Dark side of influencing: Study shows young men who follow ‘manfluencers’ exhibit high misogynistic behaviours
Men who think they are rejected by women follow manfluencers to comfort their insecurity, and instead they nurture deep hatred for women.
Tired of seeing hateful men in the comment section? Whether it is trivializing a confident woman as ‘probably has OF’ or dismissing every empowering piece of media as a ‘feminist agenda,’ these men possess deep-rooted misogyny. They extend their aversion towards everything women collectively love, disparaging everyone, from Taylor Swift to BTS.
This is not superficial, however. The ingrained hatred comes from deep conditioning. Influencers are good at ‘influencing,’ instilling their beliefs in their followers. A study explored how the ‘manfluencers’ on social media influence young men to develop misogynistic attitudes through their content.
Who are manfluencers?
Manfluencers are essentially male social media influencers, who share their opinions on masculinity and gender roles. They are typically seen in the podcast format. As per the study, these influencers created a space called ‘manosphere’, an online community that mostly promotes anti-feminist and traditional gender roles.
The study highlighted how these influencers can essentially mould the thoughts of young men who frequently consume their content. They are more likely to dehumanise women. The narrative of feminism is shaped as a vicious, anti-men element. The effect is particularly strong on those young men who believe that they are rejected by women, further strengthening this anti-women belief. They start to view feminism as a big threat to their status.
ALSO READ: Influencers foster new culture for beauty brands
Impact of manfluencers on gender roles views
The study was conducted on young men in Sweden, as this country has progressive gender policies. However, shockingly, there has been a rise in misogynistic online activity despite that.
Three series of surveys were conducted, revealing three findings. First, that manfluencers' content has higher levels of misogynistic attitudes. Second and third, studies that exposed participants to manfluencer content confirmed that such exposure fueled mistrust of women and reinforced misogynistic beliefs.
In fact, one of the survey's results revealed that young men would come across harmful narratives, like blaming feminism for all men's problems and how detrimental it is for society when women prioritize career over family. All these types of messages would further reinforce negative stereotypes.
So, to sum up, the fact that the survey was conducted in Sweden, which already has progressive gender policies, yet still harbours anti-feminist views among young men, highlights the powerful role of social media in shaping gender attitudes, regardless of physical or societal conditions.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.