Performative Males in Focus
Written by: Carter Herman
Most youth-led social media trends disappear as quickly as they arrive. They start with a meme, a joke, a moment caught out of context, or a gaffe that spirals out of control. The rise of ‘performative males’ is different. It is built on identity rather than humor, on a conscientious image rather than a droll bit, and it will continue to linger because of its deliberate nature.
Performative males are easily identifiable. They post their matchas, thrifting hauls, jorts, wire headphones, books, including but not limited to works by Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, and the Brontë sisters, and symbolic gestures that appeal to a refined, particularly female, audience. They share carefully curated snapshots of their routines and hobbies, yet always leave some ambiguity about where they obtain the trappings of their lifestyles. Nevertheless, they consistently present the same image across platforms. The focus is taking and embellishing interests and tastes that align with cultural markers of refinement, wellness, and self-improvement.
Engagement often reinforces these behaviors. Likes, shares, and comments act as feedback loops, encouraging repetition and, when lacking, refinement of certain actions. Posting choices are guided by what resonates with followers. What understated spread of photos will catch their audience’s attention without inviting criticism?
The patterns are measurable. Studies of social media use show that visual content, curated lifestyles deemed aesthetic, and signals of cultural capital consistently attract engagement. This reflects a well-documented phenomenon in which individuals adjust behavior based on the audience’s response, shaping norms for appearance, habits, and interests. In the process, they lose the long-desired sense of authenticity they sought when they began their performative journey. But that is just the perception of one observer. Many see the advent of ‘performative males’ as the dawning of a new age, in which men have moved away from machismo sensibilities toward pursuits like art, literature, and self-expression.
The rise of these performative behaviors highlights how online spaces dominate personal presentation in the twenty-first century. Attention, engagement, and social reinforcement are the keys to the game. Are you going to play?
Unlike fleeting trends, these persist because they embody a new archetype of identity, making them distinct from meme-driven or ephemeral content.
