The world might have come a long way in terms of gender equality, but it is by no means there yet. Gender imbalances and stereotypes show up in our everyday lives in such subtle ways that we often don't notice them. We have gendered toys thrown in our faces from a young age; pink everything for girls and blue everything for boys. Unfortunately, when society enforces such labels and puts boxes around genders, it only reinforces outdated and toxic ideas about femininity and masculinity. These objects are a case in point; they are gendered for no reason other than to sell them at an inflated price. Because god forbid, a boy used a pink tea bag.
masculine
For too long, we have taught little boys growing up that expressing emotion is for girls and that real men are "hard." We excuse outbursts of violence and anger under the guise that "boys will be boys," creating a culture of toxic masculinity. The result is a new generation of men that feels the need to prove their "manhood" to feel accepted by society. Of course, this attitude is detrimental to their own mental (and often physical) health and those around them. I'm sure you've seen plenty of real-life examples of this, but a Reddit thread asking for the dumbest things people have seen a man do to "prove" their "manhood" has revealed just how prevalent toxic masculinity is. Read on and dispair!
