Fitness coach promotes positive masculinity
Reporter: Ruby Taylor.
Online fitness coach James Fox has built a social media following of over 15 thousand people by sharing fitness and training advice. The 22-year-old’s Instagram page (@jimmygymin) is also being used to counter some of the toxic messages many young men come across online.
With a large part of his audience made up of Gen Z males, Fox says that he is aware of how influential social media can be in shaping attitudes and beliefs.
“I’m still young myself and figuring out what I believe,” he said. “I try to post content that me two years ago needed, and what are some of the messages that that person could benefit from hearing”.
Fox’s fitness and health content is combined with messaging which emphasises the importance of maintaining supportive, healthy, loving relationships with friends and family, while also building self-confidence.
“My own thoughts and beliefs have been shaped by what I’ve seen (on social media) as I’ve grown up,” he said. “I’m pretty aware of how sensitive some of that information can be to shaping people.”
Fox’s social media content sits in contrast to a growing body of research which warns that some online spaces are presenting boys and young men with sexist and misogynistic messages.
A recent University of Melbourne report found that social media can act as a breeding ground for extremist views, heightened by the ease with which anti-feminist and “manosphere” content can be shared and inflated online.
There are steps that can be taken to avoid harmful content. “It’s targeted to promote curiosity. It’s dangerous,” Fox said.
When presented with this type of content online, he recommends that young people use the “not interested” feature on social media platforms to reduce the amount of similar content in feeds.
“It’s all about what side of the internet you’re on,” Fox said.
While there are online communities that promote hostility and misinformation, he believes that there are online spaces that act as support, encouragement, and healthier role models for young men.
“I think a lot of life in general is about sharing experiences with people you love, but you also need to be okay within yourself,” he said.
Comments