The Issue of Toxic Masculinity

         “Don’t cry, be a man.” That’s how toxic masculinity sounds. Many men hide their sadness just because they don't want to be considered a crybaby. They cry in silence because "only women" can cry. Unconsciously, this characteristic is problematic if you look at them. This statement highlights just how much the issue of toxic masculinity has become a prominent topic of discussion recently.

This concept of toxic masculinity that has been around since the 20th century stems from the construction of a patriarchal society that assumes that men always behave rudely and mightily. In fact, toxic masculinity is the pressure on men to perform behavior with excessive standards.
Unconsciously, toxic masculinity leads to mental health problems for men because it directs men not to show sadness and complain which means that men can only express courage and anger.
In addition, toxic masculinity also describes that men can do anything on their own, must have power in order to be respected by others, and must dominate others, especially women.

            Toxic masculinity also often occurs in boys, such as:
-Boys should not play with dolls, whereas dolls can activate brain regions that allow children to develop empathy and social information processing skills.
- Boys should not cook. In fact, lots of chefs out there are men.
- Boys should not choose or wear bright colors such as pink or purple, because they say the color is only for girls.

As we can see, The dangers of toxic masculinity are real and have a bad impact on society and mental health. The phrase “Don’t cry, be a man” might not look like an issue at first, but the expectations of what a "real man" is only to uphold and perpetuate patriarchal ideals that harm all genders.

 We need to help men to realize that showing their emotions doesn't devalue them or make them weak. It's important to remember that men are humans who are finding healthy ways to express their emotions and there is no shame in asking for help from mental health professionals.