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Toxic masculinity is the way men are socially pressured to act and behave. These behaviours include homophobia, violence and misogyny. throughout history, men have been expected to act "like a man", characterized by by aggression, emotional restraint, and dominance. But, these expectations lead to negative consequences, not only for men but also for society as a whole. By perpetuating these gender stereotypes it creates an environment where emotional vulnerability is stigmatized and contributes to the normalization of domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other forms of gender-based violence.
what is toxic masculinity?
what is the cause of it?
Toxic masculinity stems from the patriarchy - a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are held by men. Because we live in a patriarchal society, we are expected to follow the rigid gender roles that dictate how we should behave. These systems prioritize male authority and control, and they devalue traits that are seen as feminine, such as vulnerability, emotional expression, and empathy. It frames women and girls in a way that they exist to be of service to men and boys and that they are inherently inferior to men. It harms men by disconnecting them from their emotions and portraying the act of seeking support as a sign of weakness.
Some of the things that influence toxic masculinity and worsens it includes a lack of opportunities, lack of role models, and family/peer influences. But due to the fact that we are now living in an age of technology, social media has become one of the biggest causes of toxic masculinity.
In the past couple years there has been a rise in male influencers and podcasters, such as Andrew Tate, who have been promoting the ideas of "male supremacy" and being an “alpha-male.” Despite claiming to be for the empowerment of men, these content creators and podcasters promote and normalize hate, gender stereotypes, aggressive behaviour, and mock feminist issues. This influence on boys and young men will negatively shape their beliefs, relationships, and mental health. People can fall into this pit of misogyny and toxic masculinity incredibly easily these days because all it takes is liking a few sexist/hateful posts and suddenly your for you page is covered with toxic and bigoted rhetoric that never ends.
the effects of social media
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