Examining the intersection of the Alt-Right and the Manosphere on TikTok

• In Event: EXTR6 Right-wing extremism

Abstract

The manosphere and the alt-right are two controversial online subcultures that have gained popularity on various social media platforms, responsible for a rise in toxic masculine discourse and the spread of harmful extremist and antifeminist ideologies on the Web, and specifically TikTok. The uniting ideological feature of the manosphere and far-right groups coalesces around traditionalism and conservatism, masculinity and whiteness and the perceived loss of white, male privileges.This study investigates the ideological intersection between the manosphere and alt-right discourse on TikTok, with a specific focus on the terminology they employ. The objective of this pilot study is to explore specific terminology using the Term Based Method and Phrase based method to predict various patterns of overlap and changes to discourse linking the alt-right and the manosphere to develop themes and clusters of the intersection of terms. A mixed-methods approach using text mining alongside a multimodal analysis of videos of content creators within the manosphere virtual space on TikTok have been piloted. The results reveal that the manosphere and alt-right subcultures on TikTok share many common themes and messages which are based on traditionalism. The findings are discussed in terms of themes and messages that are promoted, as well as the motivations and impact on young users on TikTok being potentially exposed to violent and extremist ideals. The results have implications for further inquiry in identifying and assessing the impact of online radicalisation on social media platforms such as TikTok.

Authors

• Aram Ghaemmaghami, University of Portsmouth

• Simona Ciobotaru, University of Portsmouth

• Anda Iulia Solea, University of Portsmouth