Introduction

There are men out here who dislike women, which is sometimes overlooked. I have not paid much attention to subsets of these groups typically seen online because it is far from what I think. However, one-day last week, as I was considering what my next topic would be, the term INCEL came to my mind. It stemmed from a discussion I was part of last month on social communities online. INCEL or if part of the community INCELDOM is something that needs more attention than it is currently getting. Educators and anyone caring for young people in any capacity need to be aware of these communities being developed online with some concerning results. I am not an expert on INCELDOM; however, I have read multiple sources, including a research paper, to prepare for this blog. The blog aims to introduce those unfamiliar with the term and why this needs to be given more headlines.

Are you introducing the concept of INCEL?

INCEL is a shortened word for “Involuntary Celibate”. After some research, I am led to believe that the term INCEL can be traced back to a web forum entitled “Alana’s Involuntary Celibacy Project” in 1997. Sources suggest the web forum was created by a queer woman to support those with similar viewpoints and to discuss their experiences. The term incel is a person “who wishes to be in a romantic relationship but is unable to despite numerous attempts and a significant amount of time” (Incels, 2017). The phrase can be expanded to a person who feels rejected by their desired group mainly due to their looks and personality. The number of forums about INCELs has exploded in recent years, mainly due to heavier content relating to sexual relationships on the internet. Controversial figure Andrew Tate is the one individual that comes to mind for many. However, it must be made clear that Andrew Tate is not an INCEL by definition or behaviour. Research has shown me that identifying definite INCEL forums or behaviours is becoming more difficult due to some overlap with the red pill community. Again, like the phrase INCEL, the red pill is a phrase defined in various ways. In summary, it is a community that has taken inspiration from the Matrix movie and has adopted the red pill, which is meant to be a group of awakened individuals who do not follow societal norms. Instead, and in this case, return to traditional gender roles.

Streaming platforms such as YouTube are littered with this type of content that is being seen by young men worldwide. The content shows extreme cases where men share strong views on women. Content such as women being inferior to men has fuelled many online community forums to push this narrative further. Some INCELs appeal to this type of rhetoric because although they acknowledge their faults, they also hate women for not accepting their advances. It is almost an arrogance that a woman should not have the right to turn them down. Where INCELs and the red pill community may differ is the red pill community offer solutions for change. It is mainly centred around self-improvement. Going to the gym and making vast amounts of money are common practical solutions. Reading through some INCEL community forums, they project their sexless life to women through misogynistic narratives. Some even talk about violence towards women. Other forums promote death by suicide, with some members of the community egging their fellow INCELs on. It would be wrong to tag all INCELs with the same brush; however, certain trends need to be spoken about, and violent-related events are an area that should not be ignored.

Violence linked to the community of INCELS

Elliot Rodger and Alek Minassian are two examples of INCELS who have gone on to commit murder. Elliot was a 22-year-old virgin who hated the fact he was one. He often spoke of his anger at being rejected by women and had a strong vendetta against them. His vendetta culminated in Elliot killing six people and injuring more than ten before dying by suicide in California in 2014. The self-proclaimed “Supreme Gentlemen” said in one of his videos that he had not even kissed a girl and could not understand why women did not like him. As part of his concerning belief, he decided to take it out on three women he planned to kill as they were attractive women he was not able to attract. He also killed three other men (BBC, 2018). It is unclear if those men were targeted, but he also disdained Chad and Stacys. In INCELDOM, these are the desired males and females who are hyper-attractive and unattainable which could have led to the deaths of those men.

Interestingly and heartlessly, Alek Minassian was inspired by Elliot, whom he claimed he had interactions with before Elliot ended. Alek killed ten people and injured over 15 people as he drove a van into pedestrians. Since then, he has been imprisoned to life; however, some of his words were chilling. He considered himself a “Supreme Gentlemen” – who Elliot also referred to himself as. On the event, he said “I thought I would also inspire future masses to join me in my uprising” (Guardian, 2019). Alek could not understand why women were not attracted to him and often aimed his attack at those men who were able to get laid.

It was mentioned earlier that not all INCELS are violent. It is also essential to add that few examples can be categorically classified as INCEL violent attacks. Further, many researchers are still exploring methods for identifying attacks linked to the INCEL community. As one of my sources suggested, there is ongoing research that can specify INCEL violent events and violent occurrences with INCEL traits. This area is still small and does not gain much coverage. Considering the overlap between INCELDOM and the red pill community, it needs more headlines. Whilst the red pill community does not seem to birth murderers, there is still a substantial misogynistic problem within some sections of it.

Being vigilant

There is not much we can do other than be aware of the behaviour of those around us. Whilst this is from a teacher’s perspective, only those in school are vulnerable. I focus only on young people due to their impressionable nature during those ages. If we hear young people sharing despicable sentiments about the opposite sex, then we need to challenge them. Working at an institution of 16–19-year-olds in an inner-city college, I heard everything. These narratives about women having to give themselves up to men are not suitable for young men to grow into adulthood believing this. Although it’s rare, there may be young female INCELs who have the same capabilities as their male counterparts—a reminder: a woman birthed this community despite the difference between the original and current philosophies.

Even challenging our young people about the way they talk about the opposite sex is a good enough reason. It does not have to be because one feels they may have INCEL traits. The INCEL community is still a small community with limited information on them. However, the internet is a huge network, and it can be hard to monitor/censor what our young people have access to, even with firewalls. Developers are getting more sophisticated and can bypass firewalls and target those they want. The proliferation of podcasts is a concern, making it harder for parents to put on safety controls. It is a fascinating time to be alive because there are so many opportunities with the internet but equally ever-growing threats attached to it. Staying up-to-date with content may seem a chore, but knowing a fraction of what your young person could access is essential.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is an important topic often overlooked. It is not something school safeguarding is concerned with. Although it is a very small area, it overlaps with more prominent communities as much as the Red Pill community, which has been deemed to have toxic parts to that community. This blog is more of an informational source. I think this is an important topic and do believe in 10 years, the INCEL community will become more prominent. From academic writing, I am not meant to add any new information; however, with a blog, that can slightly change. I believe the INCEL community will be considerably bigger in 10 years due to the loneliness epidemic. There are multiple sources that I may share in another blog post that demonstrate how so many men are feeling lonely. If men are lonely with zero or very few friends, this will open up their chances of being radicalised by specific groups, including the INCEL community. I want to end by stating that there are good elements to the INCEL community, especially those who offer support to each other. I am not condemning the whole community but instead sharing some aspects of the dark side of that community.

References

Elliot Rodger: How misogynist killer became ‘incel hero’ (2018) BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43892189 (Accessed: 25 April 2024).

Incels (2017) Rules and FAQ. Incels. Is. Available at: https://incels.is/threads/rules-and-faq.799/ (accessed 25 April 2024).

Toronto van attack suspect says he was ‘radicalized’ online by ‘incels’ (2019) The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/27/alek-minassian-toronto-van-attack-interview-incels (Accessed: 25 April 2024).