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When Help Is Harm: Health, Lookism and Self-Improvement in the Manosphere.
Michael Halpin1, Meghan Gosse1, Katharine Yeo2
1Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
Sociology of Health & Illness
|March 12, 2025
Summary
Online looksmaxxing communities harm men's health by promoting hegemonic masculinity and body dissatisfaction. These platforms encourage harmful self-criticism and potentially dangerous self-modification, negatively impacting men's well-being.
Area of Science:
- Men's Health
- Online Communities
- Masculinity Studies
Background:
- Men's health is influenced by societal pressures and online interactions.
- The concept of hegemonic masculinity dictates narrow standards of male appearance and behavior.
- Online communities dedicated to self-improvement warrant investigation for their health impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of an online looksmaxxing community on men's health.
- To explore how hegemonic masculinity operates within these online spaces.
- To understand the psychological and physical health risks associated with looksmaxxing.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of 8,072 discussion board comments from a popular looksmaxxing community.
- Application of masculinities theory to interpret user interactions and content.
- Examination of themes related to body critique, self-improvement, and psychological distress.
Main Results:
- Users apply a "hegemonic masculine gaze" to critique male bodies, focusing on perceived flaws.
- The community promotes significant body alterations, including surgeries and practices like "mewing."
- Participants experience "masculine demoralization," leading to feelings of inadequacy and self-harm encouragement.
Conclusions:
- Looksmaxxing communities, driven by hegemonic masculinity, pose significant health risks to men.
- These online spaces can foster negative self-perception and encourage harmful behaviors.
- Further research is needed to address the detrimental effects of online self-improvement culture on men's mental and physical health.
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