The authors of this describe the situation accurately enough. Even though a Netflix show is presented as evidence of, … something.
They lost me with the “begging the question” prescription for censorship and online control. I also don’t like the aesthetics of arguing that boys are dangerous without putting into context how much young men suffer under modern material conditions.
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 13 hours ago
I’m glad this issue is gaining broader international recognition.
The strategies we’ve used to address it online seem to have mostly forced it underground without actually stopping the spread. It’s not just a few dark corners of social media where you’ll find evidence of it, either. You’ll see it pretty regularly in some of the largest communities on Lemmy, and anywhere young men congregate.
As for how we fix it, ultimately I think the way we socialize our young people is long overdue a shift from highly gendered social role reinforcement to a more flexible empathy-centric value system. But for the young men who have already been radicalized, I think an obvious start would be deprogramming by offering them more positive masculine identities than the machismo currently served up by pop culture.
One approach could, for example, emphasize qualities that are already familiar aspects of that identity, such as responsibility to others, protecting the weak, serving a community, etc. Regardless of the approach, there’s power in expectation. IMHO the people most well-equipped to do this are the cis men of earlier generations, simply because they are who these boys instinctively look up to the most.
And if that describes you, it’s something you can start doing today by simply knowing what to look for and when to step in.
surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
“More queer woke shit.” Is exactly how half the country will react. They don’t want this fixed. They don’t see a problem.
You’re right though. 100%
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 1 minute ago
(Assuming US-specific) For sure, a quarter of Americans are simply too brainwashed to be of any help. Fortunately, many of those aren’t raising children anymore, but also there’s good evidence for a sizable chunk of quieter voters closer to the middle, a mixed bag of reluctant, not-fully-radicalized “fiscal conservatives” and “family-values liberals” that I’ve been waiting to hear more about in the news.
I think it’s possible the anti-woke messaging might not fully stick to them as easily, especially given a strong call to action that champions core values — integrity, responsibility, honor, strength of character, kindness, courage, and so forth — that Trumpism lacks entirely. As to why, I suspect we will witness a backlash from this middle group especially in the wake of Trumpism, or maybe sooner if they have some backbone left. If so, it could be an opportune time to lead with that sort of messaging.
detun3d@lemm.ee 6 hours ago
We could more or less camouflage it under some kind of hardcore, daring and unflinching vibe. Show empathy and tolerance, but make it look like you’re a fearless Sean Penn and couldn’t give less of a fuck.