Are Anti-Feminist Communities Gateways to the Far Right? Evidence from Reddit and YouTube (2102.12837v2)

Abstract: Researchers have suggested that "the Manosphere," a conglomerate of men-centered online communities, may serve as a gateway to far right movements. In that context, this paper quantitatively studies the migratory patterns between a variety of groups within the Manosphere and the Alt-right, a loosely connected far right movement that has been particularly active in mainstream social networks. Our analysis leverages over 300 million comments spread through Reddit (in 115 subreddits) and YouTube (in 526 channels) to investigate whether the audiences of channels and subreddits associated with these communities have converged between 2006 and 2018. In addition to subreddits related to the communities of interest, we also collect data on counterparts: other groups of users which we use for comparison (e.g., for YouTube we use a set of media channels). Besides measuring the similarity in the commenting user bases of these communities, we perform a migration study, calculating to which extent users in the Manosphere gradually engage with Alt-right content. Our results suggest that there is a large overlap between the user bases of the Alt-right and of the Manosphere and that members of the Manosphere have a bigger chance to engage with far right content than carefully chosen counterparts. However, our analysis also shows that migration and user base overlap varies substantially across different platforms and within the Manosphere. Members of some communities (e.g., Men's Rights Activists) gradually engage with the Alt-right significantly more than counterparts on both Reddit and YouTube, whereas for other communities, this engagement happens mostly on Reddit (e.g., Pick Up Artists). Overall, our work paints a nuanced picture of the pipeline between the Manosphere and the Alt-right, which may inform platforms' policies and moderation decisions regarding these communities.

Analysis of Anti-Feminist Communities as Gateways to the Far Right: Evidence from Reddit and YouTube

This paper investigates the proposition that male-centric online communities, broadly categorized under "the Manosphere," may act as a conduit for radicalization towards far right ideologies, particularly the Alt-right. Utilizing comprehensive datasets from Reddit and YouTube, the authors examine the interaction and potential migration of users between these communities over a span of years.

Methodology and Data

The paper leverages an extensive dataset consisting of over 300 million comments gathered from 115 subreddits on Reddit and 526 channels on YouTube. The temporal scope covers user interactions from 2006 to 2018. Methodologically, the research delineates between direct overlaps in user bases and examines migratory patterns, utilizing established metrics such as Jaccard similarity and the overlap coefficient to assess user base interconnectivity.

The researchers curated their data through multiple stages, starting with identifying seed communities related to the Manosphere—namely, Men's Rights Activists (MRAs), Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOWs), Involuntary Celibates (Incels), and Pick Up Artists (PUAs)—and extending to Alt-right communities. They further established counterpart groups as benchmarks, consisting of media channels on YouTube and random samples or gaming communities on Reddit.

Key Findings

User Base Overlap

The analysis reveals notable overlap between users participating in Manosphere communities and those engaged with Alt-right groups across both platforms. Notably, MGTOW and MRAs exhibit a higher degree of overlap with Alt-right users, unlike Incels and PUAs, which display a weaker connection. This finding challenges some popular assumptions concerning the radicalization pathways within certain Manosphere groups.

User Migration

The migratory paper illustrates that users originating from the Manosphere are more likely to engage with Alt-right content compared to their counterparts. The progression is particularly pronounced in MRAs and MGTOWs. Interestingly, while both YouTube and Reddit present these trends, the effect size is more substantial on Reddit. This difference prompts a deeper evaluation of platform mechanics in facilitating interaction dynamics.

Implications

The implications of these findings are manifold. Firstly, they provide empirical evidence supporting the concerns raised by policy-making and regulatory bodies over male supremacist ideologies potentially serving as gateways to more extreme right-wing views. Secondly, it assists social media platforms in crafting nuanced content moderation and user management policies by highlighting which communities within the Manosphere pose a greater risk of fostering extremist ideologies.

From a theoretical perspective, the paper enriches the discourse on online radicalization and community dynamics by illustrating that radical pathways may not always align with preconceived notions about high-risk groups, such as Incels, and encourages a differentiated approach when analyzing the Manosphere.

Future Research Directions

The paper invites further exploration into the mechanisms underpinning these migratory patterns and whether they are driven by inherent ideological compatibilities, social dynamics, or platform-specific factors. Moreover, examining the evolving landscape of online extremist communities, particularly in the context of newer far-right movements, could yield deeper insights.

In summary, this paper provides a quantitatively robust analysis of the relationship between anti-feminist communities and far-right radicalization pathways, highlighting the complexity and heterogeneity within the Manosphere’s connection to the Alt-right. It lays a foundation for future work to further dissect these interactions and inform both scholarly understanding and practical policy development.