Fatherly Profile picture
Jul 26, 2022 15 tweets 6 min read Read on X
As traditional masculine norms are tossed into the dust heap of history, men are failing to embrace new freedoms and finding only inner conflict. fatherly.com/health/why-am-…
The General Social Survey, a massive dataset meant to give researchers and policymakers a snapshot of how Americans are doing, shows that male happiness has been curved over time.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, men were the most unhappy when data was first collected in 1972, with 27% of men reporting that they were “very happy” compared to 33% of women. bit.ly/3vfO2I5
The pandemic only made things worse — for both men and women. In 2021, rates of being “not too happy” climbed to 24% of men and 25% of women.
Apart from the obvious effects of the pandemic, psychotherapist @drcarlamanly, Ph.D., suspects men’s decline in happiness has to do with their changing and precarious roles in society.
Experts at the American Psychological Association suspect that male sadness, specifically male sadness derivative of anxiety about masculinity, works like a snare trap. fatherly.com/health/why-am-…
Boys are caught in it when they’re young. They learn to “man up” or are told that “pain is just weakness leaving the body.” bit.ly/3vfO2I5
They’re told success and strength and value are all the same thing. This is internalized so that when men try to fight against it later on, it cuts into them.
Even men who recognize the need to change their attitudes may not succeed in doing so, and men who are being forced to change their attitudes are unlikely to succeed. bit.ly/3vfO2I5
The shrinking of the middle class and traditionally male-dominated industries as well as the rise of dual-income family as a cultural norm has required men to pivot into unexpected roles and to grapple with concepts at odds with internalized notions of manhood.
Equally terrified of the #MeToo movement and being misconstrued as gay, men stumble down an untenably narrow middle path. bit.ly/3vfO2I5
So new expectations are piled onto old ones that they should be replacing. Dads are expected to be nurturing, but feel judged for making less money than their wives, crying when they’re sad, and seeking help when they’re depressed.
In extreme cases, an inability to cope with changing expectations doesn’t just make men feel sad, it leads to death. Men are 4Xs more likely to commit suicide than women, and the numbers go way up in the wake of a shock to their identity, such as a divorce or job loss.
Middle-aged men who buy into traditional ideas of masculinity have the highest suicide risk of all.
When men don’t channel sadness into pain, they tend to convert it into aggression. Though some men lash out, more lash in, especially when they’re trying to protect their families from their worst qualities.

Read the full story: fatherly.com/health/why-am-…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Fatherly

Fatherly Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @FatherlyHQ

Oct 28, 2022
🧁Children bounce off the walls when you give them ice cream. They get the shakes after gnawing on candy bars. They turn demonic when allowed to lick lollipops.

At least, that’s what most parents will tell you... Image
But according to the National Institutes of Health, there’s no link between sugar and hyperactivity — and study after study has demonstrated that sugar rushes are a myth. fatherly.com/health/theres-…
🍭Origins Of The “Sugar Rush”

It’s true, and it’s hardly news. In 1995, researchers analyzed 16 high-quality studies of children post-sugar binge, and concluded that “sugar does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children.” Image
Read 11 tweets
Oct 26, 2022
Back on November 27, 1977, kids watching network TV were introduced to the “greatest adventure” of all time. fatherly.com/entertainment/…
As the world mourns the passing of animator and producer Jules Bass — who died on October 25, 2022, at the age of 87 — it’s also a good time to celebrate his work. bit.ly/3svY5a8
As The Hobbit celebrates its 45th birthday, the movie has never been better. bit.ly/3svY5a8 Image
Read 13 tweets
Oct 18, 2022
We're proud to bring you The Friendship Issue, dedicated to making & keeping friends, looking closely at what makes us tick, & celebrating male friendships. 👬

Take a look, then stop thinking so hard and go grab a beer with a friend. 🍻 bit.ly/3DgFchP
"It’s as if the unwritten rules for men who wish to be great friends require that we nearly die in the trying." –@BradWieners fatherly.com/life/chaos-mal…
Read 7 tweets
Oct 18, 2022
The pandemic has driven many of us to drink. Whether it’s a little added stress relief or an attempt to alleviate months of mind-numbing monotony, many of us are adding another cocktail, beer, or glass of wine at night. fatherly.com/health/what-ha…
Does it lead to sluggish, irritable mornings? Sometimes. But even if you don’t notice the change, if you look at the science of what happens when you stop drinking, let’s just say you might have second thoughts about leaning into this habit.
What Happens When You Stop Drinking: fatherly.com/health/what-ha…
Read 10 tweets
Oct 10, 2022
Today marks Indigenous Peoples' Day, a day to recognize, celebrate, and reflect on the role and impact Indigenous people have had on the country. fatherly.com/news/map-indig…
There's a very long and dark history in the U.S. regarding Indigenous rights, and as we continue to have conversations with our kids about natural history, learning about which Indigenous lands you're living on is a good first start.
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that gives thanks and gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who worked and lived on the land both presently and historically. fatherly.com/news/a-parents…
Read 10 tweets
Oct 10, 2022
There are plenty of beliefs parents held back in the day that don’t fly today. For example, 20 years ago, it was considered a sign of good parenting for a dad to threaten his daughter’s partner. fatherly.com/news/tom-brady…
Many wrote it off as a show of support for the child from a good protective dad — a “you hurt her heart, I hurt you” kind of thing.
But in reality, it can be creepy and is far from supportive of your kid’s capacity to make their own choices. fatherly.com/news/tom-brady…
Read 13 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(