Posts tagged Masculinity

Empathy For Those Drawn to the Manosphere

Yesterday, two things happened that made me empathize with boys and men who are drawn to the manosphere.

The first was that I had a friend – who I’ll refer by the pseudonym Hayden, for his privacy – disclose an instance of sexual harassment that happened to him in a place where he normally feels very safe.

The second was that a staff member at a residential therapy program for children who have been sexually abused told me that they have had multiple boys come through their program who idolize manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate.

Charlotte KinlochApril 8, 2026Masculinity, Feminism, Violence Prevention

Casino Masculinity: How Boys and Young Men Are Being Set Up to Lose

New research shows that more than one in three boys between ages 11 and 17 is already gambling—and sports betting is just one part of a much larger ecosystem of products designed to exploit boys’ and young men’s desire for belonging, independence, mastery, and purpose.

ReflectionsJonathon ReedMarch 4, 2026Youth, Masculinity

What Boys Could Be (Not Just What They Shouldn't)

Last week I was listening to The New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast and heard something that got me thinking.

Amanda Askell works at Anthropic, the company that makes Claude. She's a philosopher, and part of her job is shaping Claude's personality. She was talking about a problem they're running into. Claude is learning about itself from the internet. And a lot of what it's reading is negative.

Learnings & UnlearningsJake StikaFebruary 11, 2026Masculinity

Living Within a Lie: Performing Masculinity Is Exhausting

During 2026’s World Economic Forum, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney stood in Davos, Switzerland, and did something that caught my attention. He quoted a Czech dissident from the 1970s to talk about the future of global power.

Learnings & UnlearningsJake StikaJanuary 26, 2026Masculinity

The Best Recent 2SLGBTQ+ Movies About Boys

In honour of a seventh grader I know whose friends just accompanied him to his first-ever Pride parade, here are are the four best films from the last few years telling the still-emerging story of young queer masculinity.

Learnings & UnlearningsJonathon ReedJuly 1, 2025Youth, Masculinity, 2SLGBTQ

What Netflix’ Adolescence Can Teach Us About How We See Boys

While Adolescence is telling a devastating story, it is also telling a limited one. We see adults acting professionally and adults falling apart, but this show doesn’t show us what curious and compassionate adults look like in the face of boys’ pain and harm. We see angry boys and hurt boys, boys carrying fear and boys bluffing with bravado, but we don’t see the thoughtful, clear-eyed and gentle masculinity that is already being championed by boys who will become the next generation of men.

Learnings & UnlearningsJonathon ReedApril 9, 2025Masculinity, Violence Prevention, Youth

How Rites of Passage Nurture Positive Masculinity Within Boys

When they come through the other side, they inevitably become something more than they were before. They have a new sense of capability. New stories. New relationships and responsibilities, and a new sense of themselves as boys becoming men.

Learnings & UnlearningsJonathon ReedJanuary 31, 2025Youth, Rite of Passage Expeditions, Masculinity

Introducing a Podcast Series on the Intersection of Youth, Masculinity and Race

The premise of Breaking the Boy Code has always been that boys’ voices are worth listening to—even when it’s not easy or convenient. Their lives and their stories matter. These boys matter. So without further ado, I’m honoured to introduce the voices of season four.

NGM Podcast NetworkJonathon ReedNovember 23, 2024Youth, Masculinity, Race, Education, Mental Health

The Heart is a Muscle Too: Navigating a Rite of Passage in the Wilderness

The research that has defined Next Gen Men’s work for a decade tells us that the single most important factor for resilience is having at least one close, confiding relationship in which one feels truly known, accepted and valued. That’s how you overcome challenge.

ReflectionsJonathon ReedNovember 23, 2024Rite of Passage Expeditions, Youth, Masculinity

Research Report: What We’ve Learned About the Online Lives of Boys Who Are Embracing Positive Masculinity

As part of our ongoing mission to support boys’ well-being, my colleagues and I decided to take on a research project designed to better understand their feelings, stresses and needs. What we uncovered was a surprising distance between their beliefs and attitudes about toxic and positive masculinity, and their lived experiences—particularly online.

Learnings & UnlearningsJonathon ReedOctober 22, 2024Masculinity, Youth, Status of Boys Report

6 Things Educators Should Know About Positive Masculinity

It’s not for no reason that we dedicate ourselves to the next generation of men—and we don’t take the educators in their lives for granted. You are their champions, their stewards and their witness.

For every time I’m invited to be part of a professional development opportunity, for every time that Next Gen Men’s resources are downloaded and used in schools, and for each and every thing that you, who are reading this, do to engage boys in the movement for gender justice, thank you.

Learnings & UnlearningsJonathon ReedMarch 14, 2024Youth, Masculinity, Education

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