Toxic masculinity, an issue in today’s world because of society’s gender norms, is when boys and men feel as if they aren’t allowed to show emotions or show a more feminine side of themselves with the fear of how society will view them. The reason gender norms are a big part of this toxicity is that the people as a society have always seen men as strong, powerful, and manly. If they show any emotions they are considered weak and feminine. Toxic masculinity teaches these young boys that they can’t openly express their emotions and that they constantly have to act tough. This takes a big toll on their lives and choices.

Men sometimes may feel uncomfortable with showing more of a feminine side because of what some people’s opinions might be on it. Maya Salam from The New York Times stated, “In other words: Toxic masculinity is what can come of teaching boys that they can’t express emotion openly; that they have to be ‘tough all the time’; that anything other than that makes them ‘feminine’ or weak.”  There have recently been big issues involving toxic masculinity in the media; Harry Styles, singer, posed in a dress for the cover of Vogue and many people were not happy with this. Harry Styles explained to Vogue, "Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What's really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. When you take away 'There's clothes for men, and there's clothes for women, once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play." He also stated to Variety as well, “To not wear (something) because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.” To Styles, clothes don’t necessarily belong to a certain gender, male or female. One conservative politician Candence Owens posted “Bring Back Manly Men” in a tweet in direct response to the cover’s release. Styles and Owen both put their own opinions out there and it definitely caught the attention of the publics’ eyes. Styles then posted a photo to Instagram in a pleated blue suit, mocking Owens in the caption with “Bring back manly men.”

Also, toxic masculinity and its social ramifications can also lead men into unpleasant decisions and life choices. For example, The New York Times stated, “It’s these cultural lessons, according to the A.P.A., that have been linked to ‘aggression and violence,’ leaving boys and men at ‘disproportionate risk for school discipline, academic challenges and health disparities,’ including cardiovascular problems and substance abuse. ‘Men are overrepresented in prisons, are more likely than women to commit violent crimes and are at greatest risk of being a victim of violent crime,’.” The A.P.A explained, “Men are overrepresented in prisons, are more likely than women to commit violent crimes and are at greatest risk of being a victim of violent crime,” Obviously, this way of thinking and societal expectations involving gender norms can be very damaging to men’s lives.

Toxic masculinity has a big impact on many men’s mental health, as well. Mental health can occur in men because sharing their feelings is considered a sign of being too emotional and even weak. The website Verywellmind explained, “Toxic masculinity may also stress that it’s inappropriate for men to talk about their feelings. Avoiding conversations about problems or emotions may increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. This may increase feelings of loneliness. It may also reduce men’s willingness to reach out and get help when they’re experiencing a mental health issue.” Men can sometimes be too afraid to ask for help, which leads to mental health issues and sometimes poor decisions. The Medical News Today explained how different expressions are also involved in these gender norms, “Telling another person who is showing emotion to “man up;” in other words, to hide that emotion. This example illustrates how some people view emotion or vulnerability as ‘unmanly.’” Another example from Medical News Today is, “The saying, “boys will be boys.” These expressions advocate for careless, aggressive, or otherwise damaging behavior in young males, rather than teaching them about responsibility and owning up to their mistakes.” Expressions like these can be harmful to men because of the toxicity behind them. Men are mentally and emotionally affected by these gender norms every day. This impacts our workforce and economy, as well as family units, and causes our support to be threatened. If society learns to be more accepting of these social norms, men could flourish and feel more comfortable with being able to feel free to express themselves.