The ‘manosphere’ is actually a multibillion-dollar industry that sells courses and supplements to insecure Gen Z men, report finds

The term "manosphere" first emerged in 2009, referring to a collection of blogs promoting "men's rights" and criticizing the feminist movement, sometimes promoting violence against women. Over the course of the next 15 years, this term evolved to encompass not just a generation of bloggers, but also men who no longer hid behind usernames, turning into content creators and influencers who adopt real names to express their beliefs about what it means to be a man.

The term "manosphere" is therefore inaccurate to describe merely an ideology; it has evolved into a multibillion-dollar economy exploiting Gen Z men's anxieties and resentment towards society, according to researchers from digital safety organization Reset Tech and the nonprofit Equimundo. Their new report, "The Grift Economy: How Young Men Are Being Sold Fake Belonging and Fake Wealth Online," reveals that this so-called 'movement' around men's rights and masculinity is actually a multibillion-dollar industry.

The report emphasizes the need for concern regarding opportunists capitalizing on young men's insecurities. The economy of masculinity targets vulnerable demographics such as men who are not in employment, education, or training, and are increasingly reliant on online communities for belonging and economic security. Furthermore, Gen Z men are increasingly participating in "looksmaxxing" and "hardmaxxing" trends, which involve hormone injections, supplements, and cosmetic surgery, in pursuit of body optimization.

The authors attribute this economic surge to the algorithms of social media platforms, rather than a single influencer, urging for greater consumer protection and platform accountability.