Antifeminism and conspirituality in the new digital media: algorithmic affordances or backlash against gender politics?

Abstract

This article analyzes the activity of digital influencer Lucas Scudeler on emerging digital media platforms, with an emphasis on the dissemination of antifeminist discourse. Grounded in gender studies and based on a critical and interdisciplinary approach, the study aims to discuss the importance of digital literacy (Lucchesi, 2014), particularly in light of the spread of misinformation, misogyny (Valente, 2023), hate speech (Butler, 2021), and other forms of gender-based violence mediated by technology (Bailey et al., 2021). Empirical research was conducted over seven months, between December 2023 and June 2024, using methodological procedures from digital ethnography (Batista et al., 2017) and netnography (Kozinets, 2014). The results reveal a narrative that runs parallel to, and often in opposition to, that constructed by the scientific field of gender studies. This narrative can be interpreted as a reaction to the struggles and advancements in the rights of women and the LGBTQIAPN+ community in contemporary society, as well as to algorithmic dynamics such as conspirituality and the formation of anti-structural publics (Cesarino, 2022).