If you’ve spent any time on social media lately (especially if you’re a man), you’ve probably seen the video we’re talking about. Intense, high-contrast videos of gym buddies and influencers talking about “male optimization,” “vitality,” or the “masculinity crisis.”
New research shows that much of that trend is bullish and is being exploited to sell a very specific and highly profitable version of “being a man.” The study, led by Emma Grundtvig-Gram from the University of Copenhagen, analyzed the murky waters of testosterone content on Instagram and TikTok. They found less science-based advice and more calculated performances designed to prey on men’s insecurities.
“Low T”
Historically, low testosterone has been touted as a symptom of aging. No more. As a result of the research, social media By directly linking testosterone to fitness and “self-optimization,” the content successfully targeted young men.
Faces that sell testosterone content are young and usually shredded. They target people in their 20s and 30s who are feeling tired or struggling to make progress at the gym. This is what researchers call the “self-optimizing” theme. In this world, your body is a machine that constantly needs tweaking. If you are not performing at 100% (physically, mentally, sexually), it must be because your “numbers” are low. You have low testosterone, or “low T.”
But in reality, screening for low testosterone is often not medically justified, and much of what’s floating around on social media has little scientific support, the study says. There is no scientific case. Taking normal human experiences like fatigue and aging and attaching medical labels to them is just creating a market. You turn people into patients. And once you become a patient, you’re a customer for life.
Simply put, this is a way to sell things, not a way to solve medical problems.
take advantage of anxiety
Influencers aren’t just selling gels and injections, at least not directly. They are selling a dream of vitality that is conveniently tied to the “stereotypical male ideal.” They use the word empowerment and talk about “taking control” of one’s health and “taking back” one’s life. While it sounds liberating and positive, it is actually a predatory practice aimed at promoting products that often lack evidence to support the “optimizations” it promises.
In fact, this study shows that hormone marketing andmanosphere” — Online communities that promote regressive and exclusionary gender norms. In the manosphere, testosterone is a precious currency. You are either a “high-T man” who equates to dominance, success, and “true” masculinity, or a “low-T” snowflake. If it’s the latter, you’ll need to purchase hormones (or other recommended products).
In this sense, these social media posts are more than just medical disinformation. psychological damage. By linking mental health And because their own worth is so close to a single hormonal number, these influencers are setting men up for downfall. If the “T” drops, you are an inferior man. It highlights this predatory mindset that feeds off of insecurities about relationships and sexuality.
The “manosphere” provides the ideology and the testosterone clinic provides the product. It’s a perfect loop. The influencer will tell you that the world is “feminizing” you, and the link in their profile will give you the “cure.”
“Such depictions of masculinity have medical implications for how men perceive themselves and their mental health, but they also promote capitalist practices, such as the consumption of testosterone products to improve their masculine selves, without supporting evidence,” the researchers note.
So what do you do with this information?
In short, Gramm and her colleagues have pulled back the curtain on a very modern kind of snake oil. Although the approach is modern, the general principles are classic tricks. “You’re not good enough. You need to buy something. Don’t be a loser and be cool like us.”
But the medical reality of testosterone is more complex (and more interesting).
Some studies actually link low testosterone Energy levels and moodiness decrease, but when men have high testosterone levels, associated with heart problems. The correct “low” level of testosterone is incorrect, especially in young men. I still don’t fully understand.
Current clinical guidelines call for the diagnosis to be based on the presence of certain symptoms (such as low libido or unexplained anemia) combined with consistently low sexual desire. testosterone levelsusually confirmed by at least two separate blood tests. Standard medical practice warns against starting treatment in healthy men with “subnormal” levels, as unnecessary use can suppress the body’s natural hormone production, cause permanent infertility, and lead to serious complications such as polycythemia (thick blood) and worsening. sleep apnea syndrome.
So the next time a piecemeal influencer tells you your “motivation” is low, remember, he’s not a doctor. he is a salesman. And what he’s selling is a version of you that doesn’t actually exist. Don’t tell an algorithm who you are. Your worth is not measured in nanograms per deciliter.
This research Social science and medicine.