The essay claims boys now learn 'how to be men' less from fathers, coaches, and pastors and more from films, TikTok‑style clips, and parasocial influencers. This shift replaces accountable mentorship with algorithmic role models optimized for engagement, not growth.
— If algorithmic media now do the socialization once done by elders, education, youth policy, and platform governance become de facto family policy.
Matthew Gasda
2025.08.20
100% relevant
Gasda writes that 'tradition has been replaced by representation,' and that 'films and television' and today’s 'five‑second clips' and 'parasocial personality brands' teach boys in place of real mentors.
← Back to All Ideas