Sunday, April 13th, 2025 (schwartzreport.net)
Author: Zhen Troy Chen, PhD, FHEA , Dr. Calogero Giametta, PhD , Dr. Jacob Johanssen, PhD & Dr. Irida Ntalla, PhD
Source: Nature
Publication Date: 13 April 2025 (used)
Link: The manosphere and networked misogyny
Stephan:
One of the many negative effects of social media is the rise of the manosphere. I had no idea until I began to research this the weaponization of misinformation how many American men, particularly young men, are weak, psychologically disturbed, insecure about their manhood, and threatened by women. In the United States right now women are better educated, and more psychologically stable than men.
The “manosphere” refers to a heterogenous group of online communities that broadly promotes anti-feminism, misogyny, and hateful ideas about women, trans, and non-binary people. These communities attract, among other others, involuntary celibates (Incels), Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), pick-up artists (PUA), and Men’s Rights Activists (MRA). Although these communities are different, they share a broad ideology that women are to blame for a society in which men are victims, and that feminism is the cause of societal ills. These communities frequently endorse pseudo-science to justify male supremacy and produce hateful and violent narratives, which can lead to extremist behaviour with dangerous and fatal real-world consequences.
First appearing in social media in the late 2000s-early 2010s, these groups are broadly understood to have historical roots from movements in the 1970s and 1980s. Although the numbers of individuals who frequent these online spaces are hard to determine, the communities they have come to represent have become more prominent in the mainstream due to well-publicised violent (and often tragic) actions undertaken by self-proclaimed members. Additionally, some prominent influencers, who share overlapping ideologies with the manosphere, find audiences beyond the online community in […]