‘Some of it's fucked, some of it's useful’: Young men's experiences navigating masculinity content on TikTok

Masculinity content on TikTok is rapidly reshaping young men's identities, health and relationships, yet how young men perceive and navigate this content remains poorly understood. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 142 young men aged 16–25 (Mage = 18.85, SD = 2.64) from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Thematic analysis of open-text responses generated two themes: A Blueprint for Masculine Self-Development, capturing young men's simultaneous aspiration toward, and critique of, masculinity self-improvement narratives; and Navigating Manosphere Ideologies, reflecting how young men engage with, interrogate or reject masculinist ideologies embedded within mainstream content. Findings reveal a dynamic process of critical appraisal, weighing perceived benefits against ideological harm. This carries significant implications for health promotion and digital policy: Evidence-informed approaches are needed that leverage young men's desire for self-improvement, address unmet psychosocial needs, encourage accountability and embed digital literacy and ideological safeguarding into digital places of meaning.