In the 2024 presidential election, Gen Z’s voter turnout dropped significantly compared to 2020. Even more surprising, according to The Guardian, a larger share of young voters supported Republican candidate Donald Trump than in the previous election.
Last election cycle, 41 percent of young men voted for Trump, compared to 56 percent of male Gen Z voters who cast their ballots for him in 2024. The article also showed that among women 18-29, 30 percent voted for Trump in 2020, compared to 40 percent now. This shift signals a troubling trend—the rise of conservatism among a generation typically celebrated for its progressive ideals. So what’s the root of this recent development?
The cause of this rise in conservatism is layered, but one aspect of this recent rise in conservatism can of course be attributed to social media.
Lately, a considerable portion of media marketed to young men is laced with conservative and often misogynistic messaging, contributing to what is referred to as the “alt-right pipeline.”
The phenomenon begins innocently enough. Young men might watch YouTubers or Twitch streamers who play games or create content that isn’t overtly political. Nevertheless, these creators sometimes engage in “dark humor,” make insensitive or racist comments and use slurs under the guise of being “edgy.”
Popular Youtuber PewDiePie is an excellent example of this. He’s infamous for his use of the n-word on multiple occasions and an edgy-borderline-racist fanbase.
Another example of an entry point for the alt-right pipeline is podcaster Joe Rogan. Rogan positions himself as an ordinary guy who just likes to ask questions. According to feminist.com, “Rogan’s appeal lies in his accessibility and apparent authenticity.” His podcast covers a range of topics not exactly political in nature, but sometimes he invites right-leaning figures and platforms conservative messaging, most notably J.D. Vance and Trump.
From there, algorithms play a defining role in further escalating this shift. Social media platforms like YouTube recognize what content resonates among viewers, recommend it and even push increasingly conservative videos onto home pages, according to Tech Policy. These might include podcasters such as Andrew Tate, who is being investigated for rape and human trafficking, and his misogynistic buddies, like Adin Ross, who believes Tate did nothing wrong, and the FreshandFit channel, which glorifies traditional masculinity while demonizing liberal values and wrote a book titled “Why Women Deserve Less.”
Over time, this steady exposure to escalating rhetoric can shape their worldview until they are fully digitally radicalized or as it’s often called, “red-pilled,” a conservative term to indicate when one has woken up from the spell of “liberalism” and has become a “free thinker.”
According to Ellen Chloë Bateman, a documentary producer who researches online radicalization among young men, these videos often create a sense of belonging, as “they provide isolated young men with a sense of community and power—often for the first time in their lives.”
Viewers identify with the streamers and their fandoms, feeling connected to a group that validates their frustrations or insecurities. For those who feel excluded or alienated, this content offers them a collective where they unite over a shared target—most often women, the LGBTQIA+ community and liberals—or as Bateman explained, “someone to blame for the challenges they perceive in their lives.” This newfound sense of belonging becomes a powerful tool in the indoctrination process, making viewers more receptive to the increasingly conservative and misogynistic messages embedded in the content they consume.
But this process is not just a phenomenon among young men. Young women are not immune to the pull of conservatism, however, the process is more subtle. If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you may be familiar with creators like Nara Smith or Ballerina Farm who share “trad-wife” content. Their videos often feature them doing stereotypically gendered tasks—cooking, caring for children and embracing the role of the homemaker.
You may have also seen influencers like SheraSeven, who teaches women how to secure a wealthy husband—one who may not necessarily love you but will lavish you with money. Her advice comes with a strict set of rules: no natural hair, skirts and dresses only, what drinks to order at a bar and other rigid standards.
These ideas are often packaged under the trending social media buzzword of living a “soft life.” In these cases, a soft lifestyle is about glorifying the role of a stay-at-home wife or even a stay-at-home girlfriend, if you can believe it. On the surface, content like Nara Smith’s or SheraSeven doesn’t necessarily seem conservative. It can be pure entertainment, something to watch momentarily and scroll on. However, it is important to understand where it can lead.
Much like the alt-right pipeline, this soft life content can be a domino effect. Passively watching can turn into actively consuming this content to the extent that viewers are edging into the realm of conservatism and being recommended this content.
To be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with desiring their idea of a soft life, being a homemaker, or desiring a partner to financially support you. Feminism, after all, is about allowing women to choose what they wish to do with their lives.
But it becomes problematic when this lifestyle is overly romanticized and borderline glorified. At times, it feels like the internet is romanticizing a return to rigid gender roles and labeling it empowerment.
The conversation is shifting. Playing into gender roles is no longer just being framed as acceptable, but they are being reframed as aspirational. What was once positioned as “this is a valid choice” is increasingly being promoted as “this is the best choice,” leaving little room for nuance.
Take SheraSeven, her advice isn’t about empowering women to choose their path. It’s about molding them to attract a certain type of man. The men she describes don’t want a career woman. They want someone to look pretty in their home and raise their kids. These messages, disguised as guidance and self-improvement, are showing up on the For You Pages of women everywhere– not just women who actively seek out this content.
As this type of messaging spreads, more women are being exposed to it, and many are susceptible to getting caught up in its allure. The danger lies in how easily these ideals can become normalized. They subtly shape perspectives and choices without offering a fuller picture of what empowerment truly means.
The normalization of this content primes young people—both men and women—to accept a broader conservative perspective and both of these paths intertwine, glorifying rigid gender roles and rejecting progress under the mask of empowerment or self-improvement. These trends emphasize the need for users’ vigilance online, as seemingly harmless content can become a gateway to deeply ingrained, regressive ideologies.
Copy edited by Anijah Franklin
