On March 26, arrest of influencer Braden Peters, otherwise known as “Clavicular,” sent shockwaves through his largely male fanbase. Peters, who initially rose to fame through Tiktoks where he rated people’s looks, pioneered the art of “looksmaxxing,” a system that conflates physical looks with a number on an objective scale. This number is then used by subscribers of this belief to determine one’s worth and therefore achievement in life. Not only has looksmaxxing been increasingly associated with men, it has fostered and perpetuated a false sense of toxic masculinity and identity: a driving force and characteristic of the manosphere.
Recently released Netflix documentary “Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere” has generated discourse on not only the rise of conservatism but the dangers of toxic masculinity, especially toward youth online. The emergence of internet subcultures like the “black pill” community raise an important question: how does the internet facilitate harmful social and political atmospheres among younger generations?
“Black pill,” a term often associated with the manosphere, parallels the notion of looksmaxxing and encompasses an ideology that promotes nihilism and the idea that biological traits are inherently linked to economic and romantic success. Essentially, black pill encourages people to simply give up on success in life if they fail to possess the physical features deemed attractive, thus promoting a nihilistic worldview to those who do not fulfill an objective and oppressive beauty standard.
Why is black pill bad, if it even is? Many people who participate in the black pill engage in online content catered to this community. Typically, said content focuses on judging certain physical traits, labeling them as either good or bad, and giving unprofessional advice on how to optimize appearance. Men often see looksmaxxing as a means of self-improvement. However, this ideology is inherently flawed. Not only does the black pill community emphasize predetermined failure for those who do not naturally possess the traits deemed attractive, but the notion also perpetuates the idea that one’s looks are fundamentally tied to their value. This conflation fosters not only a toxic masculinity but also collective insecurity and self-hatred on a mass scale.
UN Women defines the manosphere as “a loose network of communities that claim to address men’s struggles—dating, fitness or fatherhood, for example—but often promote harmful advice and attitudes.” In a world where connection and communication is overwhelmingly reliant on digital technologies, online spaces will only grow, adding fuel to the growth of harmful communities such as the manosphere. With younger generations addicted to phones and declining digital literacy rates breeding a lack of critical thought, youth will only become more vulnerable to environments that foster misogynistic ideas.
Moreover, this mass mindset permeates into our everyday lives as high school students and teenagers outside of school. Men convinced into taking the black pill advocate its “benefits” to other men, whether consciously or subconsciously. As many men become more and more obsessed with personal identity and vanity, their focus shifts from practicing empathy and kindness to maximizing ego and self-confidence. While the growing manosphere might seem harmless, distant, or even beyond our individual agency to stop, its parasitic nature will continue exploiting male morale across societies.
Clearly an ideology that exploits insecurities, black pill poses a dangerous threat to younger virtual audiences, a risk only magnified by the emotional turbulence of coming-of-age. Many men fail to recognize that black pill is dangerous, dismissing these communities as merely a collective attempt to improve oneself. Perhaps this might even be the scariest facet of the black pill—the way it magnetizes, absorbs and brainwashes young men into its doomed nihilism. We are headed into a perilous era, where collective consciences and absence of critical thinking might very well shape our future society. While all this might seem a bit pessimistic, it is imperative that we resist this rapidly spreading disease. Through truthful conversation, meaningful connection and a radical openmindedness, we can rebuild modern masculinity and restore hope, love and care to our society. This is a crisis, and we must be destined to save ourselves.
