ok disclaimer i donât date men but people in my life do lol and i have a gender studies/sociology degree :)
i agree with a lot of what aidanaguirre said & i also think other things at play are:
- a cultural reactionary backlash to social progress for women & increased criticism of toxic masculinity and misogyny. given the norm of male entitlement to womenâs affection, women raising their standardsover the years (due to feminist rhetoric) has increased some men feeling frustrated or even âincelsâ bc itâs âharderâ to find a female partner. you see it a lot in the âsigma maleâ podcast world and a resurgence of âtraditional familyâ ideology right now; all anti-female empowerment
- dating app/hookup culture - i think 1) apps force split-second judgement on if someoneâs attractive, and 2) hookup culture can encourage a culture of âdisposabilityâ w people we date or hookup with. this reinforces patriarchal ideals to men, which can make it harder to unlearn. (women too but thatâs less related to your specific ask)
the latter issue effects every gender/sexuality, but i think itâs heightened in cis het/bi guys bc their relationship to women is heavily influenced by their socialization. i rec this a lot lol but the tragedy of heterosexuality is a good read if youâre interested in contemporary issues in hetero dating from a sociological and anecdotal standpoint. ellen lamontâs research/work is great. thereâs also this interesting 2023 study on men