What Do Incels.is Users Post Before Going Silent? A Thematic Content Analysis

• In Event: Grievance to Violence: The Gendered Dimensions of Contemporary Hate

Abstract

Research has examined posting patterns in Incel communities, but less is known about what users say before they stop posting. This study addresses this gap through a thematic content analysis of the last posts made by the 140 most engaged users on Incels.is from November 2017 to March 2023. The findings reveal that Incel Ideology and Values and Community Support were the most prevalent themes, with a focus on pointlessness and seeking sympathy for personal struggles encountered in offline lives. Forum Status and Users highlighted dissatisfaction with the Incels.is forum, while Online Disengagement Considerations reflected positive social experiences found outside Incel spaces (pull) and doubts about Incel practices like repetitive venting (push). Overall, there was minimal questioning of Incel ideology. Rather, users more commonly expressed a sense of hopelessness and exhaustion, which likely contributed to feelings of fatigue and seeing no point in continuing their participation in Incels.is. Implications for quantitative and qualitative research and policy are discussed

Author

• Richard Frank, Simon Fraser University