Understanding the Manosphere: How Men End Up in Anti-Feminist Circles and What We Can Do About It

Fitness, discipline, money, success, and assertiveness—these are widespread narratives of masculinity. Add to that an attractive body, a successful career, and as little self-doubt as possible. At first glance, much of what young men hear on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram from so-called “manfluencers” (male influencers who share content about masculinity, fitness, dating, success, or status) doesn’t sound particularly dangerous. On the contrary: exercising, taking responsibility for one’s own life, pursuing goals, and working on oneself aren’t problematic messages at first glance.

Things get more complicated when this advice is tied to a particular worldview—when a recommendation to act with more self-confidence eventually turns into the assertion that men must be dominant, or when dating tips become supposedly universal rules about how “women work.” When gender equality is portrayed as a losing proposition for men, or when personal disappointments are suddenly attributed to feminism, social change, or the supposedly excessive demands of women.

It is precisely within this tension that the manosphereoperates. The term does not describe a closed organization or a unified ideology, but rather a loose digital network of various subcultures, influencers, forums, and communities. These include, among others, incels, red-pill communities, pickup artists, men’s rights activists, and so-called MGTOW groups. Added to this are high-reach social media personalities, such as Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose content cannot always be clearly assigned to one of these scenes.

That is precisely why it’s worth taking a closer look. After all, anyone who wants to understand why anti-feminist—and in some cases openly misogynistic—content resonates particularly with younger men shouldn’t focus exclusively on the most radical statements. At least as important is the question of what happens leading up to that and what need this content might be addressing.

What is the Manosphere?

The Manosphere can best be understood as a digital ecosystem. Different groups hold different views on what men are supposedly losing, what women are supposedly gaining, and how the sexes should interact with one another. Not every one of these communities is equally radical, and not every man who consumes such content automatically shares misogynistic or extremist beliefs.

Differentiation is incredibly important in this area. Addressing men’s issues is not anti-feminist. It is necessary to talk about loneliness, mental health, difficulties in the education system, fatherhood, pressure to perform at work, and societal expectations placed on men. We do this regularly in our workshops and, together with the participants, establish context and create a space for open discussion. Problems arise when these topics are used to portray women or gender equality as a common enemy.

Freie Universität Berlin and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue are conducting ongoing research into the German-speaking manosphere and, in their pilot study—“Mapping the GerManosphere”— were able to demonstrate just how diverse the participating communities can be. Incels are heavily preoccupied with romantic and sexual rejection, while pickup communities often view relationships as a strategic game. Other actors direct their communication more strongly against feminism or gender equality policies. What many of these groups have in common, however, are rigid notions of gender and the assumption that there is a fundamental conflict between the interests of men and women.

On Incels, the Red Pill, and Manfluencers

In recent years, so-called “incels”—short for “involuntary celibates”—have become particularly well known. Originally, the term described involuntary sexual or romantic abstinence. Within certain online communities, however, this has given rise to a distinct worldview. There, relationships are sometimes explained based on supposedly objective hierarchies of attractiveness. Women are no longer viewed as individuals with diverse needs, but rather as a homogeneous group that allegedly selects primarily highly attractive or socially successful men.

The “red pill” ideology operates in a similarly simplistic way. The term is inspired by the movie *The Matrix*: Those who take the red pill recognize a truth that remains hidden from others. In the manosphere, this supposed truth often consists of the belief that traditional gender roles are more natural and that feminism has deprived men of social power, relationships, or recognition.

In addition to such communities, influencers are now playing an increasingly important role. The Digital School Hesse points out that young people regularly encounter highly simplified gender roles on social media. Some male influencers link self-improvement to ideas about how a successful man should look, how much money he must earn, what role he should play in relationships, and how he should deal with emotions.

This is precisely where a key difference lies compared to earlier anti-feminist online forums: Today, the Manosphere is no longer found exclusively in places where people actively seek it out. Parts of its messages are embedded in entertainment, lifestyle, fitness, and motivational content.

Why such content can be appealing

The simplest explanation would be that young men consume misogynistic content because they are misogynistic. However, this explanation doesn’t explain much.

A more interesting question is why a video about success, dating, or fitness receives so much attention in the first place. After all, much of this content promises something that people are looking for, especially during times of uncertainty: guidance.

Teens and young adults need to figure out who they want to be, how relationships work, what expectations others have of them, and how they want to measure their own worth. Social media constantly provides seemingly simple answers to these questions. The Hesse Center for Digital Education therefore rightly emphasizes that digital role models can influence identity formation.

For young men, very specific insecurities can play a role here. How do I deal with rejection? How attractive do I need to be? How important is money? Do I have to appear confident, even if I don’t feel confident? What does strength mean? What expectations are placed on men today, anyway?

Anyone who can’t find convincing answers to such questions in their own circle will very quickly discover people online who claim to be able to answer them.

In his column for ZDFheute and Terra X exactly this dynamic. Many “manfluencers” start with topics that initially seem plausible and appealing: taking responsibility, exercising, setting goals, or becoming financially independent. The real problem doesn’t stem from any of these pieces of advice individually, but rather from the anti-feminist attitude that sometimes accompanies them.

We should make a clearer distinction here. Loneliness is real. Pressure to perform is real. Men’s mental health struggles are real. Insecurities when it comes to dating are real. Nor should the feeling of being unable to find a clear stance for oneself amid old and new notions of masculinity be ridiculed.

The crucial question is rather: How are these problems explained?

Real-world problems suddenly have a simple culprit

Anti-feminist narratives often offer a very simplistic answer to complex experiences. As a result, personal insecurities are reinterpreted in political and social terms.

When a man has trouble dating, the explanation may no longer be that relationships are complicated and rejection is a fact of life. Instead, it’s said that women today have unrealistic expectations. When a man faces pressure at work, this leads to the claim that men are increasingly disadvantaged by gender equality. When societal expectations of masculinity seem contradictory, these contradictions aren’t discussed; instead, feminism is blamed for them.

That is precisely what makes such worldviews so appealing. Complex situations become easier to understand. Personal frustration is given an explanation and, often at the same time, a clear adversary.

The NRW Media Literacy Framework describes how rigid notions about men, women, relationships, and power can spread on platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. Not everyone who comes into contact with such content is automatically radicalized. But certain narratives can seem more normal and familiar when they appear repeatedly in similar forms.

That is precisely why we should use the term “radicalization” with caution. There is no single path from a fitness video to extremist beliefs. People come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, social relationships, and political views. Nevertheless, digital spaces can amplify existing insecurities and make certain explanatory frameworks more appealing.

The Role of TikTok, YouTube, Telegram Groups, and Algorithms

Social media platforms are more than just neutral showcases. Their recommendation systems play a role in determining what content users see and how quickly similar content is delivered to them.

A 2024 study by Dublin City University experimentally analyzed recommendations on TikTok and YouTube Shorts (Source: New research shows how TikTok and YouTube Shorts are bombarding users with misogynistic content). On test accounts identified as male, content that the researchers classified as masculinist, anti-feminist, or otherwise toxic began appearing within a short period of time. If accounts showed interest in this content, the proportion of such recommendations continued to increase.

Nevertheless, such studies should not be oversimplified by the statement that “the algorithm radicalizes young men.” Human behavior is simply too complex for that. An algorithm can amplify content, but it does not, on its own, explain why a particular person believes it, shares it, or becomes part of a community.

Nevertheless, the mechanism is relevant. Once you click on a video, you don’t have to actively search for ten similar videos. The platform does that work for you.

As a result, certain perspectives can quickly appear to be overrepresented. If the feed repeatedly conveys the message that relationships between women and men are inherently conflict-ridden, that feminism poses a threat to men, and that professional or romantic success depends on dominance, this can create the impression that this viewpoint is much more widespread in society than it actually is.

When Self-Improvement Turns into a Narrow View of Masculinity

Therefore, it is not self-optimization itself that is particularly problematic. It is the idea that there is only one “right” way to be a man.

In the public eye, masculinity is often equated with: success, strength, sexual desire, financial independence, physical fitness, emotional control, assertiveness—and I could go on and on.

Those who fail to meet these expectations are quickly viewed as weak or inferior in some circles of the Manosphere. At the same time, men are urged to seek social recognition precisely through those very traits that already cause many of them distress.

This is a remarkable contradiction. On the one hand, “manfluencers” like Andrew Tate, Sneako & Hamza Ahmed, Cecil Egwuatu, and Luke Belmar promise men freedom from supposed societal constraints. On the other hand, they often replace these constraints with an extremely rigid set of rules about what masculinity is supposed to look like.

The Deutschlandfunk Kultur also highlights the connection between anti-feminist narratives and certain notions of masculinity in its examination of the manosphere. The key point here is not to declare masculinity itself to be the problem. Rather, the problem lies in notions according to which men can establish their worth only through dominance, status, or separation from others.

These role models can also be a burden for men themselves. Those who believe they must always appear confident may be less likely to ask for help later on. Those who closely link their professional status to their self-worth tend to view failures as personal defeats. Those who try to show as few emotions as possible may have difficulty building closeness and trust.

This makes it clear why the discussion about the “Manosphere” must be more than just a debate about misogyny. It’s also about which ideas of masculinity we promote as socially desirable.

How do you get out of the Manosphere?

Caution is warranted when addressing this question, because there is no single “manosphere” any more than there is a single way out of it. Someone who occasionally consumes problematic TikTok videos is in a completely different situation than a person whose entire social circle now consists of radicalized online communities. Conversations and interventions must be tailored accordingly.

However, public shaming is rarely particularly helpful. Anyone who confronts a teenager or a coworker by saying, “You’ve totally fallen for what these incels are saying,” may be setting a clear boundary, but won’t necessarily open the door to a conversation.

Especially for people who aren’t yet firmly established in those circles, it may make more sense to ask questions. Where does this belief come from? How much of it actually matches your own experience? What other explanations might there be? What are the interests of the influencer spreading this message?

Questions like these do not downplay misogynistic statements. A clear line must be drawn when people are devalued, threatened, or when violence is legitimized. But between agreement and outright confrontation, there is a wide range where learning is possible.

Belonging is part of the problem—and therefore also part of the solution

This becomes particularly important in places where a community has long since come to offer more than just political statements. It offers connections, recognition, humor, shared concepts, familiar rituals, and interaction among people who seem to have had the same experiences.

Therefore, telling someone to leave this community may not just be asking them to change their mind. It is demanding that they give up their social circle.

That is exactly why alternative relationships are so important. Families, friends, teachers, coworkers, and counseling services cannot immediately change every ideological belief. However, they can prevent the problematic community from becoming the only place where a person feels taken seriously.

Professional men’s work often does not begin at this point with moral condemnation, but rather with the question of what expectations and experiences men actually bring to the table. The Federal Forum for Men and the Swiss umbrella organization männer.ch , for example, have been addressing gender-sensitive men’s work, fatherhood, health, gender roles, and gender equality for years.

That doesn’t mean accepting misogynistic attitudes. It means still engaging with people even when what they say is difficult to hear.

Media literacy must also include influencer literacy

In addition, there is a second important area: media literacy.

Most teenagers these days know that not everything on the Internet is true. But that’s no longer enough.

It’s also crucial to understand how influencers work. Why does a particular statement attract attention? How does the person make money? Are they ultimately selling coaching services, a book, an investment product, or access to a paid community? Why do anger, outrage, and scapegoating work so well on these platforms?

Media literacy should therefore not only involve checking whether a statement is true or false. It should also ask why that statement is appearing in my feed right now and what business model is behind it.

It is not enough to criticize problematic masculinity

Perhaps this is one of the most important points in the entire debate. Even if we explain in detail to a 16-year-old boy why a certain “manfluencer” is problematic, we still won’t know who he can look up to instead.

When we say that men need to break free from traditional gender roles, we haven’t yet answered the question of what an alternative model might look like.

Public discourse has become very good at identifying problematic masculinity. That’s important. At the same time, we talk surprisingly rarely about the qualities we’d like to promote instead.

• A man can be both caring and ambitious.
• He can be confident without putting others down.
• He can be successful without declaring status to be the measure of human worth.
• He can be a father and take on responsibility for caregiving.
• He can show his vulnerability without being weak.
• And he can meet a successful woman without perceiving her success as a loss of personal status.

That sounds obvious. But for someone who hears the opposite every day, it isn’t necessarily so.

Male Allyship as a Possible Alternative

This is exactly where Male Allyship becomes interesting. It’s not a “drop-out” program, nor is it a moral seal of approval for men who consider themselves particularly progressive. Male allyship describes, first and foremost, the willingness not to leave the fight for equality solely to those affected by inequality.

A “Male Ally” listens, reflects on his own role, and takes action where he has influence. In a company, this can mean addressing sexist behavior, making female colleagues more visible in decision-making processes, opening up informal networks, or taking a closer look at promotions. In one’s personal life, it can mean sharing caregiving responsibilities as a matter of course or speaking up when a friend makes sweeping, disparaging remarks about women.

Programs such as UN Women’s HeForShe or MARC by Catalyst have been working for years on the idea of viewing men not merely as spectators of gender equality, but as active participants.

In my view, however, the most interesting question is a different one: What does male allyship actually offer men themselves?

Equality is not a zero-sum game

A fundamental narrative in anti-feminist discourse is that greater equality automatically means fewer opportunities for men. When women advance in their careers, men lose their positions. If companies promote women, men are supposedly put at a disadvantage. When sexism is discussed, men are supposedly no longer allowed to speak up. This way of thinking turns social progress into a zero-sum game.

Gender-sensitive men’s work is therefore increasingly seeking to highlight a different perspective. In a joint statement by the Bundesforum Männer, männer.ch, and other organizations , it is explicitly pointed out that gender equality does not necessarily mean that men lose what women gain.

Men, too, can benefit from more flexible gender roles. When caregiving is no longer seen as a “female” trait, men can experience fatherhood differently. When vulnerability is not automatically viewed as a weakness, it becomes easier to seek support. When professional status is less closely tied to male identity, new ways of defining success emerge.

Equality, therefore, does not mean taking away men’s identity. Rather, it can help ensure that men do not have to expend so much energy constantly proving that they live up to a certain ideal of masculinity.

This is a much more constructive proposal than the idea that men must defend their social standing against women.

Male allyship must be visible in everyday life

It’s not enough for male leaders to simply say they support equality. Allyship becomes meaningful in specific situations:

• If a colleague’s idea is overlooked during a meeting and another colleague brings it up later, someone might say, “That ties in with the point she just raised.”
• When a promotion decision involves discussions about a mother’s supposedly lower flexibility, someone might ask whether the same question is asked of fathers.
• When a sexist joke is told, there’s no need for a five-minute lecture. A calm question like, “What do you actually mean by that?” can be enough to make it clear that the statement isn’t simply taken for granted.

It is precisely these small situations that determine whether equality in the workplace remains an abstract strategy or becomes part of the actual culture.

A study by Catalyst on sexism in the workplace shows that men are more likely to intervene when they feel responsible, believe they can handle the situation, and are convinced that their actions can make a difference. At the same time, organizational culture plays an important role. Those who expect to face negative consequences for speaking out are more likely to remain silent.

For companies, this means that confidence in taking action must be cultivated. “Show your stance” is not a sufficient approach if no one knows what to say when it really counts.

What role do companies and organizations play in this?

At first glance, the discussion about the “Manosphere” seems far removed from human resources, leadership, or organizational culture. In fact, these two topics intersect more quickly than one might expect.

People don’t leave their assumptions about gender at the company entrance in the morning. They bring them with them into meetings, job interviews, team communications, and leadership decisions.

Anyone who is convinced that gender equality puts men at a disadvantage will likely view an internal female leadership program differently. Those who fundamentally view gender relations as a competition may react more defensively to efforts to promote women. And those who have learned that assertiveness must appear as dominant as possible may also bring this understanding of leadership into their everyday professional lives.

Organizations should therefore not wait until overtly misogynistic statements are made before taking action. They can take action much earlier.

Men’s networks are the key factor

Many larger organizations have now established women’s networks. These networks create spaces for exchange, career development, and mutual support. Internal programs in which men systematically examine their own gender roles are significantly less common.

Yet there are plenty of topics that are directly relevant to everyday work life: fatherhood, mental load, career, health, pressure to perform, leadership, conflicts, the equitable division of labor between partners, or the question of how men can respond when other men make sexist remarks.

Such a network should explicitly not be a counterpart to women’s networks along the lines of “Well, then men need something, too.” That would lead right back to zero-sum thinking.

Instead, it could be a place where men reflect together on how gender roles also influence their own behavior and decisions.

The Federal Forum for Men demonstrates through its gender-equality-focused work with boys, men, and fathers that men’s interests and gender equality do not have to be mutually exclusive. Particularly relevant to the topic of the “Manosphere” is that the organization now also addresses anti-feminism, radicalization, and images of masculinity in depth.

What Effective Male Allyship Training Programs Should Achieve

Training programs can also be helpful in this regard, provided they go beyond simply introducing definitions and privileges.

In our training sessions, we regularly find that participants generally have little difficulty supporting gender equality in principle. Uncertainty tends to arise more often in specific situations.

• What should I say if my supervisor makes a problematic statement?
• How can I support a coworker without speaking for her without her asking?
• How do I disagree with a colleague who has been with the company longer than I have?
• How should I respond when someone claims that men are systematically disadvantaged today?
• How can I talk about privilege without turning every conversation into a defensive or guilt-inducing exchange?

These are exactly the kinds of situations that should be practiced. After all, confidence in one’s actions doesn’t come from knowledge alone, but from people learning about and trying out different ways to respond.

What Companies Can Learn From This

Perhaps the most important lesson is not to wait until men are perceived as a problem before addressing them.

Those who speak exclusively about men when discussing sexism, dominance, or violence should not be surprised if efforts to promote gender equality are perceived by some as an accusation. This does not mean being less explicit about problematic behavior. It simply means addressing men as potential agents of change as well.

For example, companies can create spaces—even for early-career employees—where leadership and collaboration are discussed. They can involve male leaders more deeply in gender equality efforts while making it clear that allyship means more than just visible support at events. They can provide training in bystander intervention (civic courage) and give men concrete ways to respond to sexism.

However, communication is at least as important. If gender equality is presented solely as a means of correcting male misconduct, it quickly meets with resistance. If, on the other hand, it is understood as a shared effort to address working conditions, leadership, care work, career opportunities, and respectful collaboration, a different approach becomes possible.

That doesn’t mean making inequality invisible or avoiding questions of power. On the contrary. It is often only when people are no longer preoccupied with defending their own moral integrity that a more serious conversation about structures becomes possible.

Organizations Promoting Positive Masculinity and Male Allyship

There are now a number of organizations whose work demonstrates that men can be actively involved in gender equality without ignoring their own issues.

The Federal Forum for Men works in Germany on policies related to boys, men, and fathers, and explicitly links this work to a gender-equality perspective. Among other things, the association addresses issues such as health, care work, fatherhood, violence prevention, and anti-feminism.

The Swiss umbrella organization männer.ch takes a similar approach and has been working for years on gender-sensitive men’s work. What is particularly interesting is that the discussion here focuses not only on what men are expected to contribute to society, but also on the pressures and role expectations they themselves face.

Internationally, the MenEngage Alliance is working to involve men and boys more deeply in gender equality. At the same time, the organization emphasizes that men’s work does not automatically become progressive simply because men talk about their problems. Truly gender-transformative approaches must also take into account power dynamics and structural inequalities.

Equimundo combines research on perceptions of masculinity with programs focused on care work, violence prevention, and gender equality. Particularly compelling is the effort to make positive notions of masculinity more visible in places where problematic images are especially prevalent today: in digital spaces.

With MARC , Catalyst has once again developed an approach that is explicitly geared toward organizations. There, allyship is not viewed as a one-time awareness-raising effort, but rather as a process in which people learn to recognize their own scope for action and take responsibility for fostering inclusive workplace cultures.

Also White Ribbon has been working for decades with men and boys on violence prevention, healthy relationships, and alternative models of masculinity. The organization demonstrates particularly clearly that prevention, organizational development, and concrete practical skills go hand in hand.

What We Can Actually Offer as a Counterpoint to the Manosphere

Perhaps that’s why, when dealing with the manosphere, we need to start from a different place: It’s not enough to point out misogynistic influencers and tell young men which people they shouldn’t follow. Of course, education about anti-feminism, misogyny, and the dynamics of radicalization is necessary. But simply presenting counterarguments does not address the questions that make much of this content appealing in the first place.

When a young man is searching for guidance, he needs credible role models who can talk about masculinity without reducing it to dominance and status. If he is lonely, simply being told that certain online communities are problematic is not enough. If he is under pressure to perform, he needs spaces where failure, insecurity, and feeling overwhelmed are not automatically seen as signs of weakness. And if he’s struggling with societal changes, someone should be able to talk to him about it without immediately dismissing any discomfort as political backwardness. This presents a major challenge for families, educational institutions, the media, and businesses alike.

We should not ignore men’s issues simply because anti-feminist actors exploit them. On the contrary: precisely because these actors seize upon real insecurities and reinterpret them ideologically, democratic and gender-equality-oriented institutions must offer better solutions.

An Alternative to the Manosphere

It’s not about imposing a new definition of “true masculinity” on men. Perhaps that, too, would be too restrictive. It would be much more helpful to allow greater freedom in what it means to be a man.

A man can be ambitious and caring at the same time. He can be physically strong and still talk about his fears. He can aspire to professional success without viewing a female colleague’s success as competition. He can come across as confident and still admit when he’s wrong. And he can support equality without it making him any less masculine.

In this context, male allyship can make an important contribution because it offers men an active role—not as saviors of women or as a particularly morally enlightened group, but as people who take responsibility for the environment they help shape.

The Manosphere often promises men clarity by making the world seem smaller. It divides people into winners and losers, strong and weak men, desirable and less desirable people, feminists, and so-called realists. A response grounded in gender equality should do exactly the opposite. It should make the world bigger again.

Conclusion: Men don’t need new rules about how they’re supposed to be men

The Manosphere isn’t successful simply because its members have particularly compelling political arguments. Part of its appeal stems from the fact that it addresses issues that are sometimes given surprisingly little attention in other social debates: insecurity, rejection, loneliness, status, identity, and the question of what it even means to be a man today.

That does not excuse either anti-feminism or misogyny. However, it explains why simply criticizing problematic statements will not be enough.

We need education about digital mechanisms and platforms. We need professional prevention efforts when attitudes become radicalized. We need to set clear boundaries against sexism and misanthropy. At the same time, we need spaces where boys and men can talk about their own experiences without this automatically leading to a conflict between the sexes.

Male allyship can be part of the answer here—especially when it is not seen as an obligation, but rather as an invitation to shape one’s own role more consciously.

After all, equality does not mean dictating to men how they should be in the future. At its best, it means exactly the opposite: fewer rigid rules about how men and women must be, and more freedom in how people choose to live, lead, work, and interact with one another.

Perhaps that is precisely the most convincing response to the Manosphere.

Terms You Should Know About the Manosphere

From here on, you can decide for yourself how much further you want to explore the Manosphere and its terminology. It’s definitely worth taking a look at the other networks and organizations listed here that are committed to gender equality.

Other German organizations and projects that advocate for a more constructive image of men

• PathForge: This Berlin-based project does not seek to reach men by criticizing traditional norms of masculinity, but rather by consciously developing positive narratives. These include topics such as healthy relationships, emotional development, purpose, values, and a constructive form of masculinity.
• Dissens – Institute for Education and Research e. V.: For decades, the institute has been conducting research and carrying out work on gender relations, youth programs for boys, masculinity, and the prevention of right-wing extremism and anti-feminism.
• The Men’s Counseling Network brings together counseling services specifically for boys, men, and fathers. The approach explicitly focuses on masculinity: societal expectations and stereotypes about men are to be incorporated into counseling, rather than assuming a supposedly gender-neutral view of humanity.
• “Real men talk.”: This nationwide counseling service is aimed, among others, at men facing crises in their relationships, breakups, work, or fatherhood, as well as men who have experienced violence or have become violent themselves. This is particularly valuable for your section on solutions because it shows that the alternative to the “manosphere” can consist of more than just communication campaigns.
• Plan International Germany: Through its gender-transformative approach, the organization explicitly works to involve boys and men in gender equality and to critically examine societal norms of masculinity.

About the author

Dennis Jantsch

Website |  + ArticlesBio

I am committed to women finding their own way, living their ideas without compromise and supporting each other. At the same time, I want to take responsibility for my gender in order to promote equality and female empowerment.