Toxic Masculinity: Boys Edition

Welcome to Toxic Masculinity 101: Boys Edition. A 2018 buzz phrase during the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearing, toxic masculinity has now secured a firm place in pop culture. First coined in the 80s, the term refers to behaviors that are considered bad for men including the following traits to name a few: avoidance of emotional expression, extreme self-reliance, devaluation of women’s opinions, and condemning anything feminine with other men. Some are quick to clarify that toxic masculinity is not meant to define masculinity, but rather the unreasonable expectations that society enforces upon men. They explain that these extreme pressures to behave a certain way can often be mentally damaging to men who fear that exhibiting more conventionally feminine characteristics, such as being sentimental or caring, will cause them to appear weak and socially rejected. On the other hand, others have begun to criticize this term, claiming that it is being misused in a way that is misleading, as people are often equating toxic masculinity to men in general. Now let’s enter the THINK RINK to hear what our youth thinkers have to say…