shame and judgement will never be part of your relationship dynamic.
4. For fathers who don’t know where to start when it comes to guiding their children through this proliferation of misogyny, sexism, toxic masculinity, and violence against women online, what is the first step that you suggest they take?
If you don’t feel like an authority on it, be the one to ask questions instead. What sort of content do you see on your social media feeds that seems offside? What are your friends talking about around this stuff? How do you react to it when you see it/hear it? Do you have questions for me about how I feel about it? I think finding a way to ask questions makes for an easier inroad rather than trying to position yourself as an authority when perhaps you’re not, and also reflects that it’s OK to ask questions and be vulnerable about uncomfortable topics like this.
5. Finally, what do you think can be done to eradicate these platforms and communities whose aims are to nurture and proliferate toxic masculinity, misogyny, and sexism proliferate among men and boys?
A bit of a multi-pronged approach, I think:
I wish there was stronger moderation of harassment and glorification of abuse that seems so normalised online, and targeted hate. Where online behaviour is concerned, finding ways to snap the algorithms that push increasingly inflammatory content on impressionable youth.
I think creators that glorify/profit off this deplorable behaviour should be demonetized and banned immediately, even if there’s no “legal course of action.” Brands and platforms should be very willing to take a corporate stance of zero tolerance to this activity. How can profit be made from humiliation, coercion, or gendered hate?! It’s unconscionable.
Above that, I think platforms and governments need to act far more aggressively to mute such objectionable, dangerous voices that cause so many real-world harms. Greater vigilance to root out and shut down online communities that permit and perpetuate harms.
And, of course, early education both at home and in schools. Extinguish the behaviours and ideologies as soon as possible, to ensure a next generation that recognises the evils of toxic masculinity, misogyny and sexism for what they truly are.