Gen Z Men's Regressive Views on Women Signal Dangerous Social Backsliding
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/joansmith. "As a boomer, I’m shocked by gen Z’s attitude towards women – something has gone very wrong | Joan Smith | The Guardian." March 5, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
Young men today have surprisingly old-fashioned and sexist views about women compared to older generations, which is the opposite of what we'd expect. This backward trend is dangerous because it's connected to violence against women and needs to be actively challenged.
Conclusion
The increasingly traditional and misogynistic attitudes among Gen Z men toward women represent a dangerous reversal of social progress that requires urgent attention and pushback
Premises
- New research shows nearly a third of Gen Z men believe wives should obey husbands and that husbands should have final say on important decisions
- Baby boomers hold more progressive views on gender equality than Gen Z men, reversing the expected generational pattern of increasing liberalism
- Gen Z men faced economic hardship from the 2008 financial crisis, austerity measures, high tuition fees, and pandemic job market disruption
- Online spaces expose Gen Z men to misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate who promote traditional masculinity and anti-women attitudes
- There is a documented connection between misogynistic attitudes and epidemic levels of violence against women in the UK
- Gen Z women largely reject these traditional views, creating a concerning gender divide within the generation
Assumptions
- Attitudes toward gender roles directly influence behavior and treatment of women
- Economic hardship leads people to seek scapegoats and embrace traditional hierarchies
- Online influence significantly shapes young men's worldviews
- Generational progress on social issues should naturally move toward greater equality
- The current trend will continue or worsen without intervention