Young men are turning to testosterone boosters in new TikTok trend linked to right-wing rhetoric
For some time now we’ve witnessed conservative and right-wing men seek out different ways to try and portray themselves to the public as the ‘ideal alpha male’. From ZYN pouches to $18,000 male boot camps, we’re witnessing an entire generation of men torn up over their so-called lack of masculinity and in turn going to extremes to prove that it is attainable. The most recent trend? Testosterone boosts.
Business Insider recently conducted an investigation where it spoke with a cohort of young men who had all begun taking testosterone boosts after experiencing feelings of anxiety and a lack of motivation. One man, Kade, began taking these boosts after finding he had low levels of testosterone during a routine blood test.
Over the course of four years, Kade went from an unhappy and unhealthy 21-year-old to a “new man” with an “uncaged” sex drive and a beard that goes on for days. And he’s been sharing his story on TikTok, subsequently encouraging young men across the US to also take it upon themselves to pursue self-improvement.
And Kade isn’t alone, there are hundreds of posts on TikTok, and across social media in generation, showing men of different ages praising the benefits of increased testosterone and or directly associating high levels of testosterone with being an “alpha male.”
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There are also a lot of male celebrities who have endorsed testosterone boosters and attributed them to happier and healthier lives. For example, Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband, posted on X in July this year explaining how he had discovered that he had Lyme disease and also commenting on his own testosterone levels.
Naturally podcaster Joe Rogan has also regularly praised testosterone supplements and in a discussion with JD Vance openly spoke about the connection between high testosterone levels and conservative young men… Yeah, that’s not the flex you think it is boys.
Business Insider described this phenomenon as “a new kind of gender-affirming care, but for cisgender men.” It’s no surprise that the majority of the same men who promote testosterone boosters online also operate within the manosphere. There is a direct correlation between this idea of the perfect alpha male and the toxic and highly misogynistic rhetoric we’ve seen develop within right-wing circles, specifically in the US. Oh and don’t be surprised if you see men like this pop up on a cringe finance bro podcast.
Of course, testosterone is not inherently bad. And seeking supplements to help a deficiency also doesn’t mean that you’re immediately going to turn into another Andrew Tate crony. However, the connections between these different groups are undeniable.
It’s so hard for young men to actively research and understand the health benefits, and potential downfalls, of something such as testosterone when there is so much misinformation and political rhetoric attached to it. It’s a problem that I truly don’t know how we resolve, but moving the conversation away from TikTok might be a starting point.
