Zac Seidler
Global Director of Men’s Health Research, Movember
As young men struggle with health, wellbeing and relationships, we must seek new opportunities to understand, support and connect with them.
In our studies, young men report feeling disconnected from their gender, rarely thinking about it or discussing it. Consequently, their perceptions are easily influenced by the loudest voices in the room or on their phones.
Redefining masculinity to support men
As the ‘crisis of masculinity’ narrative grows louder, fear of discussing men’s lives in an optimistic and expansive way only mirrors and reinforces their silence. Masculinities are often weighed down by the fear of femininity or homosexuality. This fear is what drives, in my eyes, the lack of a fully realised, well-defined view of themselves.
The conversation is ridden with how notto be, but young men cannot build a strong identity on that. We’re at an inflexion point, where the convergence of the #MeToo movement and rise of ‘toxic masculinity’ (the media-driven term of choice), have placed young men’s lives in the spotlight.
To engage young men in a movement for
change, we must meet them where they are.
Navigating complexity of men’s lived experiences
Their schools, peer groups, sporting clubs and online interactions receive an unrivalled level of scrutiny; a backlash response has arisen as young men seek out what they see as dominant voices, often online, offering them back certainty and power that feels better to them than waves of shame or guilt being sold elsewhere.
Men reliably tell us that they are lonely; they struggle to navigate dating; they feel tied to their phone as if their life depends on it; and they don’t learn the difference between porn and true intimacy. It is an increasingly complex world for them to navigate; it’s time we took a new approach to engaging with them.
Engage, empathise and co-design
To engage young men in a movement for change, we must meet them where they are and build solutions with them by asking, ‘How can we help?’ This also means learning fromthem and co-designing solutions to the complex problems that are their lived reality. We also cannot demand answers without questioning the systemic pressures underpinning their decisions.
This is the secret to Movember’s success. The humble moustache may have started conversations with millions of men, but we are a unique charity. Our mandate is to empathise with and understand young men’s lives to help them live healthier, longer lives.
To support men in achieving lasting health and wellbeing — whether as partners, family, friends or healthcare professionals — it’s time we ask and stop assuming what men need.
