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“I Fear This Message Is Too Smart”: Teacher Goes Viral Breaking Down What’s Ruining Boys
“I Fear This Message Is Too Smart”: Teacher Goes Viral Breaking Down What’s Ruining Boys
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“I Fear This Message Is Too Smart”: Teacher Goes Viral Breaking Down What’s Ruining Boys

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We often assume that each new generation becomes more progressive than the last. But with the rise of far-right movements, growing discrimination, and unchecked abuse of power, it’s starting to feel like we’re moving in the opposite direction.

One troubling trend is the increasing hostility some young men show toward women and their embrace of red pill culture as a supposed solution to their struggles. Many are asking: where is this coming from?

Cindy Noir, a woman who recently shared her thoughts in a powerful Instagram video, believes she has an answer. She argues that boys today are emotionally neglected, left to navigate the internet alone, and lack strong, healthy role models to guide them in real life.

Scroll down to see her full message and tell us your thoughts.

RELATED:

    Young men are showing rising hostility toward women and turning to harmful online content

    Teen boy focused on a laptop, illustrating themes of neglect contributing to red pill culture dynamics.

    Image credits: MikeShots (not the actual photo)

    One woman argues it’s because they’re emotionally neglected

    Woman discusses red pill culture and emotional neglect of boys, wearing a colorful top in a car.

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    Image credits: thecindynoir

    Text discussing double standards in parenting, focusing on boys being neglected and girls being controlled.

    Text discussing emotional neglect of boys and its impact, highlighting lack of parental surveillance.

    Text highlighting double standards of neglecting boys and controlling girls, fueling cultural issues.

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    Text discussing neglected boys consuming red-pill content due to lack of male guidance at home.

    Woman discussing boys' neglect and red-pill culture in a car, wearing a colorful floral dress.

    Image credits: thecindynoir

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    Text discussing neglect of boys due to dads' phone use, highlighting double standards and red pill culture.

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    Text highlighting how societal neglect of boys fuels red pill content consumption.

    Woman discussing neglect of boys in video, wearing a colorful top in a car setting.

    Image credits: thecindynoir

    Text discussing emotional neglect of boys and the need for parental engagement, highlighting double standards.

    Image credits: thecindynoir

    Watch the full video below

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    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Cindy Noir (@thecindynoir)

    Are young men today really becoming more sexist?

    We know how social media works by now. The most extreme content spreads the fastest, comment sections are full of bots or trolls, and algorithms push the loudest voices to the top. So when people say that Gen Z men are becoming more conservative or even hostile toward women it’s fair to ask: is it just noise, or a sign of something deeper going on?

    Turns out, the concern might be very real. Research from the Financial Times last year points to a growing divide between young men and women around the world.

    Data journalist John Burn-Murdoch analyzed surveys and voting patterns in countries like the UK, US, Germany, and South Korea. In the UK, Gen Z women are 25 percentage points more liberal than their male peers. In Germany and the US, that gap jumps to 30 points. And in places like Poland and South Korea, young men are showing clear support for far-right parties.

    According to the Financial Times, this divide seems to be a backlash to feminist movements like #MeToo and the growing presence of gender equality in mainstream conversations. But it’s not just about feminism. These differences are spilling over into broader views on immigration, race, and social issues.

    “Survey data show that in many countries the ideological differences now extend beyond this issue,” says Murdoch. “The clear progressive-vs-conservative divide on sexual harassment appears to have caused—or at least is part of—a broader realignment of young men and women into conservative and liberal camps respectively on other issues.”

    “In the US, UK and Germany, young women now take far more liberal positions on immigration and racial justice than young men, while older age groups remain evenly matched,” he explains.

    That brings us back to what Cindy Noir said in her viral Instagram video. She believes a big reason these views stick with boys—future young men—is because they’re drawn to content from figures like Andrew Tate and other so-called “alpha male” influencers. And the explanation for why they’re so into it, she says, is simple: they’re emotionally neglected.

    And she’s not alone in thinking that. In a recent Dazed article, Halima Jibril wrote that young men are pulled in by people like Tate since he offers them something that feels like structure and purpose. Even if it’s toxic, it gives them a script for how to live in a world where they feel lost.

    So it’s not always boys actively seeking out misogynistic spaces online. Many are simply looking for guidance, confidence, and a sense of control. That’s how they end up finding influencers like Tate and Jordan Peterson, who market themselves as self-help experts, selling advice on how to attract women, get rich, and be “real men.” To a teenage boy who’s feeling overlooked or unsure of himself, that message can be powerful.

    But that’s exactly the problem. As Noir pointed out, when boys don’t have healthy role models or real emotional support, they’re more likely to fall for these tough-love, anti-empathy messages. The influencers they follow tell them that to succeed, they have to shut down emotionally, act dominant, and treat women like conquests. And that mindset is harmful to them and to everyone around them.

    This isn’t just a parenting issue, or a social media issue, it’s a cultural one. And it’s going to take all of us to start changing it.

    Image credits: Brooke Cagle (not the actual photo)

    Commenters connected with the message and shared their own thoughts

    Comment by Laykan highlighting societal control of women, touching on gender double standards.

    Text highlighting double standards: Boys are often neglected, emphasizing cultural issues.

    Comment discussing the neglect of boys and control over girls, highlighting double standards in society.

    Comment highlighting double standards, noting boys are neglected and girls controlled in society.

    Social media comment discussing society's double standards affecting boys and girls and their impact on cultural dynamics.

    User comment on double standards affecting boys and red pill culture.

    YouTube comment highlights double standards between boys and girls in household tasks.

    Comment addressing the neglect of boys and the control of girls, highlighting double standards in society.

    Comment about boys being neglected due to patriarchal standards, advocating dismantling patriarchy.

    Comment highlights boys' neglect in role models compared to girls, relating to Red Pill Culture.

    Social media comment discussing double standards fuels Red Pill culture debate.

    Comment highlighting how girls are controlled while boys are neglected, fueling red pill culture.

    Text message highlighting double standards in parenting boys and girls, discussing emotional neglect.

    Comment on male role models impacting boys, highlighting neglect and control issues.

    Comment discussing emotional expression in boys, highlighting societal double standards.

    Text highlighting concerns on how neglect and control fuel red pill culture among boys and girls.

    Instagram comment questioning parenting roles and societal policies, highlighting issues with neglected boys.

    Young men need support, says mentor, highlighting neglect and double standards fueling red pill culture.

    Text post discussing how boys are neglected by fathers lacking emotional support.

    Comment discussing double standards and their impact on boys and girls, referencing a detective's conversation.

    Comment highlights neglect in raising boys, control of girls, sparking red pill culture discussion.


    It’s intriguing to consider how individuals find solace and expression in different artistic forms. Much like Brittany Bloom’s impromptu performance that moved an immigrant photographer in Times Square, Cindy Noir’s heartfelt video reflects how deeply emotional connections can impact us all.

    Check out the link for the story behind the profound moment that unfolded in the heart of New York City when a singer’s voice touched someone’s heartstrings in an unexpected way.


     

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    Oleksandra Kyryliuk

    Oleksandra Kyryliuk

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    Oleksandra is an experienced copywriter from Ukraine with a master’s degree in International Communication. Having covered everything from education, finance, and marketing to art, pop culture, and memes, she now brings her storytelling skills to Bored Panda. For the past five years, she’s been living and working in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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    Oleksandra Kyryliuk

    Oleksandra Kyryliuk

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Oleksandra is an experienced copywriter from Ukraine with a master’s degree in International Communication. Having covered everything from education, finance, and marketing to art, pop culture, and memes, she now brings her storytelling skills to Bored Panda. For the past five years, she’s been living and working in Vilnius, Lithuania.

    Justinas Keturka

    Justinas Keturka

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

    Read less »

    Justinas Keturka

    Justinas Keturka

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

    What do you think ?
    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I work with teens, I don't see any evidence that as a group teen boys are neglected emotionally. There are different pressures on kids, but honestly a lot more dads are active in their kids lives and can anme their friends and interests than two decades ago. I see a lot more parity in treatment of boys and girls than two decades ago. From what I can tell it isn't coming from the home but from online and peer pressures that focus on weird manly benchmarks. The misogynist parents are really a small minority.

    Hidalgo
    Community Member
    8 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Certainly the ultra right wingers knew what they were doing with all this red pill propaganda and directing it to the tweens. These kids’ brains are mush at 11 or 12 and they need guidance. Unfortunately all the guidance they’re getting is f*****t c**p on social media. The internet is creating a cadre of Trumper Jugend

    Earonn -
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just WHY aren't men talking to their sons anymore? It wasn't like that a few decades ago. It can't be tiredness (because they're not too tired to control their daughters). So what is it? Where did the "Boys don't kiss boys" come from, that one reply mentioned about her (luckily) ex-boyfriend's mindset?

    Load More Comments
    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I work with teens, I don't see any evidence that as a group teen boys are neglected emotionally. There are different pressures on kids, but honestly a lot more dads are active in their kids lives and can anme their friends and interests than two decades ago. I see a lot more parity in treatment of boys and girls than two decades ago. From what I can tell it isn't coming from the home but from online and peer pressures that focus on weird manly benchmarks. The misogynist parents are really a small minority.

    Hidalgo
    Community Member
    8 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Certainly the ultra right wingers knew what they were doing with all this red pill propaganda and directing it to the tweens. These kids’ brains are mush at 11 or 12 and they need guidance. Unfortunately all the guidance they’re getting is f*****t c**p on social media. The internet is creating a cadre of Trumper Jugend

    Earonn -
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just WHY aren't men talking to their sons anymore? It wasn't like that a few decades ago. It can't be tiredness (because they're not too tired to control their daughters). So what is it? Where did the "Boys don't kiss boys" come from, that one reply mentioned about her (luckily) ex-boyfriend's mindset?

    Load More Comments
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