The Crisis Of Modern Masculinity - Nina Power

Power argues that historically masculinity was tied to virtues like courage, judgment, loyalty, and caring for others; reclaiming these as aspirational gives men a positive identity beyond either ‘toxic’ aggression or checked-out passivity.

With suicide the leading cause of death for UK men under 45 and crises like the opioid epidemic disproportionately affecting men, Power insists women and society at large must see male suffering as their problem too, not something to dismiss via ‘patriarchy’ narratives.

They argue that apps and casual sex cultures reward a small minority of men, commodify sex, encourage emotional detachment (“don’t catch feelings”), and make loyalty and real intimacy rarer; those seeking stable partners may be better off meeting people offline in value-aligned environments.

Power criticizes the cultural ideal of the ‘boss bitch’ who prioritizes career, casual sex, and status at the expense of family and community, noting that this often makes women unhappy and devalues motherhood, caregiving, and relational forms of meaning.

Both speakers warn that “all men are trash” or similarly sweeping male resentments toward women are psychologically damaging and politically useless; instead, individuals should examine their own behavior, expectations, and patterns—Peterson-style ‘clean your room’ responsibility.