Influencers in the Manosphere

"These digital groups range from those with a legitimate and worthwhile focus on men's rights and health to those with extreme misogynistic and violent content. Consequently, these sites share little but a superficial resemblance in terms of their male-targetedness. Most analyses of content tend to focus on the darker side of the manosphere. A recent report 1 suggested that one reason men find these sites attractive is that they provide "emotional validation" of their experiences in a world that they find increasingly challenging."

"There are several unanswered questions underlying the identification of the reinforcers gained when visiting manosphere content. For example, is there a growing need for emotional validation among men? Is there an establishing operation creating the reinforcing power of emotional validation? Is there a crisis in men's psychological health, to which such validation would provide balm? If there is not, then what is it that manosphere influencers are doing that not only reinforces men visiting these sites but also creates a need to keep them re-visiting?"

The manosphere encompasses a range of digital sites and communities aimed at men, from legitimate men's-rights and health forums to spaces promoting extreme misogyny and violence. Many analyses concentrate on the darker elements of these communities. Emotional validation is proposed as a factor that attracts men by affirming their experiences in an increasingly challenging social environment. Important questions remain about whether demand for validation is growing, whether influencers create reinforcing dynamics that increase return visits, and whether there is an underlying crisis in men's psychological health contributing to engagement. Medical providers report high male suicide and substance-abuse rates.

Read at Psychology Today