It's normal to cry and feel pain: Embracing toxic masculinity can make men unhappy
Men who endorse toxic masculinity can become socially isolated as they age.
By PTI |
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Embracing toxic masculinity is self-harming.
WASHINGTON: Men who endorse toxic masculinity can become socially isolated as they age, impacting their health, well-being and overall happiness, according to a study. The study, published in the journal Sex Roles, analysed nearly 5,500 US older women and men.
"Having people with whom we can talk about personal matters is a form of social support," said Stef Shuster, an assistant professor at the Michigan State University (MSU) in the US.
"If people only have one person that they can share information with, or sometimes even no people, they don't really have an opportunity to reflect and share," Shuster said.
He said that when issues arise, like health or financial problems, it puts individuals in an incredibly disadvantaged position if they don't have anyone to share this with, which also might have negative consequences for their mental health.
"Older men who endorse the ideals of toxic masculinity can become siloed off as they age," Shuster said.
"Not all older men are at risk - just those who favour a particular set of ideals" he said.
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The higher men score on the scale of hegemonic masculinity, the less likely they are to change their views or seek help. The study also found that embracing toxic masculinity is self-harming.
"Often, toxic masculinity is a term that we use to describe how masculinity affects other people, especially women," Shuster said.
"But our study shows how toxic masculinity also has detrimental consequences for the men who subscribe to these ideals.
"The very premise of hegemonic masculinity in some ways is based on the idea of isolation because it's about being autonomous and not showing a lot of emotion. It's hard to develop friendships living this way," he said.
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As baby boomers prepare to retire from the workforce, they face challenges in finding and sustaining healthy friendships.
The researchers suggest social isolation may be alleviated by embracing an alternative understanding of masculinity that doesn't rely on independence and toughness as the only way to be "real men," or at least easing up on the principles of hegemonic masculinity.
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Shuster said that the higher men score on the scale of hegemonic masculinity, the less likely they are to change their views or seek help.
Seven Apps That Every Man Should Have On His Smartphone
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In a mobile-driven world, smartphone apps bring a wealth of infotainment and services at your fingertips. Here are a few that you can consider.
In a mobile-driven world, smartphone apps bring a wealth of infotainment and services at your fingertips. Here are a few that you can consider.
Nike+ Training Club
It's a comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing app that has more than 150 workouts, including endurance, strength, mobility and yoga. You are given the choice of workouts according to your goals, a body tone and level of preparation. Nike+ Training Club's new series of athlete workouts also feature health and motivation tips from Cristiano Ronaldo's 360-degree approach to training.
Nike+ Training Club
It's a comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing app that has more than 150 workouts, including endurance, strength, mobility and yoga. You are given the choice of workouts accord..
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SoundCloud
One of the largest music and audio streaming platforms, SoundCloud is a must-have if you love music. It boasts of 150 million tracks from emerging and established artists around the world. It gives track suggestions based on your likes and listening habits, helps to interact with the artists, and much more.
SoundCloud
One of the largest music and audio streaming platforms, SoundCloud is a must-have if you love music. It boasts of 150 million tracks from emerging and established artists around the worl..
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Doit.im
Sure there is no dearth of apps to manage your to-do list. And one of the best is Doit.im. It syncs across multiple devices and makes it easy to work through your list. The app synchronises your tasks with the cloud, lets you sort your goals, projects, next actions, edit tasks and support multi-level view — goals, projects, tasks, etc.
Doit.im
Sure there is no dearth of apps to manage your to-do list. And one of the best is Doit.im. It syncs across multiple devices and makes it easy to work through your list. The app synchronises ..
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Flochat
It is your go-to messenger for accessing every service you could possibly require — food, ride sharing, deals, entertainment, search (Microsoft Bing), gifts, etc. Apart from letting you use your frequently-used apps in its platform, Flochat comes with a personal chat assistant and allows you to edit and delete chat messages even after they are sent.
Flochat
It is your go-to messenger for accessing every service you could possibly require — food, ride sharing, deals, entertainment, search (Microsoft Bing), gifts, etc. Apart from letting you use ..
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Guides by Lonely Planet
Packed with offline maps, audio phrasebooks, a currency converter and advice from experts, it's a great travel app. You can download the guide for the city that you intend to visit, and then select the category you want information on — restaurants, things to see, places to sleep, shopping destinations etc.
Guides by Lonely Planet
Packed with offline maps, audio phrasebooks, a currency converter and advice from experts, it's a great travel app. You can download the guide for the city that you intend to..
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Car Locator
If you tend to forget where you have parked your car in a maze-like parking of a mall, Car Locator can help you get over the embarrassment. Just shake your smartphone to save your location when you park and the app will In a mobile-driven world, smartphone apps bring a wealth of infotainment and services at your fingertips. Here are a few that you can consider Seven apps that every man should have on his phone help you find your car. It also lets you beam your current or saved location to another phone.
Car Locator
If you tend to forget where you have parked your car in a maze-like parking of a mall, Car Locator can help you get over the embarrassment. Just shake your smartphone to save your locat..
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Flipboard
The news and social network aggregator has something for everyone — from travel to technology, politics to entertainment. Pick your passions and Flipboard wil l creat e a smart magazine for you. It lets you read, like, and share stories on social media, while you access the best content from all sources, person, publication, and even hashtags.
Flipboard
The news and social network aggregator has something for everyone — from travel to technology, politics to entertainment. Pick your passions and Flipboard wil l creat e a smart magazine fo..
