Gen Z gender poll shock as boys reject feminism

Gen Z boys and men are more likely than baby boomers to view feminism as harmful, according to a shock new poll carried out by Ipsos for King's College London's Policy Institute and the Global Institute for Women's Leadership.

The poll quizzed over 3,600 boys and men on a host of topics, including feminism, social media star Andrew Tate and the challenges faced by men and women.

On feminism, 16 percent of Gen Z boys and men felt it had done more harm than good, compared to 13 percent of baby boomers (over-60s). One in four boys and men between the ages of 16 and 29 also said that being a man was harder than being a woman.

The participants were also asked about their views on social media influencer Andrew Tate. One fifth of those who had heard of him said they viewed him favourably.

READ MORE

Macron faces 'tough' path out of farming crisis

French erdu player reaches out to China

Neuralink to be limited for 'medical use'

Tate, who has 8.7 million followers on the social media platform X alone, is currently facing criminal charges in Romania, including human trafficking, setting up a criminal gang to exploit women and rape. He denies all the charges.  

Another controversial male figure, author and speaker Jordan Peterson, is also viewed favourably by 32 percent of 16 to 29-year-old men, compared with 12 percent among women of the same generation.

Peterson says he supports "demoralized" young men but has distanced himself from Tate in recent months, claiming that much of what he stands for is "reprehensible." 

Toxic masculinity is a phrase used to describe men exhibiting stereotypical male behavior that has a negative impact on men and a society as a whole. Thirty seven percent of Gen Z boys and men described the term as an unhelpful phrase, around double the number of women who don't like it.

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, said the opposing views of some young men and women is a surprising trend. "This is a new and unusual generational pattern," he said. 

"Normally, it tends to be the case that younger generations are consistently more comfortable with emerging social norms, as they grew up with these as a natural part of their lives.”

She added: "There is a consistent minority of between one-fifth and one-third who hold the opposite view. This points to a real risk of fractious division among this coming generation."

The reason for the contrasting views of young men and women could be the result of social media consumption. That's the view of Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's. She said: "The fact that this group is the first to derive most of their information from social media is likely to be at least part of the explanation."

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday