"Virtual Manspreading": When Men Take Up Extra Space Online

[Deleted]

Virtual Manspreading: When Men Take Up Extra Space Online

In May 2014, the female-centric subreddit r/TwoXChromosomes was promoted to default subreddit status, meaning it automatically displayed top posts to users when they landed on the reddit homepage.

That might sound like a positive change, adding increased female visibility on the wildly popular male dominated website. But it also meant the once quiet, safe space for women suddenly had a lot more attention from the average redditor.

Quickly, the r/TwoXChromosomes space was flooded with new users, many of them male.

“Suddenly there are men saying immature shit in response to posts about periods, labia, etc. Then there were rape apologists posting in threads about rape culture,” one former r/TwoXChromosome subscriber, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid harassment, said in an email to Motherboard.

“I saw what was happening and left before I got myself into any arguments that would raise my blood pressure too much. I've kinda given up on trying to educate men and boys who already think that feminism is a bad word.”

This experience of male internet commenters infiltrating what is meant to be female or neutral online space isn’t unique.

You could call it virtual manspreading.

Manspreading, the practice of sitting on public transportation with splayed legs in a way that encroaches on the space of others, was a popular topic of articles, Tumblrs, and ads in 2015, even getting an entry in the Oxford Dictionary.

Though one might be tempted to suggest that men’s bodies simply need more room, various writers have linked manspreading to privilege and occupation of space. Wrote University of New South Wales researcher Emma Jane, “Manspreading is framed as a powerful—yet also ridiculous—symbol of what is argued to be men’s tendency to take up more than their fair share of literal and metaphorical social space."

Similarly, virtual manspreading is the practice of taking up online space in a way that encroaches on the space of others. Though it’s not always as extreme as what happened to r/TwoXChromosomes, research has shown that the way men take up and encroach on space in virtual comment sections is significantly different from women’s experience of online commenting.

Rest of article: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/r...a-space-online

[Wyrt]

Men have balls.

[Graeham]

I've always found the whole idea of 'man-spreading' to be utterly ridiculous, personally. That it is twisted to somehow exist online is of little surprise to me. I fear for the mental stability of those who genuinely entertain such concepts. It just can't be healthy to spend an immense amount of time thinking new ways to get offended or push a sexist, biased agenda against men.

[Seranthor]

*snip*

Case of Be careful what you wish for'... Get put on the front page to get more attention, gets more attention, now not happy? Sounds like an issue between them and the forum admins.

[Aori]

I didn't even know what manspreading was.. good grief whats next?

[Deleted]

I take extra space online AND in real life. Check these doubles.

[Deleted]

So men don't put up with their entitled, female, man-hating bullshit? Good.

[Sheamus]

The subreddit admins should make the subreddit non-default, they have the power to do so.

[Faenskap]

Women can be just as bad with occupying space, to be fair

I had to go on a minibus ride (two hours drive) once. Only one seat was "free", which was next to a young woman with many articles with her. She looked almost mad when she realised her handbag couldn't have its own seat. I was tempted to say "no, really, I don't mind standing for two hours so your handbag is safe" although I didn't

[Deleted]

I've always found the whole idea of 'man-spreading' to be utterly ridiculous, personally.

To be fair, it can be at least annoying. Like, if you sit on the bus on one of those two-seat rows, and the guy next to you takes up half of your legspace too.

[Deleted]

Contrary to popular belief most internet users are actually animals without any sex whatsoever.

[Graeham]

To be fair, it can be at least annoying. Like, if you sit on the bus on one of those two-seat rows, and the guy next to you takes up half of your legspace too.

I've seen plenty of women do it too - though usually by strategically placing shopping bags in such a way as to make it impossible to sit down next to them without a fuss. Some guys just need the space to be comfortable though - especially on long journeys. It isn't fun for many guys to sit with their legs stuck together. There's definitely people who take it too far and are obnoxious about it/refuse to compromise though.

[endersblade]

I've always found the whole idea of 'man-spreading' to be utterly ridiculous, personally. That it is twisted to somehow exist online is of little surprise to me. I fear for the mental stability of those who genuinely entertain such concepts. It just can't be healthy to spend an immense amount of time thinking new ways to get offended or push a sexist, biased agenda against men.

This. I don't purposely spread my legs like that, they just fall naturally like that. Even if I pinch my feet together, my knees will bow out. I think it has more to do with the fact that the muscles in my legs are stiffer than shit and won't flex naturally to let me sit otherwise, moreso than 'I have balls'. Even now, sitting at my desk, my legs are splayed out. If I want to keep them 'in line', I have to force them, which is exertion, which is not something you want to do when you're trying to be comfortable.

[Soisoisoi]

To be fair, it can be at least annoying. Like, if you sit on the bus on one of those two-seat rows, and the guy next to you takes up half of your legspace too.

That's because it's extremely uncomfortable to squish your testicles & penis between your legs. We really can't help it. IF public transport stopped trying to increase profits by adding an extra set of chairs removing all the leg space we wouldn't have to spread our legs so far.

Even if you ignore the dangly bits, I was on a bus last week and my knee went about 4 inches past the seat in front of me, I had no choice other than to take the second seat up with my left leg whilst my right was literally in the aisle, which defeats the point of adding more seats for profit. If I was in the window seat, both of my legs would have been forced into the aisle seat which still means I'd be taking two seats up. I'm 5'11 (155.7cm) for reference, so someone who is actually tall would have it even worse.

[Deleted]

Some guys just need the space to be comfortable though - especially on long journeys. It isn't fun for many guys to sit with their legs stuck together. There's definitely people who take it too far and are obnoxious about it/refuse to compromise though.

Taking up a bit more space in order to be comfortable is fine. Taking up double the legspace on a 25 min bus trip, for example, is kinda rude. :3
That said, I agree that blocking entire seats with bags etc. is just as - if not even more - obnoxious.

[Noradin]

Shouldn't that be called "virtual womanspreading"?
It didn't happen before it was brought to te forefront of that website, after all.

I'm not endorsing the invasion of the forum with hateful posts, but it is to be expected that there will be a reaction after it is pushed to the front -- just like SJW will come along and harp on males slouching in an empty tube car. It won't happen if they only do it behind closed doors.

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Taking up a bit more space in order to be comfortable is fine. Taking up double the legspace on a 25 min bus trip, for example, is kinda rude. :3
That said, I agree that blocking entire seats with bags etc. is just as - if not even more - obnoxious.

Really depens on the amount of space left. If it is scarce anyone should try their best to accomodate as many people as possible.

[Belize]

To be fair, it can be at least annoying. Like, if you sit on the bus on one of those two-seat rows, and the guy next to you takes up half of your legspace too.

We don't bite too hard, politely asking us to move will solve th situation

[Deleted]

That's behavior common all over the internet and not just unique to men but men usually don't have any safe space since that would be sexist so there are no women doing the same thing to men.
Even labeling it MANspreadding is typical for the feminists.

The mere idea that you have a right to "space" online is ridiculous to me.

[zorkuus]

Ofcourse I do, just look at my post count.

[Deleted]

My balls need a safe space, even on reddit.