TikTok and the 4B Movement: Women turn away from men

With Donald Trump, misogyny is officially returning to the White House. His long and well-documented history of misogynistic comments and sexual harassment obviously did not deter female voters from voting for him: white American women in particular voted overwhelmingly for Trump – as they did in 2016 and 2020. Young women, however, overwhelmingly voted for Harris. After Trump’s victory on TikTok, they are also the ones who called on America’s women to join the 4B movement in videos that were viewed millions of times.

The movement is based on a simple but radical principle: women turn away from men – no dating, no sex, no marriage, no children. Four terms that start with the letter B in Korean. The movement originally emerged in South Korea in 2018 as a protest against the spread of secretly filmed videos showing women having sex or in public toilets. Hundreds of women took to the streets wearing masks and sunglasses – many of them with a second set of clothes to reduce the risk of being recognized and harassed after the demonstration.

The actual size and significance of the movement in South Korea is hotly debated on TikTok – some users see it as an explanation for the country’s low birth rate. South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with 0.7 children per woman. However, the reasons for this are more likely to be found in the heavy workload and the high cost of living. Many people simply cannot afford children. However, social circumstances also play a role: approval of marriage among young women has fallen massively in recent years, from more than half in 2008 to 27.5% in 2022. This is the result of surveys by the Korean statistics agency.

Harsh criticism of 4B came unsurprisingly primarily from men. South Korea’s conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, for example, simply blamed women for the country’s economic difficulties. More nuanced critics fear that breaking away from one half of society will only deepen the rifts.

It is still unclear whether the movement will gain momentum in the USA. In view of a presidency in which the right of women to decide over their bodies is likely to play a central role, this can be assumed.