© PHOTO: Midjourney
In recent years, a phenomenon has spread across the internet that at first glance seems like a bizarre internet subculture, and at second glance sends a disturbing societal signal. The so-called “Alpha Male” movement is omnipresent on TikTok, YouTube, and in podcasts. Men, often self-proclaimed coaches or influencers, proclaim how “real men” are supposed to be. The message is quickly explained: men lead, women follow. Men should make decisions, women should adapt. Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules, whether a woman with ambitions or a man with feelings, falls through the cracks.
But where does the term “Alpha Male” actually come from? Originally, the term came from early behavioral studies on wolves in captivity during the 1970s. At that time, researchers believed that there was a dominant “alpha wolf” in a pack who asserted himself through aggression. However, this interpretation has long since been disproven. Wolves do not live in hierarchical structures based on violence, but rather in family units. The so-called “alpha” is simply the parent animal, not a dominant tyrant, but a caring leader. The entire idea of the “alpha male” is therefore based on a scientific error, taken out of context and repurposed to legitimize a backward-looking concept of masculinity. It suggests biological necessity where, in truth, it is about culturally shaped fantasies of power and control.
Hardly any figure exemplifies this movement as clearly as Andrew Tate. The former kickboxer and influencer has reached millions, especially young men, with his misogynistic statements. In his content, he promotes a concept of masculinity based on control, possessiveness, and economic superiority. Women are not portrayed as equal human beings but as subordinate beings who are supposed to obey and serve. Those who disagree are labeled as weak or disloyal. Particularly problematic: Tate and many of his followers openly justify sexualized violence. It is suggested that men may take what they want - even against a woman’s will. Rape is thereby trivialized or even portrayed as legitimate exertion of power.
Andrew Tate has already spent time in pre-trial detention and is currently being prosecuted, including for rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal organization. Despite platform bans, his content continues to circulate, through shared videos, screenshots, coded language, and fan pages. Many of his followers feel untouchable. They move in digital echo chambers where hate is disguised as freedom of speech and any criticism is met with defensive reflexes.
What is particularly worrying: the content of this scene is no longer just a fringe phenomenon. It has become socially acceptable, often in seemingly harmless packaging. In the form of memes, clips, or quotes, these ideas sneak into our timelines, schoolyards, WhatsApp groups, or everyday conversations. In doing so, they subtly change the social climate. Women are expected to behave “more naturally” again, and men to appear dominant. Those who deviate are ridiculed or excluded. Diversity, equality, or emotional openness are seen as weakness.
What is dangerous about the “Alpha Male” rhetoric becomes apparent not only in private life but increasingly also in politics. A striking example is the discussion about the so-called “Herdprämie” (stay-at-home allowance), which recently resurfaced in Austria. Behind the idea of paying mothers to care for their children at home instead of sending them to daycare lies a gender role concept that confines women to the family and domestic space. In this model, self-determined employment or career ambitions are considered secondary or even socially harmful. Such measures may seem like family-friendly offers at first glance, but they express a deep-rooted mistrust of female independence. They do not promote freedom of choice but cement economic dependence that has an impact across generations.
All of this is happening at a time when we, as a society, are actually searching for new ways of living together. Young people are asking themselves how they want to live, to love, and work. And the “Alpha Male” ideology barges into this uncertainty with simple answers: men here, women there. Everything else is devalued.
But anyone who still believes in “Alpha” today is not holding on to strength, but to the past. This concept of masculinity is not based on confidence but on fear: fear of equality, fear of losing control, fear of real change. It’s time to break these patterns.
At SheSkillz Global, that’s exactly what we’re committed to: a working world where diversity is encouraged, not limited by gender. A society where equality is not a trend, but a core value. Because true strength is not shown through dominance, but through respect, responsibility, and the ability to change.
Intern SheSkillz Global
