It feels like i’m a moving target … they want to annihilate me as a woman: a feminist thematic analysis of #menaretrash and #aminext

Abstract

This study uses Feminist Thematic Analysis to examine the hashtags #MenAreTrash and #AmINext through eighteen YouTube videos. YouTube serves as a valuable space for feminist inquiry because it allows complex social issues to be discussed through both visual and verbal storytelling. It also provides a platform for voices that are often unheard, encouraging open and inclusive dialogue. The research focuses on how sexual and gender-based violence, along with rape culture, are understood and discussed in South Africa. Across the videos, many women spoke about the meaning of these hashtags, systemic oppression, and the normalization of violence in everyday life. Rape culture is widespread but often poorly understood, and victim blaming remains common. The study also reveals that exposure to digital violence can lead to emotional distress and a sense of vicarious victimization, particularly among marginalized groups, resulting in heightened vigilance and changes in behavior. © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.