You've likely come across the #WomenInMaleFields hashtag, but if you haven't it's a movement empowering women worldwide to flip the script and spotlight toxic behaviors commonly displayed by men.
The social media trend aiming to give men a taste of their own medicine is gaining massive traction online. With over 220,000 posts on TikTok and nearly 19,000 on Instagram, it's taking social media by storm, with many clips amassing millions of views.
Newsweek sifted through social media to find standout examples. Among them is a viral video by Jessica Wetzstein, 29, which racked up 2.2 million views on TikTok under the handle @jessicawetz6. In her clip, she emphasizes that the most empowering aspect of the trend is how it helps women realize they're not alone in experiencing double standards that extend beyond their own relationships.
Wetzstein, from Vancouver, Canada, told Newsweek: "Women are realizing men subconsciously absorb their environment from birth, teaching them to be selfish. It doesn't have to be intentional to be unacceptable. Men often say the most selfish thing imaginable, which ends up being the same script for everyone—not just you.
"TikTok has helped women identify subtle signs of abuse and neglect by men, showing them it's not something they've personally done wrong or can fix. This realization has even led some women to pursue divorce, as shared by commenters on my posts."
Indeed, the November 18 post has drawn comments from women who credit the trend with helping them gain clarity. One user wrote: "Women talking on TikTok helped me get out of my destructive marriage."
1. 'What Are We?'
Half of adults aged 18-34 have experienced a "situationship"—a romantic connection that falls into a gray area, neither strictly platonic nor a fully committed relationship—according to a YouGov poll. It's no wonder, then, that user @franz_kafka2444's video has racked up an impressive 8.9 million views.
"When he's the one asking 'what are we' and I'm the one asking why we have to put a label on it."
A popular comment with over 155,000 likes said: "I asked 'what are we' and bro said 'WE THE BEST MUSIC' I cannot make this up."
"When he opens up to me and I say 'I don't know what you want me to say,'" said another comment with almost 20,000 likes.
2. 'Why They Do This?'
Racking up 115,000 views in less than 24 hours on Instagram Threads, user Leah @lvernon2000 posted: "Got him pregnant, told him to keep the baby, then left him," on Threads.
So far, the post has 13,800 likes and others are left wondering: "why they do this?"
Speaking from experience, one user said: "Ugh. This happened to me. He threatened me if I didn't keep my baby. My baby is now six and my son has no clue who he is."
Wetzstein also spoke about men's attempts to mimic the trend, which she believes have largely missed the mark. She referred to a post that read: "When she asks what's wrong, so I say nothing #MenInWomensFields."
"Men think their lack of awareness stems from women not communicating, but in reality, women are the primary communicators," Wetzstein said. "Their feelings and concerns are neglected to the point that they start dismissing their own emotions rather than 'beating a dead horse.'
3. All Dating the Same Guy
Posing for the camera and adjusting her hair, Aiona (@ainoasserrano) added text to her clip that read: "When I say 'sorry I didn't reply last night, I don't use my phone on a night out,' but the following count went up by like 10 boys."
The clip, captioned: "Waking up to the increase on his following count after a night out, what a feeling girls," has garnered over 369,000 views since it was posted on November 18.
"So, we all dated the same guy?" joked one user.
4. 'Delete His Number and Block'
Tara Whittaker (@tarawhittaker0) filmed herself dressed to the nines and blew a kiss along with her advice. It said: "Girls kiss him on the forehead, play with his hair, tell him you see yourself having his kids, then tell him you don't want anything serious."
"Even fix your kids' names. Then delete his number and block him," suggested another user on the clip that has over 369,000 views.
Whittaker is urged not to forget the final part of the game, which is: "Then get a new [boyfriend] the week after."
5. Call the In-Laws
On November 16, Emily (@emily_mumscence) garnered 1.1 million views on a clip of herself sitting down. The text overlaid read: "Responding when asked how my weekend was [when] 'my son's dad was sick so I was stuck on mom duty all weekend.'"
So far, the clip captioned: "This may be inspired by a real conversation" has over 74,000 likes and plenty of comical comments.
"So good of you to give him a break. You are a great mom. But next time you should call your father-in-law, you need your weekend too as the provider," suggested one user, and Emily responded: "So good of you to give him a break. You are a great mom. But next time you should call your father-in-law, you need your weekend too as the provider."
6. DIY Over Household Chores
With 1.1 million views and more than 103,000 likes, TikTok user @dragonfliesandwhiskey wrote: "He told me he was feeling overwhelmed with all the housework and reminded me my parents were going to be over soon, so I decided to go and sit on the toilet for an hour."
"Don't you have to run to the hardware store to get that tool you don't need for a few weeks?" asked one user, and another said: "Me, personally, I decided it was time to paint the inside of the garage.
7. Babysitting the Kids
User @authorkstarling racked up 200,000 views on Instagram Threads, writing: "My husband scheduled a night out and I told him, 'Sure, I can watch the kids for a couple of hours.'
"While he was gone, I only called him six times. Eventually, he had to come home early when I couldn't get our toddler to sleep.
"The next day, he was p****. I guess this is the thanks I get for babysitting the kids."
The post has been flooded with humorous comments like: "You know, you deserve the rest of the week for you and your buddies after that. I mean, sacrifice!" and "He's so lucky you babysat and let him go out."
Newsweek reached out to all of the social media users for comment.
Have you noticed any red flags that made you end a relationship? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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