A study in Social Science and Medicine has found that influencers linked to the online “manosphere” are convincing healthy young men that normal feelings such as tiredness, low mood or reduced libido mean they have low testosterone. By analysing high-reach posts on TikTok and Instagram, researchers showed how routine testosterone testing is promoted as essential to masculinity, despite being medically unnecessary for most young men.
The lead author, from the University of Copenhagen, said this “medicalises masculinity”, creating anxiety and driving sales of tests, supplements and treatments with little evidence of benefit. Experts warned that unnecessary testing and treatment can carry risks, including infertility and heart problems, and stressed that hormone levels should only be assessed when clear clinical symptoms are present.
