Study revealed: dangerous misogyny in the German manosphere

Study revealed: dangerous misogyny in the German manosphere

A comprehensive study has analyzed the extent of female hostility in German online networks in detail. Researchers from the Free University of Berlin and the Berlin Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) have examined the dynamics and structures within these networks. The findings show that the conditions and narratives in Germany have great similarities to international misogynistic movements. This study emphasizes that the scene is becoming increasingly important, especially among young men.

The best-known groups include “pickup artists” and masculinity coaches who try to manipulate women and propagate an idealized picture of masculinity. The so -called incels and men's rights activists, who describe a supposed "crisis of masculinity" in their rhetoric, are also a central part of these movements. These groups take the view that modern men no longer have the strength and dominance of the past and that women have disproportionate influence in society.

The manosphere and its dangers

Studies show that this so -called man'sosphere can be observed in an increase in misogyny content and calls for violence. In this context, Incels are particularly dangerous because they often have connections to real violent acts. Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer who describes himself as "Alpha Male", acts as a model for many men in this context. In recent years, the German -language manosphere has been strongly oriented towards its English -language counterparts and takes over their narratives and tactics.

experts have also found that the manosphere comprises a variety of groups, including male coaching, men's rights activists and "pick-up artists". These communities reject equality and blame them for social problems. Political scientist Dominik Hammer describes that the networks can be found relatively easily and aggregate both on social media and in classic forums.

The role of social media

The algorithm of platforms such as Tikkok favors emotionally charged and polarizing content, so that women -considering videos, such as those from Andrew Tate, reach millions of young people. The viral distribution of such content not only increases toxic masculinity ideals, but also leads to the radicalization of users. According to a study, a third of the population supports a violent ideal of masculinity, which indicates the widespread acceptance and normalization of such views.

In order to counteract these current challenges, the study calls for EU-wide regulation against extreme hatred of women on internet platforms. Educational initiatives should be used to clarify women's discriminatory narrative early, especially in schools. The curricula must treat topics such as misogyny, sexual violence and appropriate dating in order to promote a well -founded examination of these topics.

In addition, it is emphasized that pedagogy is necessary to address the emotional aspects in the upbringing in order to act against the ideals of masculinity. The focus is on the need to actively help shape the social Internet through cultural work in order to promote democratic coexistence. There is an urgent need for further research on the risks and developments in these networks in order to be able to develop targeted countermeasures.

These findings and challenges were not only cleared by the study by the Free University of Berlin, but also in the context of the discussions about the British Netflix series "Adolescence", which addressed toxic masculinity and violence and continued to fuel the debate about mental young people in Germany. The case of a teenager who murdered a classmate shows the urgency of this topic.

The complete results of the study are on the platforms of Tagesschau , Deutschlandfunk Kultur and SWR to read.