Men are faking interest in sport to seem more masculine due to ‘outdated stereotypes’
New research has revealed that one in ten men pretend to be interested in sports and exaggerate their alcohol consumption; This highlights the enduring impact of outdated masculine stereotypes.
Samaritans’ survey also found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of men would live differently if they were free from social judgment, citing a desire to take part in activities such as singing, painting or dancing.
Meanwhile, four in ten men exaggerate some aspect of their personality due to pressure to appear more masculine; Approximately one-third admit to exhibiting behavior that would conform to others.
The research, published ahead of International Men’s Day on Wednesday, found that 12 per cent of men admitted to pretending to be interested in sports, while the same proportion said they overestimated how much alcohol they could drink, their physical strength and their tolerance for pain (12 per cent).
Nearly a fifth of men said their efforts to appear more masculine generally benefited their male peers.
A larger survey of nearly 2,000 men and women found that nearly three in 10 still believe men shouldn’t show that they’re struggling or crying.
Samaritans chief executive Julie Bentley said the findings showed the persistence of outdated stereotypes “about what it means to be a man”.
Only a third of men said they would ask for help when they needed it (35 percent).
Ms Bentley said: “We often hear about men not speaking up, but that’s not the full picture. “A lot of men reach out to us and the problem is that they’re not always heard or met with the right kind of support.
“Outdated stereotypes about what it means to ‘be a man’ still shape the way men express themselves, and often this silence is reinforced by the reactions they receive when they are in crisis.
“Therefore, it is very important that men are not dismissed when they turn to a place for support and that they are offered the right support.”
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics, published last year and covering 2023, showed that nearly three-quarters of recorded deaths by suicide were among men, noting that this had been the case since the mid-1990s.
Samaritans said the Government’s upcoming men’s health strategy was “an important opportunity to help reduce male suicide rates and improve the system, ensuring men feel safe, listened to and accepted for who they are”.
The government has previously said the strategy will “aim to improve the health and wellbeing of all men across England, including improving outcomes for health conditions that more affect men”.
Samaritans said 1,016 of the 2,000 people who responded to Opinium’s survey in October were men.
