BEING A YOUNG MAN TODAY

Understanding what it is like to be a young man online today is increasingly important for both families and educators. A recent study conducted by the eSafety Commissioner in collaboration with researchers from Deakin University and the Queensland University of Technology has revealed the influences and motivations that shape and inform young men’s online experiences. The study conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 117 young men aged 16-21 years and has contributed to the growing body of research shedding light on what it’s like to be a young man online today. The first part of the study, which was released this month, has highlighted the complex challenges and opportunities young men must negotiate as they explore their identities in the digital landscape. It reveals that while young men want to express their identities freely online, they also experience anxiety and pressure to be seen as the best version of themselves. Other key findings from the study include:

• The importance of online influencers to young men highlight the need for young men to have access to compelling role models online.
• Online social connections emerged as a key source of support and belonging for young men in their adolescence. However, young men also recognise that online communities they engage in can be misogynistic, heterosexist, homophobic, transphobic and racist spaces.
• Young men have a high capacity for critical reflection about their behaviours and experiences online however, there is a strong pull towards accepting and reinforcing potentially harmful ideas about what it means to be a man.

I would like to encourage families of young men in our community to read the study so as to inform and educate on their profound online experiences. Due to the near-compulsory status of the internet, it is those online experiences that undoubtedly contribute to their understanding of healthy, positive masculinities and manhood. You can access the study here:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-06/Being-a-young-man-online-June-2024.pdf

Part 2 of the study will capture further insights from expert practitioners working with young men on the topic of healthy, positive masculinities and manhood. I look forward to sharing Part 2 of the study with you when it is released.

Citation

eSafety Commissioner (2024) Being a young man online: Tensions, complexities and possibilities, Canberra: Australian Government. 

Ms Sonia Diaz

Pastoral Care Coordinator