19 Messages That Show Why Women Feel Unsafe Around Men

Of course, when it comes to romantic relationships, compatibility goes both ways. But these screenshots might explain why studies have found that women are more likely than men to have negative experiences with online dating.

According to Pew Research Center, women—especially those under 50—are significantly more likely to receive unsolicited sexually explicit messages, deal with persistent contact after rejecting someone, be called offensive names, and even receive threats of physical harm. They are also far more likely than men to say they feel overwhelmed by the volume of messages they receive.

The status of men in Western societies has been at the center of attention for quite some time now. Some people have spoken out about what they perceive as attacks on traditional manhood, while others have warned about what they see as "toxic masculinity." More broadly, many are concerned about how men are doing socially and economically.

Amid these discussions, one survey asked 6,204 U.S. adults about their views on men and masculinity. A quarter (25%) said they believe people have mostly negative views of men who are "manly or masculine."

This is lower than the shares who say people have mostly positive views of masculine men (43%) or that those views are neither positive nor negative (31%).

However, among Republican men, 45% think people have negative views of masculine men, and the vast majority of those who feel this way say this is a bad thing.

Much smaller shares of Republican women (24%), Democratic men (20%), and Democratic women (13%) say they believe people view masculine men negatively.

When it comes to self-image, about four in ten men (42%) see themselves as highly masculine.

A similar share (43%) say they lean masculine, while 11% are neither masculine nor feminine, or equally both.

Another 4% identify as either leaning feminine or being highly feminine.

About two-thirds of men (66%) say their father influenced their views on what it means to be a man a great deal or at least a fair amount, while 47% say their mother also influenced those views to some extent.

Most Americans say men and women are basically different in many ways, but there is no consensus on whether society or biology drives these differences.

Scott Galloway, a tech entrepreneur, podcaster, and author of the book Notes on Being a Man, worries that if the current social trajectories continue, we are evolving a new breed of "asexual, asocial males."

Drawing on research by writers such as Richard Reeves (author of 2022's Of Boys and Men) and his NYU colleague Jonathan Haidt (whose recent book The Anxious Generation sounded the alarm on social media), he highlights rising rates of a multitude of problems, from boys' school suspensions to male unemployment, addictions, loneliness, and failure to complete college.

"We're going to graduate probably two women for every one man from college in the next five years, because men drop out at a greater rate," Galloway said.

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