Time to banish toxic masculinity
'Toxic masculinity' is a popular term for stereotypically male behaviours that are harmful to men and society as a whole. With the recent Netflix show Adolescence and former England manager Gareth Southgate highlighting the real life consequences for boys and young men, we explore the origins of the term, as well the need to reframe the narrative.
Edward Herbert
what is toxic masculinity
Good looks get likes
The term 'toxic masculinity' has been around for far too long. Its the pressure on men to think they need to have a strong physique, hide their emotions, and act in an aggressively dominant way.
It’s seen in advertising, pop culture, and now toxic imagery is more accessible to young people through social media. Anyone can post anything and anyone can comment. Young men are constantly confronted by toxic male culture and images of what it is to 'be a man'.
Controversial TikTok influencer Andrew Tate has risen to fame through promoting misogynistic ideas. His videos promote 'hypermasculine' traits, such as fast cars, guns, working out and cigar smoking. Even more worrying are his beliefs that women belong in the home and should not drive. These gender stereotypes can influence teenage boys and their outlook on life.
Masculinity in the media
Love Island, the most watched programme on TV amongst 16-24-year-olds, has been criticised for openly promoting 'toxic masculinity'. The men on the show are athletic, good-looking and competitive. The women are slim, beautiful and referred to as 'difficult' if they show signs of anger or annoyance.
The pressure they put on themselves for more popularity is higher than any older generation’s experience.
'Toxic masculinity' is not just harmful to boys. Conformity to toxic masculine behaviour such as dominance and aggression is harmful to our society as a whole. This desire for superiority challenges women's basic human rights and can be linked to the prevalence of harassment and sexual assaults.
How TikTok affects children’s mental health
TikTok has firmly nested itself in the lives of millions of children and teenagers worldwide. In the past year we have seen growing concerns about the impact it has on children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. In this blog, we will explore the reasons behind this backlash.
toxic masculinity in the media
The best a man can be?
More needs to be done to address 'toxic masculinity' in the media. We are moving away from the silent, window-washing Coca Cola hunks of the 90s but there's still a way to go.
Culture makers are reconsidering the need for more positive, realistic and compassionate portrayals of boys and young men, illustrating the different aspects of being male. Like being at ease with showing emotion and vulnerability. Boys benefit from seeing stories with adult men demonstrating positive traits, including of the softer and sensitive sides of being male. Young men need to see positive behaviours reflected on screen - as do we all. Positive masculinity needs to be depicted, normalised and celebrated too - beyond the realms of sport. Truly positive, productive models of masculinity are few and far between, and for mindsets to shift, it starts with a more careful characterisation - more realistic renderings of the good stuff too.
There are also steps that can be taken at an individual level. Parents and teachers can reconsider dated views of ‘hypermasculinity’, and what young people are exposed to, at home, at school - and most of all on line.
being positive about gender
Andrew, a 21-year-old student, says ‘we can all do more to be more positive, inclusive and attainable in setting out what it means to be a young person moving into adulthood.'
By dealing with 'toxic masculinity', we are challenging gender norms that make young people feel bad about themselves. Growing up should be a time of exploration and expression. Not a time to fit into a predesigned gender-specific box.
So rather than labouring to define 'toxic masculinity' and point out every possibly toxic trait, perhaps let's quit using the term altogether? At The Children's Society we'd like to see the end of this label. So we can focus on the wonderful things about masculinity and natural potential there in adolescents. And so children can grow up and be who they want to be, unfazed by outdated gender stereotypes. Time to banish 'toxic masculinity'.
You have to love yourself
Author: Edward Herbert
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