Time to banish toxic masculinity
Toxic masculinity is a popular term for stereotypically male behaviours that are harmful to men and society as a whole. Good looks get likes
Toxic masculinity has been around for centuries. It puts pressure on men to think they need to have a strong physique, hide their emotions, and act in an aggressively dominant way.
It’s seen in advertising, pop culture, and now toxic imagery is more accessible to young people through social media. Anyone can post anything and anyone can comment. Young men are constantly confronted by toxic male culture and images of what it is to 'be a man'. The pressure they put on themselves for more popularity is higher than any older generation’s experience.
Toxic masculinity is not just harmful to boys. Conformity to toxic masculine behaviour such as dominance and aggression is harmful to our society as a whole. This desire for superiority challenges women's basic human rights and can be linked to the prevalence of harassment and sexual assaults. The best a man can be?
More needs to be done to address toxic masculinity in the media. We are moving away from the silent, window-washing Coca Cola hunks of the 90s but there's still a way to go.
And there are also steps that can be taken at an individual level. Parents and teachers need to prioritise dispelling these dated views of ‘hypermasculinity’.
Young boys need to be taught that communicating their feelings should not be frowned upon, treating women with respect is essential and the notion of a ‘perfect physique’ is not real. By dealing with toxic masculinity, we are challenging 'gender norms' that make young people feel bad about themselves. Growing up should be a time of exploration and expression. Not a time to fit into a predesigned gender-specific box.
So rather than defining toxic masculinity, pointing out toxic male traits or discussing whether all masculinity is bad, let's banish it altogether. So children can grow up and be who they want to be, unfazed by outdated gender stereotypes. Please sign this petition to support our cause.