—
Modern man is completely different from the men of previous generations. There is always a little difference between this generation and the one that went before, but the men of current generations are poles apart from their fathers and grandfathers. That’s a good thing because it could trigger a huge change that will ensure the future is much brighter than the past and the present, assuming a nuclear war doesn’t kill us all before we can learn these lessons.
The Young Have a Say
One of the key changes is that the younger generation is having more say than ever before. Throughout history, it has been the younger generation that has been more vocal about change. They are the ones who have sought to cause revolutions. However, they are often silenced by the older generations, the ones who own industries, run countries and generally control the world.
This reached a peak in the 20th century when the voices of the younger generation were ignored during key movements in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Stuffy old guys in political backrooms sent youngsters to die in Korea and Vietnam; they fought them on the streets of their own country; they demonized their habits and their future; and, some leaders killed them off one by one. Today, the young are just as vocal as they have ever been and they are just as keen to mold the world to their way of thinking.
The difference is that the young have a stronger voice thanks to the power of the internet and technology in general. More and more of them are boring because more and more are realizing the damage that not voting can cause. They are using social media to get together and fight for change and they are also creating groups to express themselves, instead of confining their words of revolt for places where they would go unheard.
We saw this in the recent US election. It’s clear that the majority of youngsters in the US were (and still are) against Trump; there is a greater number of liberals in this populace.
They weren’t able to stop Trump but it is their voices that continue to speak out his presidency, to give him the lowest approval rating ever and to generally force a change. This presidency is their way of saying, “We told you so,” and it’s also been a signal to them that they can gather in numbers strong enough to make a difference, whether by voting in elections or by gathering on the streets to fight fascism.
The Young Are Not Expendable
In the past, a lot of the younger generation has been expendable, sent to die in some far away war or used as pawns for the richer, older people at the top. Entrepreneurship, and the fact that there are many rich and powerful young men than ever before helps to ensure this is not the case.
It only takes one big war, which may be on the horizon (we can only pray that is not the case) to change that but 70 years without major conflict, 70 years of development and growth and 70 years of opportunity has created a world where young men can prosper and take control, instead of a world where they are simply used by those in control.
We’re More Understanding and Tolerant
I grew up in a fairly macho environment. To an extent, some of that remains in me. I adore all forms of sport and I struggle to let out my emotions. As a teen, I kept a lot of things down and became the person that I thought all males were supposed to be. A lot of this was down to the fact that my influences were older, chauvinistic men, as well as people who had grown up with dads, uncles and older brothers like that.
It was a world I didn’t fit into and one I force myself not to be a part of. But I’m not the only one. Even half a century ago men would have been frowned on if they were not macho, empty-headed, beer-swilling numbskulls. They were expected to be sexiest, homophobic and bigoted by nature, it was almost a part of the gender.
Thankfully, that is no longer the case. There are still bigots, there are still racists and there are still macho men. You only need to get a group of guys together to see that. But we also talk more about mental health, sexuality and feelings than we ever did and this has made us more tolerant and accepting than we have ever been.
There will come a time when bullying someone for their preferences is entirely a thing of the past and is as alien as not bullying that person used to be. That time is almost upon us, and that can only be a good thing. Some men will always be a little stupid and a little reckless. We may sometimes boast and say things to our friends that we would never say in polite company, or in front of any women.
But that’s okay, banter is harmless just as long as it doesn’t cross over into bigotry and that’s where the modern man is different from men of previous generations.
__
Photo credit: Getty Images