Teenage boys are increasingly embracing conservatism, turning against a liberalism that focuses on ‘toxic masculinity’ in America’s classrooms and workplaces: analysis
Teenage boys are increasingly embracing conservatism, turning against a liberalism that focuses on ‘toxic masculinity’ in America’s classrooms and workplaces: Analysis
A saying suggests that people start out liberal when they are young and become conservative as they get older.
New research challenges that maxim.
A survey of political views shows that teenage boys are increasingly maturing as full-fledged conservatives.
Meanwhile, teenage girls are liberal.
The data comes from the University of Michigan youth survey Monitoring the Future and was analyzed by Jean Twenge, an author and professor of psychology at San Diego State University.
Jean Twenge’s analysis found that teenage boys have become much more conservative in recent decades
Teenage boys and young men are attracted to right-wing groups, like this small Act for America rally against Islamic law in New York City
They show that the proportion of 12th grade boys who identify as liberal has fallen from 25 percent in the 1970s to 13 percent today.
Meanwhile, the share of boys who say they are conservative rose from 17 percent in the 1970s to a peak of 26 percent in 2020, the last year of Donald Trump’s presidency.
It’s a different story for 12th grade girls.
The proportion of liberal girls has risen from 23 percent in the 1970s to a peak of 31 percent in 2021.
Meanwhile, the share of conservative girls has hardly changed and has fluctuated around 13 percent in recent decades.
In her book, Generations, Twenge says that boys and girls differ in their politics.
“Among liberals, the future is female,” she wrote.
“And among conservatives, the future is male.”
Girls are increasingly embracing liberal causes, such as fighting climate change and men using their power to gain sexual advantage
For some analysts, teens respond to stimuli.
Boys and young men are increasingly embracing conservatism as liberal media outlets and cultural influencers label their behavior as “toxic.”
The increase in conservative guys is due to a growing number of conservative celebrity role models appealing to men.
They include Republican politicians like Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as political commentators like Jordan Peterson, Matt Walsh and Ben Shapiro.
Girls, on the other hand, may see progressive politics as a way to get ahead, with better opportunities at work and school.
They also support more efforts to promote feminism and fight climate change, which are embedded in progressive politics.