The gen Z gender divide How algorithms and the 'manosphere' are driving young men to the right

How algorithms and the 'manosphere' are driving young men to the right

- Jonathan Yerushalmy

As the Democratic party licks its wounds and prepares for Donald Trump's return to the White House, a chorus of commentators is urging the party to confront a shift in voting patterns, with Latinos, the working class and black men shifting to the right in 2024.

But perhaps the cohort that offers the gravest warnings for the party's prospects is young men. In 2024, men aged between 18 and 29 turned out in force for Trump, who won the demographic by 14 points, overturning a generational trend that has for decades seen young people favor left-leaning candidates.

Experts variously put it down to a backlash against the #MeToo movement, efforts to achieve gender equality, and the siloing of entertainment and news sources—but Trump's victory in the "manosphere" is just one part of a global phenomenon in which the politics of a generation has split across the gender divide.

Last week's election revealed a chasm between the political preferences of 18- to 29-year-olds in America. Trump's seismic win among young men was mirrored by Kamala Harris's huge, 18-point lead among young women. Notably, that margin is more than double the gender gap in the overall electorate. Harris won among female voters of all ages by just seven points.

In this regard the US is not unique. Political polarization between the genders has been growing among young people across the globe. In South Korea's 2022 presidential election there was a difference of just a few points in voting preference between men and women in every age range—except those aged 18-29. Among Gen Z voters there was an almost 25-point difference when it came to voting for the conservative-leaning People Power party.