“Belief Without Belonging: The Diffusion of Manosphere Ideology Beyond Influencers”

Abstract: Research on the manosphere has largely focused on online communities, influencers, and highly committed spaces and actors, such as incels or tradwives. Yet this leaves open a broader question: to what extent have manosphere ideologies diffused beyond these dedicated communities into the general population? We examine how manosphere beliefs circulate and the conditions under which exposure to them translates into endorsement across national contexts. We collected data using nationally representative panel surveys, in-depth interviews, and digital trace observations in the U.S. and France to trace the reach of prominent manosphere ideas, which we classify into three key categories: sexual competition, power devaluation, and status optimization. We find that although only a small share of respondents report following manosphere creators, exposure to manosphere content is widespread and endorsement among those exposed is substantial. Manosphere visibility crosses national boundaries with a similar gendered, ideological, and digital profile, while France and the United States differ in how other social inequalities shape exposure. Across both countries, rates of following dramatically underestimate ideological diffusion. Therefore, rather than treating the manosphere primarily as a story of radicalization in niche communities, our findings point to the wider normalization of its ideas.