A new CBS Reports documentary examines why American boys and men are struggling in today’s society. Parents express pride in their sons but worry about the pressures and stigmas placed on men, which are different from those affecting girls. Mothers find it easier to teach daughters independence and strength, but guiding boys is more complex due to societal expectations about masculinity and control. Over the past decades, efforts to improve opportunities for women in education and the workforce have largely succeeded. Women now outperform men academically and some even earn higher salaries, while many men are withdrawing from work and school. This shift has broader consequences: fewer men at home and in schools leave boys without strong role models, marriage rates decline, and social norms about masculinity are rapidly evolving. Programs are emerging to address these challenges, including high school groups where boys discuss issues they encounter online in the manosphere, a space full of conflicting messages. By opening conversations about male struggles, society can better understand the unique pressures facing young men today. The documentary aims to shed light on these issues, illustrating both the progress women have made and the need to support boys in navigating changing expectations and social roles.
Vocabulary:
• stigmas (noun): negative social labels or marks that affect someone’s reputation.
• masculine (adj): qualities or traits traditionally associated with men.
• prevailing (adj): widespread or dominant in a particular situation or time.
• cascading (adj): having effects that follow one after another.
• manosphere (noun): an online community focused on men’s issues, often with controversial views.
• reconciliation (noun): the act of resolving differences or conflicts.
• emerging (adj): beginning to exist or become visible.
• navigate (verb): to manage or deal with complex situations.
Source: CBS News