Dating and fitness feeds can pull young men into the manosphere

Young men who follow dating and fitness content on TikTok are more likely to encounter material linked to the manosphere, according to a Danish report covered by DR.

The report, produced by the Center for Digital Pædagogik with Analyse & Tal, used TikTok data from young men and tests with fake profiles to examine which interests could lead to feeds filled with manosphere content. Such material can promote the idea that women control society and that only the most attractive and successful men can thrive.

Dating and fitness were the two interests most likely to lead to this content, said Emil Ludvigsen, a senior consultant at the Center for Digital Pædagogik and one of the report’s authors. A fake profile focused on gaming, by contrast, received no manosphere content.

Ludvigsen said young men are exposed to this material broadly, but those who frequently seek out dating and fitness content may be especially vulnerable. Fitness content can respond to worries about being big, strong or attractive enough, while dating content may appeal to those looking for advice about the opposite sex. The manosphere, he said, offers very poor advice.

The report also says TikTok appears to direct users towards manosphere-related content. When searching for “how to attract”, the platform suggested “how to attract high value women”. Ludvigsen said “high value women” can be manosphere code for women judged by criteria such as their number of sexual partners or whether they have male friends.

TikTok’s communications chief for the Nordic region, Lukasz Lindell, said in a written response to DR that the company wants its platform to be safe. He said TikTok proactively removes 98.1 per cent of videos that violate its rules on hate and hateful conduct, and is working to improve moderation, diversify recommendations and disrupt repetitive patterns in personalised feeds.

The report also links the rise of “looksmaxxing”, which involves trying to improve one’s appearance to achieve greater success in life, to the manosphere. Ludvigsen said exercising alone does not constitute looksmaxxing. He said the term originates in the manosphere and becomes harmful when driven by the belief that women only want the most attractive 20 per cent of men, and by fear of lifelong loneliness if a person does not meet that standard.

The report says there are financial incentives for male influencers who promote anti-equality or misogynistic messages. Fitness creators can sell steroids, peptides and personal training, while dating influencers can offer courses on how to attract partners, Ludvigsen said. The former kickboxer Andrew Tate is one of the world’s biggest such influencers. He was detained in Bucharest in 2024 and is accused of human trafficking and rape.

The report defines the manosphere as influencers and online communities that oppose gender equality and promote particular ideals of masculinity, contributing to arguments for limiting women’s freedoms and opportunities.