Sir Gareth Southgate has warned “callous, manipulative and toxic” online influencers have led a to “crisis” facing a generation of young men.
The former England manager highlighted the dangers of social media and discussed his experiences in football as he delivered the Richard Dimbleby Lecture.
Southgate’s address, titled ‘The Beautiful Game: Building Belief and Resilience in a Younger Generation', highlighted the importance of role models but said young men are “suffering” in the age of social media.
And Southgate, who led England to the finals of two European Championships and the semi-finals of the World Cup, said the current generation of young men need to be saved from a particular type of influencer.
“As real-world communities and mentorship declines, young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions,” Southgate said at the University of London.
“They spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming, gambling and pornography. And this void is filled by a new kind of role model who does not have their best interest at heart.
“These are callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain. They willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance, never showing emotion, and that the world, including women, is against them.”
Southgate, 54, followed famous authors, actors, entrepreneurs in delivering the 46th Richard Dimbleby Lecture. He said he had spent time visiting community centres, schools and a prison since stepping down following England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final last summer.
The former defender spoke about the importance of “belief and resilience” and used his missed penalty against Germany at Euro 96 as an example of how he had grown from difficult experiences.
Southgate transformed the culture of the England team after taking charge in 2016 and he said encouraging his players to be open with their emotions and feelings created strong bonds and connections in the team.
He said the absence of real-life role models and father figures has left young men struggling with their sense of masculinity and that social media is creating additional pressures.
"Today, young people are bombarded by information at all times of the day,” Southgate said. “They are targeted with images of the perfect body, the perfect career and the perfect life.
“A beautifully crafted highlights reel where success appears to be instant and effortless. How can this make them feel good about themselves?
"The solutions are complex because bad habits have been formed. But ignoring the negative impact of social media on our young people is not an option.
"With England, we gave ourselves the best chance to succeed. And we must give our young men the best chance to succeed as well. That's the message we need to offer young men today.
"Not everyone will win trophies, not everyone will be at the top of their field. But everyone can live a life where they can constantly strive to improve.
"That is how we will create a young generation, a society, and a nation of which we can all be very proud. And I'm looking forward to playing whatever role I can to help make it happen."
The Richard Dimbleby Lecture with Sir Gareth Southgate is available now on BBC iPlayer and on BBC One at 10:40pm on Wednesday 19 March.
