Mikaila Cober Studies the Persuasive Tactics of Red Pill Content Creators

As a Gen Z student active on social media, Mikaila Cober would sometimes see “manosphere” content dropped into her social media feeds. It might be dating advice for single men or unconventional health theories. Mikaila wondered both why the algorithm was sharing these posts, and why boys and men were so attracted to them. 

That question became the focus of her Master’s Research Paper entitled “When a Man Speaks You Will Listen”: Understanding the Persuasive Tactics of Red Pill Content Creators and the Communities They Create.” 

“As I learned more about the manosphere, I found it scary, especially thinking about all of the men in my life and how easy it could be for them to fall for this content,” said Mikaila. “I wanted to understand why it was so persuasive.” 

Mikaila began by identifying five manosphere communities: Red pillers, incels, pickup artists, men’s rights groups, and men going their own way (MGTOW). She found they often overlap and are united by a shared anti-feminist ideology. 

“Supporters of this content are driven by entitlement, victimization, emotion, and a desire to uphold red pill ideology,” said Mikaila, referring to the neoconservative belief system. “They are going to the internet because they feel lonely and they don’t have a community. It’s through this act of vulnerability that they get accidentally pulled into these communities.” 

Mikaila decided to focus her research on two influencers in the manosphere: Myron Gaines, a man of colour who is aligned with the white supremacy movement, and Pearl Davis, dubbed the female Andrew Tate.  

“Watching their YouTube shorts, I realized that content creators like Davis and Gaines are able to persuade their followers into engaging with this content through identification rhetoric, sex, capital, and emotional manipulation,” says Mikaila.  

She adds that, not only does manosphere content reinforce misogyny and deny women space to defend themselves, it also echoes white supremacy ideology and celebrates patriarchal structures. 

Mikaila plans to continue research in the area with the support of her supervisor Dr. Miranda Brady and hopes to publish her Master’s Research Essay. After convocation, she will continue her public sector career as a communications officer with the Department of National Defence, where she started out as a co-op student. 

Between her co-op experience and her master’s research, Mikaila is grateful for her experience at Carleton and excited for what lies ahead.