Exploring mental health, gender, and digital spaces, I’m diving into a feminist ethnography that examines the relationship between masculinity and mental health on TikTok, revealing how this dynamic is shaped and performed through gender performativity. Specifically, I explore how emotions, suffering, and distress tied to masculinity are embodied and projected within the digital realm.

TikTok, in particular, is a complex and contested space, seen by some as a tool for expanding global conversations on mental health, and by others as a primary contributor to the rise in mental health disorders. Regardless, it offers a rich and critical site for investigating how meanings are created and embodied in the digital realm.

Nicoletta Guglielmelli PhD student, University of Genoa study examines online practices in which men use “more-than-human” actors (such as algorithms, codes, hashtags, videos, images, and music) to express their emotions and the embodied distress affecting their bodies. These men also engage in discussions about coping strategies—either to improve their mental well-being or to conceal the visible and invisible signs of their pain and suffering.

Additionally, within the framework of situated knowledge production, I highlight the body’s role as a mediator between the researcher, the field, and broader societal vulnerabilities and privileges. I will reflect on the heuristic power of selfreflection, examining how we engage with our own bodies, and our capacity to navigate suffering, oppression, and vulnerability both in research and in the world around us.