"Manosphere": the billion-dollar industry cashing in on young people's anxiety

The term "manosphere" first emerged in 2009, referring to a cluster of blogs such as The Spearhead and Return of Kings that championed "men's rights" and criticized feminism — some of which also promoted violence against women. Over the following 15 years, the term's meaning broadened: it no longer describes only that generation of bloggers, but now also includes content creators and influencers who no longer hide behind a keyboard and openly promote their own views, under their own names, on "what it means to be a real man."

Researchers from the digital-safety organization Reset Tech and the nonprofit Equimundo argue that it would be wrong to describe the manosphere — an online movement promoting men's rights and ideas of "real masculinity" — as simply an ideology. In reality, they say, it has become a distinct economy that feeds on Gen Z men's anxieties and their anger at society. In a new report titled "The Grift Economy: How Fake Brotherhood and Fake Wealth Are Being Sold to Young Men Online," the researchers found that the "movement" built around men's rights and masculinity is in fact concealing a billion-dollar industry. The report states: "We should be deeply concerned about those exploiting this opportunity. At this confusing moment — when politicians are stoking fear, job prospects are uncertain, and debates over the meaning of manhood are raging — there is an entire industry of platforms, influencers and advertisers making billions of dollars off young men's insecurity."

Young men really are struggling. For only the third time in history, women now outnumber men in the U.S. labor force — likely a reflection of fewer young men entering the job market. Instead of earning an income of their own, more adult men are living with their parents and falling into the NEET category (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Their near-constant time online is only deepening the sense of loneliness: according to a study published in the Journal of Political Economy, about 70% of unemployed young men's leisure time is now spent on video games and other computer-based entertainment.

According to the authors of the "Grift Economy" report, members of this vulnerable group — who need to feel needed and financially secure — are finding men online who offer coaching and promises centered on self-sufficiency, dominance, and suppressing one's emotions. At the same time, Gen Z men are drawn to looksmaxxing, an online trend focused on "maximizing" one's physical appearance: the report notes that they typically start with relatively safe "softmaxxing" methods before moving on to higher-risk "hardmaxxing" practices such as hormone injections, supplements, peptides, and surgery — all carried out in the name of "optimizing" one's looks.

According to the report, the content creators promoting these "solutions" are earning handsomely from them. Streamer Adin Ross, for instance, who holds a stake in the platform Kick, earns between $30,000 and $50,000 an hour there. Other leading streamers can make anywhere from $1 million to $10 million a year through online courses, sponsorship deals, and speaking fees.

However, the researchers caution against blaming any single influencer for the rise of this economy built on young men's insecurity. Christina Wilfore, co-author of the report and director of global projects and innovation at Reset Tech, says the real culprit behind this explosion of the masculinity industry is the algorithmic systems that power social networks. As she told Fortune: "It's almost funny, isn't it? You see these viral trends, write them off as silly, and move on. But that reaction is dangerous — because behind it lies a huge infrastructure."

Wilfore is calling for stronger consumer protections and greater accountability from platforms. Other countries have already taken steps to regulate the online space: in 2024, the European Union introduced its Digital Services Act for social media platforms, setting strict limits on content moderation, safety, and transparency. David Sasaki, director of the "Boys & Men Online" program at the American Institute for Boys and Men, told Fortune that addressing algorithmic systems could improve online safety not just for men but for a much wider audience. Still, he urges going beyond reactive measures aimed solely at protecting young men, and instead thinking about building adult communities and real, practical solutions that can serve as role models for young people: "Diagnosing the problem is good, but the problems of the world boys and men live in have already been diagnosed plenty. What's missing is a positive, affirming message about what can actually be done about it."