#gender-norms

#gender-norms

Technology's impact on adolescents and young boys has been the subject of discussion and concern for decades. This new wave of AI tools has tightened the loop between technology and culture, with technology influencing mindsets and behavior and vice versa. An October 2025 report by Common Sense Media coined the term "digital masculinity" to describe the ways in which masculinity is defined, conveyed, and negotiated online specifically.

Set to a Kanye song remixed with a track by Nemzzz, a "cool aunt" video (sometimes called "Plan B") typically opens with a list that reads something like: "Plan A: married by 25, homeowner by 27, kids by 30." But when the beat drops, so do a slew of clips of all the amazing things the creator has done with her life instead of hitting those conventional benchmarks.

Early household dynamics can profoundly influence workplace culture. Factors such as birth order and parenting styles shape traits like collaboration, control, and risk-taking in adults.

Reeves’s display of distress may prove to have an unexpectedly positive legacy, normalising women’s tears in the workplace, which have mostly been mired in shame.

"Why are women expected to wear barely-there suits - I'm talking full-on thongs at the children's water park - while men get mocked for wearing form-fitting ones?"

Men may channel emotions into anger, as it is often more socially accepted than other emotions, masking deeper feelings like fear.

Tim Burchett dismisses stereotypes of masculinity, claiming he is a red-blooded man who refuses to drink from straws, rejecting perceived femininity in his actions.

"There are both similarities and differences in the societal evaluation of male and female sexuality. However, contrary to common assumptions, moderate levels of sexual activity are most valued for both genders."

The term 'too muscular' often questions a woman's identity, implying she doesn't fit societal norms of femininity, beauty, and can even lead to accusations of cheating.