Critically Speaking Dr. Brandon Sparks: Incels - Involuntary Celibacy
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Brandon Sparks discuss the phenomenon of involuntary celibacy (incels). Dr. Sparks, an applied forensic psychologist, explains that incels are men experiencing long-term involuntary celibacy, often due to social exclusion and bullying during adolescence. Incels, primarily aged 18-30, are less likely to be in education or employment. The term "incel" originated from a woman's project at Carleton University. Incels often self-identify online, where they discuss the "Black Pill" philosophy, a nihilistic view of society. Dr. Sparks highlights the need for empathy and understanding to address their isolation and frustration.
Key Takeaways:
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The modern iteration is often “incel” refers exclusively to men who are experiencing involuntary celibacy and they've been experiencing this for quite some time. They've come to believe that they can't form romantic or sexual relationships, and that's causing them an extreme amount of distress.
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For women who identify with the experience of an incel, they are often called “femcels”.
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There's a lot of incels that are looking to talk to people and to share their experiences.
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One of the biggest risk factors in adolescence is the people who are already being left behind. This seems to indicate that there's certainly a subset of people who struggle to catch up.
"Incel philosophy as we know it, based on forum analysis they've created this worldview called the “Black Pill”, which is a nihilistic perspective of the world. It's this very transactional view of relationships, which is quite problematic because they're viewing women as master manipulators, playing this big game plan, and that men are just a means to an end for them." — Dr. Brandon Sparks
Connect with Dr. Brandon Sparks:
Website: https://www.brandontsparks.com/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=vWzf3QMAAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandon-Sparks-4
Twitter: https://x.com/brandon__sparks
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/brandonsparks.bsky.social
Connect with Therese:
Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net
Threads: @critically_speaking
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
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