social media, algorithms, and right-wing propaganda [View all]

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

social media, algorithms, and right-wing propaganda are pulling young men—especially Black and Hispanic men—into MAGA spaces. I’ve seen this shift firsthand, and it’s disturbing.

Let me give some context. Last week, I was watching old Bone Thugs-n-Harmony videos—my favorite group from the ‘90s. Then YouTube suggested a video of five Gen Z Black men reacting to listening to “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” for the first time. I clicked out of curiosity and feeling old as I could not believe they hadn’t heard that song before—and I was hooked. These young brothers were funny, insightful, and their room was decked out with pro-Black, hip-hop vibes, even a BLM flag. They dressed and talked like everyday Black youth—cool, smart, culturally grounded.

At first, their content was pure reaction to classic music and good vibes. But over time, things shifted. The language changed. They started using buzzwords like “woke” in a mocking way. Then political commentary crept in. Eventually, they stopped reacting to music altogether and began pushing right-wing talking points, sharing MAGA-aligned clips, and parroting conservative media narratives.

Now they’re fully MAGA. And here’s the kicker—they went from 20,000 subscribers to over a million. I don’t believe this was organic. I think they started off genuine, but then were funded by right-wing donors like Musk hungry for Black male faces to front their ideology and present it to other black men. It was a grift: say what they want to hear, and suddenly you’re rewarded with money, reach, sponsorships, and platforms.

I think this is done a lot. You get wannabe social media influencers who want to be rich and famous. Then young men who are looking for identity and belonging are being funneled into this ideological trap through algorithmic manipulation.