How Media is Redefining Men and How Men are Redefining Media

Meanwhile girl power stars39amp160male counterparts largely provide comic relief or emotional supportamp160with a few notable exceptionsamp160 While many applaud these diverse images of masculinity others worry about the impact a general lack of quotstrongquot male characters could have on Gen Zamp160 Among actual members of Gen Z however support remains unwaveringamp160 Young men feel they can relate far better to the Chris Pratts of the world than they can to previous heroes such as John Wayneamp160Already Generation Z defined as all those born between the mid 90s and mid 2000s is breaking all the expectationsamp160 They39re more conservative than Millennials but only on certain issuesamp160 According to an AnchorFree study of 2000 young people born 19902009 commissioned by MyersBizNet young people born post 1996 are progressively more likely to be conservative and less likely to be politically progressiveamp160 They39re also less invested in television and more strongly bonded to their mobile devices They celebrate diversity but also believe that young people should earn their privileges through respect and hard workamp160 Entrenched in all this is anamp160evolving view of masculinity described in The Future of Men Masculinity in the TwentyFirst Century shaped by a combination of television film social media and politicsamp160How Gen Z Defines MasculinityDefinitions of masculinity vary significantly from one generation to the next quotbut what is perhaps most notable about our generationquot comments Stephanie G a journalist in her young twenties quotis our reluctance or even inability to be defined in the first placeamp160 This is both promising and alarming men aren39t stymied by narrow definitions of the past but they increasingly feel lostamp160 In a notable TED talk Jack Myers mentions how when referencing the future of men young guys respond quotYou mean we have a futurequotamp160 Gen Z struggles to define masculinity but we areamp160wellaware of how it39s defined by other generationsquotIn a recent study conducted by AXE Canada men between the ages of 15 and 25 admitted that they39d been presented an idealized image of masculinity as aggressive although they often attributed this to their parents or other adults and not to mass mediaamp160 Young respondentsamp160also admitted to largely rejecting stereotypicalamp160notions of masculinity aiming instead for a more inclusive take on being a quotrealquot manAs in most generations men of Gen Z admire assertive individuals who are desired by the opposite sexamp160amp160but they39re also less likely to look down on displays of emotionamp160 This evolving take on manhood is arguably shaped by both mass and social media where young men witness a wide range of charactersamp160 Several of today39s most popular male figures are shaped not by their aggressive stereotypical take on masculinity but on other factors altogether their empathy kindness and intelligenceamp160 There39s still a place for quottraditionalquot masculinity but it39s just one of several optionsThe Importance of Relatable CharactersThe media has played a huge role in shaping young men for every generation of the 20th and 21st centuriesamp160 The Baby Boomers had Paul Newman Gen X had Kurt Cobainamp160 Over time the ideal male lead has shifted somewhat from a handsome debonair and untouchable hero to something more relatable albeit still remarkable in his own wayToday39s male heroes may be talented but they39re also deeply flawedamp160 These flaws make it easier for our generation to relateamp160 For example although Stranger Things is based in the 3980s younger viewers feel one with the dorky male leads who despite often appearing less than confident are capable of great thingsamp160 Likewise the male protagonist in 13 Reasons Why is a kindhearted young man but also assertive at timesamp160 He is therefore subject of great admiration among both male and female viewersamp160A popular series among Gen Z and Millennial viewers alike The Big Bang Theoryamp160offersamp160an interesting examination ofamp160manhoodamp160 The characters are unabashedly dorky and yet the ones we idealize most Sheldon are confident in themselves and their abilitiesamp160 a trait we39ve long identified as manlyamp160 Ultimately despite their bookish appearancesamp160The Big Bang39samp160stars get the girl in the endamp160 As far as Hollywood is concerned what could be more manly than thatAdventure Time brings the balance between bravery and sensitivity to a whole new levelamp160 Finn the Human is often aggressive and impulsiveamp160 stereotypically male characteristicsamp160 but he can also be surprisingly emotional at timesamp160 He flies in the face of conventional animated males such as Homer Simpson or Peter Griffinamp160of the last few decades who are more frequently portrayed as buffoonsamp160 definitely not figures to admireSometimes it39s not just about a mix of attributes in a single character it39s about several figures showing their own unique take on masculinity Perhaps this is why the men of our generation join Millennials in their Game of Thrones obsession from Ramsay Bolton to Gendry or evenamp160Bran Stark they love seeing how different young men actamp160 All of the show39s men have wildly different motivations and ways of accomplishing their goals but together they demonstrate thatamp160there is no absolute right or wrong way to be a man even in this fictional medieval worldIn TV movies and books with male characters it39s all about the story arcamp160 quotWe want to see people who are actively working to better their situationquot comments Stephanie Gamp160 quotThey could useamp160Petyr Baelish39samp16039chaos is a ladder39 approach or fight more honorably and conventionally as with the gang of boys inamp160Stranger Things but either way we see them actively striving towards a goalamp160 Our attention spans are notoriously short so we39re not willing to watch characters remain stagnantamp160 Hence like Millennials Gen Z is more into tenepisode Netflix dramas than sitcomsamp160 When we do embrace comedies it39s because the characters are multifaceted or they in some way show growth throughout the course of the seriesquotFor Gen Z growth as a man means becoming more assertive but also more empatheticamp160 There is no final word on what it means to be masculine Definitions of masculinity are diverse and constantly evolving based on what they see on social media Netflix in politics and in their everyday lives They39re ready to dispel theamp160notion that quottraditionalquot masculinity is all bad but they39re not fully committed to the Greatest Generation39s old school definition of manhoodamp160 For Gen Z it39s all about the middle ground assertive yet sensitiveamp160 If the media doesn39t present them with realistic figures who conform to this view they39ll forge them on their own through social mediaamp160 They39re ready to carve their own path and they can39t wait to show the world an evolved version of masculinityClick here for Jack Myers39 complete Understanding Gen Z seriesamp160 Jack Myers is the author of The Future of Men Masculinity in the TwentyFirst Century and Hooked Up A New Generation39s Surprising Take on Sex Politics and Saving the WorldNext in our Gen Z seriesamp160 Gen Z Men Strong in Movies Cool on Instagram Goofy on SnapchatResearch and support was provided by Stephanie G a Gen Z copywriter dance team coachamp160and event marketeramp160 Stephanie G isamp160passionate about Gen Z and confident that if young adults support and encourage one another there is no limit to what we can accomplishClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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