From Manosphere to Mainstream: Representations of Masculinity on TikTok

Abstract

Instead of shrinking, the gender gap between young men and women seems to be widening as traditional gender norms are reinvigorated. Social media are seen to shape young people’s gender identities, and while representations of femininity have been extensively studied, mainstream online representations of masculinity are underexplored. This article analyses the representation of masculinity on TikTok, based on ethnographic observation and data collection from the “For You” page as well as the search term #masculinity, followed by qualitative thematic analysis of 345 videos. The analysis shows that representations of traditional, hegemonic masculinity are dominant on the platform, while women are portrayed as submissive and untrustworthy. The algorithm directs the user towards increasingly extreme content, thereby mainstreaming ideas initially propagated within the manosphere. In this way, TikTok functions as a form of “public pedagogy,” encouraging young men to conform to traditional gender roles.