A recent study conducted by Dublin City University sheds light on the concerning trend of TikTok and YouTube Shorts recommending misogynistic and toxic content to young male viewers.
The study, which tracked the content recommended to 10 “sockpuppet” accounts created by researchers, revealed that it takes an average of 23 to 26 minutes of video watching for these platforms to start suggesting harmful content.
The accounts, designed to mimic the interests of 16 and 18-year-old boys, were directed towards regular content such as sports and video games, as well as content associated with misogynistic themes deliberately sought out online.
Over the course of nearly 29 hours of video watching, researchers found that a significant portion of the recommended content—around 61% on YouTube Shorts and 34% on TikTok—was deemed toxic or problematic. Moreover, once a “manfluencer” video was recommended and viewed, it increased the likelihood of similar content being suggested.
The study identified three main themes in these manfluencer videos: crisis narratives surrounding masculinity and the family unit, motivational content discouraging the expression of emotions, and debunked gender science promoting traditional gender roles.
Researchers also noted a connection between manfluencer videos and right-wing conspiracy content, further exacerbating concerns about the spread of extremist ideologies.
In response to the study, TikTok stated that the findings do not accurately reflect the user experience on their platform, stating their efforts to remove hate speech and harmful content. They emphasized their community guidelines and content moderation practices, including the removal of violative content and recommendations of less similar content in users’ feeds.
