Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, dives into the alarming crisis facing young men in America. He discusses the troubling mental health issues, rising suicide rates, and isolation experienced by boys. Reeves highlights the educational disparities between genders, advocating for a deeper understanding of these challenges. The conversation also touches on the cultural shifts influenced by figures like Andrew Tate, alongside the need for balanced discussions around masculinity and justice in today’s polarized landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Crisis Facing Young Men
Young men face a genuine crisis with a 40% rise in suicide rates since 2010, particularly those under 30.
Boys are falling behind girls in education and stagnant wages for men without a college degree show broader socioeconomic struggles.
insights INSIGHT
Rising Social Isolation in Young Men
Social isolation among young men has sharply increased, with 15% of men under 30 unable to name a close friend, up from 3% in 1990.
This heightened isolation is strongly linked to increasing mental health problems in young men.
insights INSIGHT
Education Gap and Male Teachers
Boys lag behind girls in literacy by about a grade level, particularly in poorer school districts, while math skills show no gap or boys lag in worse districts.
A major reason is fewer male teachers, down from 33% in the 1980s to 23%, reducing male role models and impacting boys' engagement.
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Is there a crisis facing young men in America? Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins Ravi to explain why boys are falling behind in school, struggling with their mental health, and feeling more isolated than ever—and what we can do about it. Ravi and Richard explore the reasons both major political parties have largely failed to address this crisis, how their neglect has created space for figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson to rise, and the cultural battlegrounds shaping young men’s perspectives today.
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