How Toxic Masculinity Affects Boys: Why Do We Tell Boys Not to Cry

How Toxic Masculinity Affects Boys: Why Do We Tell Boys Not to Cry

Boys are also victims of toxic masculinity, albeit in different ways than men. It’s not just men who suffer from the pressures of hyper masculinity; boys do too. Because of this, we need to change how we raise them. Boys are taught from a young age that being manly is the most important thing they can be. They’re told not to cry or show any sort of emotion that isn’t anger or irritation because those are the only acceptable “manly” feelings.

Moreover, boys aren’t allowed to be soft or kind unless it’s for some girl they like. If a boy likes art or music, he must not be good at it because that’s something girls like — but not guys. Boys cannot be compassionate or empathetic without coming off as weak and making everyone around them uncomfortable. And they can never let anyone see them cry because that would make them appear weak and unmanly in their peers’ eyes. In short: boys aren’t allowed to be themselves unless they fit into rigid boxes of what society deems acceptable male behaviour. And that needs to change right now before it gets any worse...

Why Is Toxic Masculinity So Harmful?

Toxic masculinity is harmful towards everyone — men, women, and boys included. It creates an unrealistic and unhealthy perception of what it means to be a man. It also makes it unsafe for women and other men who don’t fit into this hypermasculine norm. But before we talk about how toxic masculinity is harmful, let’s talk about what it actually is. Toxic masculinity is the term used to describe the negative stereotypes associated with being a man. These stereotypes include the idea that men should be aggressive, emotionless, dominant, and sexually promiscuous. They also believe that being a man means suppressing any emotions other than anger or a desire for sex. Toxic masculinity is harmful because it causes men to suffer from poor mental health and pressures men to conform to a restrictive and unhealthy lifestyle. It also perpetuates discrimination and violence against women, LGBTQ+ people, and other minority groups. And finally, it makes it difficult for men to express their emotions and connect with others.

Why Does Telling Boys Not to Cry Matter?

As we’ve already discussed, boys aren’t allowed to cry. Not even as kids. Crying is seen as a sign of weakness, but boys are expected to be tough. Boys are expected to brush off even the most tragic events and keep a straight face. As a result, boys don’t learn how to process their emotions until they hit a crisis point and are unable to cope. They don’t know how to deal with stress or anxiety in healthy ways, so it builds up to the point where it explodes. What ends up happening is that boys repress their emotions. They don’t have any way to process them because they aren’t allowed to express them, so they keep them bottled up inside. And this is unhealthy. When you bury your emotions, they don’t go away. They build up and they can create toxic fumes.

The Effects of Telling Boys Not to Be Emotional or Soft

As you can imagine, this can cause all sorts of problems. When you don’t know how to cope with your emotions, they can start to become overwhelming. And repressing them can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This is especially true for boys who are victims of toxic masculinity. Boys who aren’t allowed to express their emotions and aren’t given a healthy outlet for those emotions are at greater risk for mental health issues than boys who are allowed to talk about their feelings. And that leads us to our next point: depression and suicide are serious problems among men. Boys are at higher risk for both of these issues than girls, and toxic masculinity plays a significant role in this.

What Can We Do To Change This?

Studies have shown that teaching boys about emotions at an early age can help combat the harmful effects of toxic masculinity. When boys are allowed to talk about their feelings and are given the tools to cope with them, they are less likely to suffer from mental health issues later in life. This doesn’t mean that you should let your kid cry whenever they want or be able to do whatever they want. You still need to set boundaries and show your child how to behave in a socially acceptable way. But it means that you should let your child know that it’s okay to feel emotions like sadness, anger, and fear. It’s okay to let these emotions out and be vulnerable because that’s what makes you human.

Boys are taught from a young age that being manly is the most important thing they can be. They’re told not to cry or show any sort of emotion that isn’t anger or irritation because those are the only acceptable “manly” feelings. And that needs to change. We need to let boys know that it’s okay not to fit into these rigid boxes of what society deems acceptable male behaviour. We need to give them the tools to cope with their emotions and allow them to be themselves even if it doesn’t fit into society’s ideals for a “real man.”