Are Gen Z boys afraid of feminism?

How is the world changing? It's impossible to answer briefly. As right-wing movements advance, wars rage, and economies collapse, it seems that from the perspective of civil rights, things are improving slowly, albeit more rapidly in some places than others. Much hope rests in the hands of the so-called new generations, expected to play a leading role in shaping a better future where everyone enjoys the rights they deserve, free from differences in treatment, pay, and security based on gender, and inclusive of those who do not conform to gender binary. For this reason, the youth are often perceived as liberals and libertarians by the older generation, who wish to keep things exactly as they were since they were comfortable with it. However, recent research tragically demonstrates how these are just oversimplifications. Most notably, it reveals an increasingly profound divide within Generation Z regarding political positioning, feminism, and civil and social rights between men and women.

Data on Gen Z's Political Orientation

According to a new study conducted by the Survey Center on American Life in collaboration with other data collection organizations, a true ideological gap has emerged worldwide between young women and young men. Unlike previous generations, where individuals living in the same city, sharing workplaces or schools, and having similar incomes showed a general alignment of values, this is no longer the case. In the United States, for instance, women aged 18 to 30 are 30% more left-leaning than their male counterparts. In the United Kingdom, the difference is 25%, and outside the Western world (South Korea, China, Africa, and Tunisia exhibit similar patterns), the numbers are even higher. Importantly, this change occurred only in the last 6 years. Unfortunately, these findings, compiled by John Burn-Murdoch for the Financial Times, are not isolated. Another survey conducted in the United Kingdom found that 1 in 4 boys aged 16 to 29 believes being a man is more challenging than being a woman, and 1 in 5 has a positive view of Andrew Tate, an influencer accused of rape, organized crime related to the exploitation of women, and human trafficking in Romania. When asked about feminism, 16% of these young men explained that feminism has done more harm than good. Among men over 60, the same response was given by 13%. Thus, regarding feminism, the positions of Gen Z boys tend to be worse than those of the boomers.

Why Do Gen Z Boys Have Negative Views on Feminism?

Following these rather alarming data, many people have started questioning the possible reasons for this gap and its connection to the low regard for feminism as an intersectional movement for women's liberation that has gained momentum in the last 20 years. Some attribute this shift, considering the 6 years mentioned in the study, to the MeToo movement, which has contributed to radicalizing the positions of girls and, consequently, "scaring" boys who feel attacked in their positions of (current or future, given their youth) power. Fear is a fundamental element along with the early politically formative experiences. For instance, if a boy frequents online incel communities or has a chauvinistic father, he is likely to view feminism negatively.

Social Media Superficiality and Male Isolation

Family, education, online and personal experiences, distrust in traditional institutions—all contribute to the conservative and misogynistic turn of the new generations of men, who were supposed to be our beacon at the end of the tunnel. Social media and the internet, by creating separate bubbles or dangerous echo chambers, and by steering through algorithms (designed to cater to user preferences) the same content to the same people, have contributed to exacerbating positions that, precisely because expressed on social media, have remained superficial and isolated. Each individual is left to their own perspective.The movement occurs in two directions, tragically feeding off each other. On one hand, girls are becoming more aware and rebellious, but few of them delve into positions or dramatize their "anti-men" stances for likes or effect. On the other hand, boys fall prey to scam specialists, attempting to indoctrinate them into becoming foot soldiers of misogyny. Isolated and abandoned, they become easy targets for these individuals. There is no simple solution. Action should be taken from the level of youth policies, changing the culture of social expression and the gender war altogether. Girls should not be asked to tame their anger (which is justified), but perhaps boys should be taught that ensuring equality for women does not deprive them of any freedom except the freedom to abuse their power, nor does it harm their personal strength and masculinity. The truth is that social media should not be the sole reference and source of knowledge for people so young, who should naturally be encouraged to seek other ideas (and delve into them) in other places, by reading and discussing with their peers and reasonable adults, teachers, and role models. Furthermore, we should completely change our idea of a Real Man and Real Woman, liberating these concepts from patriarchal influences and shifting them, instead, emotionally.

Not Just Feminism

The problem extends beyond feminism. The data shows that women are not only becoming more progressive on gender-related issues but also on those related to, for example, immigration and social justice, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In conclusion, while girls become increasingly aware, intertwining civil issues with social ones (as they rightly should, and it is a flaw of the so-called "rainbow" left to have separated them, respecting one part and completely ignoring the other), boys, in turn, seem to have decided to shut themselves in, fortifying themselves in positions so conservative that they would make even boomers pale. Change is necessary, and quickly. Otherwise, the coming years will be dark, and we cannot afford any steps backward.