Online Polarization and Toxic Communication on TikTok: A User-Centered Perspective on Sigma Masculinities

• In Event: The Mechanics of Online Hate: Understanding and Disrupting Digital Pathways to Extremism

Abstract

TikTok has become a central platform for the dissemination of masculinist discourse, particularly through the Sigma movement, which promotes a toxic vision of masculinity. Building on the findings of a first phase that analyzed sigma discourse on TikTok, this paper aims to extend the investigation by exploring the perception of users, the impact of this discourse on audiences, and the role of the platform’s algorithmic mediation in its propagation. Using a qualitative digital methodology combining online surveys and qualitative interviews, we analyzed the perception of masculinist content, cultural references and ideas among users of digital platforms. We adopt a socio-technical approach, considering masculinist discourse as the result of an interaction between technology and its users. Our study highlights the risks associated with the Sigma discourse, particularly its potential to distort gender representations and influence young men's perceptions of women and gender relations.

Authors

• Samuel Tanner, Université de Montréal

• François Gillardin, Université de Montréal