An ideological divide is emerging between young men and women around the world
An emerging ideological gap between young men and women — with women trending more progressive and men either staying put or drifting right — is being linked to everything from collapsing fertility in places like South Korea to rising political polarization in the US and Europe. Commenters explore possible drivers such as social media echo chambers, changing higher-education patterns, economic precarity for non-college-educated men, and the influence vacuum filled by hyper-masculine online figures. Others question how the underlying surveys define “left” and “right,” warn about over-interpreting headline graphs, and note that politicized mate selection and male withdrawal from work and relationships could further entrench these divides.
Scope of the Gender Ideology Gap
- Strong focus on South Korea as extreme case: large gender gap and very low fertility; debate over whether ideology drives low fertility, both share a cause, or are independent.
- Some note survey items around “family vs career” and women’s weaker identification with family roles as key to fertility differences.
How “Liberal/Conservative” Is Measured
- Confusion over graphs showing many young women preferring family and optional work yet labeled “progressive on gender norms.”
- Several argue labels like “left/right” and “center” are relative, shifting over time; disagreement whether men or women have “moved” more.
- Skepticism about cherry‑picking questions and visual design; others say partisan voting data backs the divergence.
Social Media, Isolation, and Polarization
- Many tie the 2010–2020 break to smartphones, social media, algorithmic feeds, and the “death of third places.”
- Some argue nearly everything is now politicized; others counter that real‑world life is less political than online spaces.
Education, Economics, and Class
- Higher female university attendance plus the historical link between higher ed and liberal views is cited as a straightforward driver.
- Another line: the left’s shift away from blue‑collar men and toward other groups created a vacuum filled by right‑wing populism.
- Counterpoint: what feels like “abandonment” may be loss of historical privilege rather than new oppression.
Dating, Mate Choice, and Gender Conflict
- Reports that political alignment is a hard filter in US dating apps; “non‑political” is perceived as coded conservative.
- Some see women’s mate choice as a powerful lever for social change; others note many men are opting out entirely, blunting that effect.
- Concern that growing male conservatism plus low coupling could push societies toward more restrictive norms for women.
Masculinity and Role Models
- Noted asymmetry: many high‑reach conservative male influencers vs fewer equally visible liberal or nonpolitical masculine role models.
- Discussion of “toxic masculinity” as both harmful to others and burdensome to men via unrealistic expectations.
- Suggestions for healthier, often offline, male communities and role models, but they lack mass appeal compared to extreme figures.
Political Systems and Representation (UK Example)
- Side debate on how a long‑running conservative government coexists with a left‑leaning public in the UK.
- First‑past‑the‑post is criticized as less representative than proportional systems; others argue no electoral system is perfectly “fair.”
Well‑Being and Demographic Trends
- Data cited that women’s reported happiness has fallen relative to men’s despite gains in formal equality (“female happiness paradox”); contested framing.
- Mention of young men withdrawing from work, education, and dating; interpreted as both cause and consequence of the ideological divide.