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- Seen May 19, 2024
"Be cool, and be kind of a dick", "Grow some balls", "Man up", "Be a man". We have constructed this idea of masculinity, that doesn't give young boys a way to feel secure in their masculinity or "lack" thereof. Society makes boys prove their dominance and masculinity all the time. Within the peer group culture of young men, each one of them is posturing based on how the other boys are presenting themselves. What they're missing, is what they each really want, or who they want to be. In the good times, guys are typically pretty close to one another, but when things get a little bit worse there is the tendency for guys to be on their own and distance themselves from one another.
Kids in this society get up every morning, and prepare to put their mask on, but they don't know how to take their mask off. This society of young boys is growing up to be afraid of showing people who they are. Young boys really buy into this culture that doesn't feminise, if we're in a culture that doesn't value caring, relationships, empathy, boys and girls, men and women, torture themselves because we're a race afraid of showing what we feel to others.
Less than 50% of boys and men with mental health challenges seek help. Every day, 3 or more boys commit suicide in the U.S. As a society, how are we failing our boys? Are we obsessed with desensitising a gender? How damaging is this culture of telling males to "Be a man"?
A few notes before we begin, this is a thread on mental health and conditioning. An observation on culture and approach to mental health in young boys. Yes we could also talk about the female oppression and the pressure on females, but I feel it's a different kind of discussion, society plays its part in putting pressure on any gender to conform. But here, we should look at this culture of "Be a man", and how it affects young boys (and the domino effect thereof). Gender equality is a different subject entirely.
Citation from numerous sources, here's a good starting point for figures.
Kids in this society get up every morning, and prepare to put their mask on, but they don't know how to take their mask off. This society of young boys is growing up to be afraid of showing people who they are. Young boys really buy into this culture that doesn't feminise, if we're in a culture that doesn't value caring, relationships, empathy, boys and girls, men and women, torture themselves because we're a race afraid of showing what we feel to others.
Less than 50% of boys and men with mental health challenges seek help. Every day, 3 or more boys commit suicide in the U.S. As a society, how are we failing our boys? Are we obsessed with desensitising a gender? How damaging is this culture of telling males to "Be a man"?
A few notes before we begin, this is a thread on mental health and conditioning. An observation on culture and approach to mental health in young boys. Yes we could also talk about the female oppression and the pressure on females, but I feel it's a different kind of discussion, society plays its part in putting pressure on any gender to conform. But here, we should look at this culture of "Be a man", and how it affects young boys (and the domino effect thereof). Gender equality is a different subject entirely.
Citation from numerous sources, here's a good starting point for figures.