Hint: For all our technological advancement, we still ain’t nothin’ but mammals.
Men are creatures of habit, and there isn’t a more habit-forming apparatus than social media. From the omnipresent Facebook to blogs upon blogs of opinions, to constant broadcasts from the Twitterverse, we are exposed to by-the-minute updates covering all aspects of our lives. How men interact with this deluge of information and its inherent rules confirms some fundamental characteristics about manhood that we already knew—and tells us some things that may not be acknowledged often enough.
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1. 120 characters is a lot more comfortable than group therapy.
Men are famous for not reading, not emoting, and being unwilling to talk. But social media has created a comfort zone where men communicate about things they might not otherwise. What that tells us is that men are actually more complex and more feeling than we are given credit for, as the safety of technology and the tweet frees us from our usual caveman-like grunts. Daddy bloggers swap stories about changing diapers, men actually exchange dating advice, and men talk about books—albeit in headline tweet format. Perhaps men are deeper than we let on.
Next Page: Baboon Brains …
—Photo by ngernelle/Flickr
I’m not sure about Uncle Tom or the “Gud Myn” Project.
However, I do know that Men Are Good!
http://menaregood.com/
I read through this and understood the following: 1.) All men are uncomfortable discussing their feeling so Social Media gives them a platform. 2.) … “But most guys just use their baboon brains to fantasize about women other than their wives or girlfriends.” Really? Most guys? I’m all for debunking the myth that not everyone looks at porn, but I don’t think Social Media is the recent culprit for helping the porn industry thrive. Where are the stats on it? 3.) I know plenty of women, (hand raised!) that also are addicted to Social Media. It’s easy, it’s instant and… Read more »
What if your a man that doesn’t fit the five point bill of definition. Do we have to contend with the stereotypes and the cultural bigotry of assumption. I like to read, I don’t own a television and stopped watching about 10 years ago. Spectator sports is boring, I’d rather throw a football than watch someone else have all the fun. I own a smart phone because my 6 year old son likes it, it’s loaded with educational games and programs. He loves watching Mr. Magoo on the bus. I have never subscribed to twitter or facebook, I always felt… Read more »
I guess I’m weird, disconnected from the other dudes, and part robot, because I only identify with the sports stuff in this post. I have a very active twitter account – @TLanceB and a personal blog – http://lance-myblogcanbeatupyourblog.blogspot.com where I mostly talk about pop culture, being a dude in a house with 4 women, and how my entertainment choices reflect my mental state and parenting. There’s also some actual writing mixed in all of that. I read an editorial in USA Today a few days ago that basically ran down social media and how it “prevents” men (and women) from… Read more »
The media is filled with misandry and GMPM is no different.
“our usual caveman-like grunts”
Isn’t that right, Uncle Tom?
Just be grateful it’s a guy admitting it and not a woman claiming it.
And porn is filled with misogyny. What’s your point?
Uncle Tom is free to declare himself a caveman and a baboon. However, when he uses the broad brush of misandry to paint other men, then I find that personally insulting.
Same as calling women bitches.
I think the point is where we set the standard for degradation. Whether or not it’s necessary to institutionalize a factitious standard that should be all encompassing. You are correct porn does portray misogyny but no more than misandry. Seeing it or not would represent your working standards. Chiding someone into accepting your standards is superficial, insensitive, unintelligent, and self absorbed. But convenient. It doesn’t bode well for men who may not fit the stereotypes outlined. What I particularly appreciated from Matt is his consideration that men may be more emotionally complex than we previously believed. Porn and it’s content… Read more »
@Sarah Radford:
Wow really? This is why i don’t take women’s complaints about men derailing conversations about women seriously. Bunch of hypocrites.
Yes, tell us how much you hate us. More, more, that’s what this site is for.
That’s right, Sarah. Men are shallow, women are deep. No point in me helping my eight-year-old with her Latin. The stench is permanent and it’s only a matter of time before she figures it out. Should I jettison Virgil and just get her mother to read her “Letters From A War Zone”?
Great post! We haven’t evolved at all! We were still picking fleas off each other 20,000 years ago!
Hey Tom, kudos! My favorites and one to maybe add?.. First, my favorites, #3. and #4, and their relationship. Quick story: Super Bowl Sunday. Got the Blackberry in the toilet with me…after the deed is done, the device slips into the bowl with my makings. DILEMMA! Of course, I reach in there and grab it–it’s ruined–still washing my hands, btw–then I’m off to Verizon say, 15 minutes before kick-off, because having my phone even trumps the Big Game! Okay, and maybe one to add/a question. What does it say about me that I will let my business have a Facebook… Read more »