Key Points:

In the era of social media and the internet, discussions on gender identity, misogyny, and online terms such as “looksmaxxing” — literally maximizing one’s appearance or incel culture raise questions about their effects on the human mind. Do these trends change people physically, emotionally, or even politically?

The pursuit of perfection and the attempt to achieve hypermasculinity have recently become trending topics of discussion, alongside the evolving narrative about whether masculinity is under threat or not.

Several politicians and popular figures, such as US Senator Josh Hawley and actor Anthony Mackie, have previously shed light on the subject of masculinity. Sen. Hawley has suggested that masculinity is under attack, while Mackie has stated that he teaches his children to be “young men.” A popular study conducted in 2013 found that men who faced threats to their gender identity tended to experience changes in their cognitive thinking, especially regarding political subjects.

It is also a widely held belief that some men act aggressively when their gender identity is questioned. This reaction is particularly common among teenage boys. Other studies have shown that some men feel the need to prove their masculinity, especially when it is questioned or perceived to be under threat.

See Also: 40% of Teenage Boys Believe Women Lie About Domestic and Sexual Violence: New Research

A 2013 study found that men who faced threats to their gender identity tended to show greater support for homophobia, war, and traditional masculine values. To recreate those findings, another study was conducted and later published in the Journal of Experimental Political Science. However, unlike the earlier study, the new research produced opposite results.

So, what has changed in the last 13 years?

For the new research, 2,774 adults from across America were selected, of whom more than 2,000 were men. Changes in their political attitudes were observed after they were divided into different groups and asked to complete an online survey. The goal was to examine their reactions to their feminine or masculine traits. They completed a personality test and were then intentionally given false feedback about their gender identity.

Men were told that they fell within the feminine range, while women were told they fell within the masculine range. Apart from this, one group received results that were closer to the truth, while another group was asked to take a general awareness quiz to assess their psychological thinking. Afterward, all of them were asked about their political and social viewpoints. What were the results of the study?

Men who were told that their scores fell within the feminine range did not change their political opinions. Their support for the Iraq War or homophobia which had seen greater support in the 2013 study did not increase. This raises the question of whether men have begun to look beyond traditional ideas of masculinity, or whether they have simply learned how to navigate and “beat” research studies.

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