Andrew Tate’s Dangerous Influence On Gen Z
By: Marsha Rusli
Edited by: Fiorina Siamir
Former professional kickboxer turned social media influencer Andrew Tate has been making headlines all over social media over the last few months for his controversial comments. He promotes misogynistic, sexist, and generally toxic content to his millions of followers and greatly influences Gen Z, particularly young boys. He has 12.7 billion social media views, surpassing the Google searches of the likes of Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian, making his comments and influence even more dangerous as they reach a much larger audience. Many have also argued that his popularity plays a big role in the large issue of toxic masculinity on the internet.
If you have not heard about Andrew Tate, I would say that you have been living under a rock. He has recently made an appearance on several podcasts and has gone viral on Tiktok and Instagram. In other words, he has been a hot topic in the social media world lately.
Tate has also made it no secret his desire for fame and money. The definition of fame in the world of social media and the public eye is blurred and often looked at through rose-tinted glasses. Whether you are a hot topic because many blogs and journalists are constantly criticizing you, or many fans admire you, both are still considered as fame and a source of income. His success is reliant on people talking about him, whether that be in a complimentary way or in a way that critcizes him. Critics following Andrew Tate on social media platforms and watching the podcasts, as well as the viral videos he appears in will unintentionally add to the degree of his fame and popularity instead of minimizing the influence he has over viewers all over the world. For example, a feminist who is writing about the negative and toxic influence Andrew Tate brings to young men worldwide is not a setback in Tate’s career but a factor in his success.
Andrew Tate is aware of the publicity he has received and understands how to maintain it. He realizes that when he comes out with these controversial statements, the right-minded population of the general public will have a disgusted and provoked reaction. He is also aware that in order to prolong the attention he is receiving, he would just have to make another misogynistic or sexist comment.
What he does not take into consideration when making these controversial and extremely sensitive comments is the effect may have on the population, specifically young men who are still trying to figure out what is right and wrong. Tate intentionally targets these young boys and centers his content around how men should always be superior to their female peers. This inappropriately empowers these young men, as they may then be positioned to develop a misogynistic personality and hatred for women who do not want to be controlled by them.
“You can’t be responsible for a dog if it doesn’t obey you, or a child if it doesn’t obey you, or a woman that doesn’t obey you.”
This is one of the many controversial and misogynistic statements Andrew Tate has put out. From this, we can see how he dehumanizes and belittles women by comparing women to dogs. Although it is clearly evident the detrimental effects his attitude may have on the people who listen to him, he still considers it a source of his fame and success. This is because even though people try to suppress this fame by word of mouth, it still creates chatter around his name and increases the number of people who know who Andrew Tate is.
Unfortunately, social media has provided Andrew Tate with the platform to spread wrong values and morals to many people around the world, especially young boys. However, these young boys should also know to do their research and not rely on the teachings of Andrew Tate. Hopefully, the young generation realizes this and refrains from falling under Tate’s controversial influence in the hopes of men and women coexisting equally.
Sources
https://www.distractify.com/p/wh y -is-andrew-tate-so-popular
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/andrew-tate-tiktok-fame-men-2022
https://ohtorch.com/6922/feature s /andrew-tate-seen-as-a-negative-influence-on-young-males/