Why are Gen Z men more traditional than Baby Boomers? asks Natasha Devon

New data from global consumer insights platform GWI reveals that Gen Z men (born between 1996 and 2012) are, on average, more traditional in their views on gender than male Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964). Around a quarter (23%) prioritise ‘dominance’ as a key value for men, with 52% thinking strength should be a priority. Just over half believe a woman should be ‘caring,’ 'gentle’ and ‘nurturing’.

Why is this happening? Short answer: The fitness and ‘wellness’ industries. Working in schools and colleges all over the UK, I have watched in horror as boys have become increasingly obsessed with body image and insecure about their physiques over the past 15 years. When I talk to teenage boys about why they think being extremely muscular is so important, they usually respond by telling me men must be (physically) strong. This will be followed by a few nuggets of reductive or downright inaccurate evolutionary biology they have picked up from online influencers to ‘evidence’ their point.

There is money to be made in weaponising extreme and restrictive ideas about masculinity to persuade men all their resources should be poured into attaining an impossible beauty standard, just as hyper-feminine ideals have been used to obliterate women’s confidence for decades (this is, for the avoidance of doubt, not the kind of equality anyone wanted).

How do we tackle this? Elliott Rae, a campaigner on men’s mental health I invited on my show last Saturday (19th July 2025), described the power of showing genuine curiosity in boys' and young men's perspectives and having conversations with them, rather than lecturing them.

He also spoke about role models – not necessarily online but within three-dimensional communities. Men shouldn’t be afraid, he said, to show vulnerability and have discussions with their sons, nephews, pupils or any boy in their life about the struggles they have faced. They can also share how they overcame them and the lessons they learned along the way.

I’d also emphasise the importance of not making assumptions. There’s good news here: Three-quarters of Gen Z men do not prioritise dominance. Almost half don’t think it’s important that a woman is ‘gentle’. The idea that they are uniformly obsessed with incel culture and the far right just isn’t accurate – even at the height of his popularity in 2023 only 1 in 7 teenage boys actively liked Andrew Tate, for example. This is enough to be statistically significant, but not enough to tar every young man with the same toxic brush.

Another men’s mental health advocate I work with, Sam Delaney, speaks about encouraging men to reclaim balance. Keeping fit is important, but spending your life in the gym, isolating yourself from friends and family and believing your entire worth is tied up in how much protein you consume just isn’t healthy. In his book ‘Stop Sh*tting Yourself’, Sam says:

Being a man is not a choice between one extreme or the other. Being a man is just like being a woman. The rules are the same: be kind, be fun, be generous, try not to take yourself too seriously. Just don’t be a d*ck.

This is a message everyone, including but not limited to Gen Z men, needs to hear.

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Listen to LBC's Natasha Devon on Saturdays from 6-9pm on the new LBC app.

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