Using relatable storytelling, the comic explores how algorithm-driven content and influencer culture can impact and shape how we feel and how we interact with each other.
Launched during Respect Week 2026 (27 April to 1 May), the comic follows fictional characters Soy Boy, T Bone, Avo and Pot Noodle as they navigate university life in the digital age.
Through conversations between friends, the story encourages all of us to consider the impact that online content can have and how we can connect to support each other.
RMIT researcher and masculinities practitioner, and key designer of the initiative, Shelley Hewson-Munro, said the comic deepens the stories that are so common for many students, with a focus on the unique challenges that disinformation and misinformation have on how we develop as humans and treat one another.
“There is a lot of evidence about the harmful impacts that digital spaces are having on young people, and how gender-based harms and tech-facilitated violence are changing, based on the algorithms we are fed and how we engage with each other online and in real life.
“Comic 2 goes deeper into the personal impact algorithms and influencers can have on us, and how this can seep into our personal relationships and start to change who we are with others.
“Young men at the university are navigating the pros and cons of the digital world, and the comic is trying to highlight this.
“It shows that many young men are connecting with support, talking things through, and are far more curious and questioning than they might be perceived to be,” Hewson‑Munro said.
Alex Rodriguez, one of the Butterfly Foundation's lived experience advocates, was RMIT’s lived experience consultant and provided feedback and input into the comic. Alex is an accredited dietitian and has lived experience with eating disorders. The Butterfly Foundation podcast Why are we red-flagging men and their fitness goals? is referenced in the comic, where Alex shares his experience.
Tim Loveday, a sessional teacher in creative writing at RMIT, was also involved in the comic’s creation. As an award-winning poet, writer and educator, Tim’s work explores the intersections of class, masculinity and identity, with a particular focus on how online cultures and radicalisation are shaping young men’s worldviews.
The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends is a prevention of gender-based violence initiative led by RMIT’s Prevention and Respect team.
Originally developed as an innovation pilot in 2024, the project is now an ongoing creative series, co-designed with students and informed by current research and lived experience expertise. The initiative has been embedded as an alternative assessment for students in the Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media.
Explore The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends – Comic 2
Respect Week is a sector-wide initiative that brings students and staff together to deepen understanding and take meaningful action to prevent gender-based harm, while fostering cultures of respect and safety across tertiary education.
Find out more about RMIT Respect Week 2026 activities
For support with eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, call the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight (AEST).
