The ‘manosphere’ is actually a multibillion-dollar industry that sells courses and supplements to insecure Gen Z men, report finds

The term “manosphere” first emerged in 2009, referring to a collection of blogs like The Spearhead and Return of Kings that promoted “men’s rights” and criticized the feminist movement, at times promoting violence against women.

Over the next 15 years, the term evolved to encompass not just a generation of bloggers, but men no longer hiding behind keyboards and usernames—content creators and influencers attaching real names to their beliefs around what it means to be a man.

It would therefore be inaccurate to call the manosphere just an ideology, when actually it has transformed into its own economy—one exploiting Gen Z men’s anxieties and resentment toward society, according to researchers from digital safety organization Reset Tech and the nonprofit Equimundo.

In a new report titled “ The Grift Economy: How Young Men Are Being Sold Fake Belonging and Fake Wealth Online ,” they found the “movement” around men’s rights and masculinity masks a multibillion-dollar industry.

“We should be deeply concerned about the opportunists,” the report said.

“In the very real moment of confusion–politicians peddling fear, uncertain job prospects, battles over the meaning of manhood–there is an industry of platforms, influencers and advertisers who are making billions off of young men’s insecurities.” Masculinity’s emerging economy Young men are struggling.

For only the third time in history, women outnumber men in the U.S. workforce, likely a result of fewer young men entering the workforce.

Instead of earning a living, more adult men are living with their parents and becoming NEETs , or not in employment, education, or training.

Separately, men are also chronically online, which contributes to loneliness.

A study published in the Journal of Political Economy found that about 70% of the hours young men spent not working were being filled with video games and recreational computer use .

In need of belonging and economic security, this vulnerable demographic has found men online offering coaching and promising self-sufficiency, dominance, and emotional suppression, according to “The Grift Economy” authors.

Meanwhile, Gen Z men are also chasing “looksmaxxing” trends, and start off “softmaxxing” then move on to higher-risk “hardmaxxing” practices like hormone injections, supplements, peptides, and surgery in the name of body optimization, the report said.

The content creators promoting these solutions are raking in cash, according to the report.

For example, streamer Adin Ross has an hourly streaming revenue of between $30,000 and $50,000 on the platform Kick, which he also has an equity stake in.