Teen boys are like lion cubs—cute, playful, aggressive, but ultimately harmless. “Boys will be boys,” right? Unfortunately, it turns out the playing field of masculinity is actually much more dangerous than many believe. From hazing gone wrong, to depression and suicide, to jail time, the consequences of not understanding masculinity and what it means to be a man can be dire.When boys begin the transition into manhood in their late teens, they’re forced to figure out what it means to “be a man.” The late high school, college, and early adult years are a proving ground for young men, and they’ll go out of their way to show off their machismo. But these rituals have become dangerous and harmful. And no one is talking about manhood--what does it mean to be a man?These are important questions to answer for any parent raising a young man. For the answers, I turned to Michael Kimmel, the man to turn to when it comes to understanding men. Author of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men and many other books on masculinity and gender, Kimmel has a mind dedicated to dissecting the world boys grow up in and revealing how and why boys are impacted by the idea of “manhood.”Kimmel claims adolescence and early manhood have blended together to give boys an unstructured, unsupervised playground to show off their masculinity. Coaches, teachers, and advisors turn a blind eye, and nineteen- and twenty-year-olds are left to make the rules on what it means to “be a man.” They often learn harmful tropes from porn, movies, pop culture, and even sports! It’s crucial for adults—especially parents—to step in and guide young men on this journey so they don’t hurt themselves or others in the process.In our conversation, Kimmel deconstructs the concept of masculinity and lays it bare for what it is. Young men are taught to be in control, and when they feel emasculated, they feel they have to reestablish their status. This leads to risky and harmful behaviors, but there are still ways to influence young men positively! Here are some of the topics we cover in our conversation:
How to teach boys and girls to set realistic goals
Why boys often act out violently or aggressively, and how to prevent it
The pros and cons of sports
How to discourage feelings of entitlement in young men
Kimmel breaks down complex sociological relationships in words that everyone can understand. I know this podcast episode will prove valuable to all parents raising both sons and daughters. The world boys grow up in doesn’t just affect boys; it impacts everyone! For some amazing perspective on gender and parenting, tune in and hear what Kimmel has to say.