There are many thoughts about men:
Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy fat women. ~Attributed to both Marion Smith and Nicole Hollander
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde
Part of the reason that men seem so much less loving than women is that men's behavior is measured with a feminine ruler. ~Francesca M. Cancian
In light of these opinions, I read a short article today in which two authors of a new book were interviewed. The book is titled: The Demise of Guys: Why Boys Struggle and What We can Do About It. Phillip Zimbardo and Nikita Duncan are the authors and their general position is "all those hours spent in front of a screen-not just watching porn but playing video games too-are leaving men in the dust socially, unable to relate to women and unable to function in society."
First of all, their overall premise seems a little general to me. I have to say that the majority of men I know and meet seem like they are functioning pretty well in society.But maybe I don't get out enough.
The authors above say that in their research, women are complaining that they can't find men that they can have a conversation with. That much I can believe. Frankly, there are many people out there of both sexes who seem to have difficulty carrying on an in-depth conversation. Sadly, I don't think too many people can talk about very many things beyond their own world and experience. But I don't know if men can be singled out on that issue. I do have to admit that I can converse on a wider variety of subjects with women I know than men. But again, maybe I don't have enough erudite male friends (actually, I don't!).
One of the reasons these authors see a disintegration of "guys" and the male persona is because they see far too many boys growing up without a strong father or male role model in their life. Boys are more involved in their video fantasy worlds than ever and on social media and in their video games...places where the risk of social rejection are less pronounced. They are living in a more regressive state than a generation ago. They lack communication skills and the ability to build strong, solid relationships. These are all conclusions of the Zimbardo and Duncan's research.
In general, I can see their point. I have seen many boys from 14-25 who have difficulty making their lives work and who seem to be stuck in a world where they prefer to avoid responsibility and commitment. I have seen some who have that "entitlement" issue and can't seem to grow beyond that. But I don't think men have changed too drastically. But then, I'm not sure what people are expecting.
