CCC 27-2_LR

NEWS & NOTES

YES, GENDER CONFUSION IS SOCIALLY CONTAGIOUS

men state their views regarding what it means to be a man were shaped by their fathers a great deal or a fair amount. Additionally, the influence of social media on the views of what it means to be a man among young men was reported by 18%, while 33% said the same regarding television or movies. 6 WOMEN AND FEMININITY A Pew Research study established that among U.S. women, 35% regard themselves as highly feminine, 46% lean feminine, 15% neither feminine nor masculine (or both equally), and 4% lean masculine or highly mas culine. Men and women below 30 are unlikely to rate themselves as highly masculine or highly feminine ver sus their older counterparts. Sixty-six percent of women, the same as men, say their mothers influenced their views about what it means to be a woman. While 47% of men say their mothers had a great deal of influence on their views about being a man, a smaller share of women (32%) says their fathers influenced their views on being a woman. Forty-two percent of women under 30 say social media and TV or movies have had at least a fair amount of influence on their views of what it means to be a woman. 7 PORNOGRAPHY MAY NOW BE THE MOST COMMON ADDICTION IN AMERICA Although there are a few scholars who claim that “porn addiction” does not exist, “a recent study showed that the phrase ‘porn addiction symptoms’ is searched an aver age of 70,000 times per month in the United States, with ‘porn addiction signs’ and ‘porn addiction’ ranking as the most commonly searched terms related to addiction. The study indicates that porn addiction appears to be the most common form of addiction in the United States.” 8 AMERICA’S SUICIDE EPIDEMIC In 2023, more than 50,000 Americans committed suicide, the highest number of self-inflicted deaths ever recorded in the U.S. since the 1940s. In 2022, there were 1.6 mil lion attempted suicides, 3.8 million planned suicides, and 13.2 million who “seriously” considered suicide— and, sadly, these numbers do not consider those who chose not to report. 9

Psychologist and author, Jean Twenge, and her col leagues examined government data on nearly two mil lion adults since 2014. They discovered there is nearly a 70% increase in the general population who identify as transgender. Trans identity increased rapidly for Americans aged 18-25. In 2014, it was barely over half a percent of the population; in 2023, it was more than 3%. This means that in fewer than 10 years, this segment of young people in America quintupled, with the majority being girls and women. The most likely phenomenon that explains this social contagion is the considerable increase in mental health disorders among susceptible populations. Elements like digital devices and social media are acknowledged to encourage this social infec tion. An examination comparing the rates of smart phone and social media use, transgender identification, and mental illness shows an alarming association. Remarkably, 2013, the first year that most Americans owned a smartphone, was also the same year there was an evident increase in adolescent mental health issues. In the decade succeeding 2013, rates of depression and anxiety increased by almost 50%, and female teenage suicide more than doubled. Also, in 2013, the widespread transgender identity amongst teen girls began to swell. 5 MEN AND MASCULINITY According to a recent Pew Research study, 43% of peo ple in the U.S. have mostly positive views of masculine men, while 31% are neither positive nor negative, and 25% have unfavorable views. Americans are inclined to believe that too much value is placed on men who are physically strong, assertive, or risk-takers, while near ly 40% express that most people properly value these qualities in men. However, some behaviors that could be related to “toxic masculinity” are found to be unac ceptable by a majority of men and women. Around 60% or more think that men joining in when other men are talking about women sexually is unacceptable; 69% believe having numerous sexual partners instead of being committed to a single relationship is wrong; 63% feel it is improper to drink alcohol in excess when social izing with friends; and 62% say it is not okay to throw a punch if provoked. The study also found that 66% of

36 Christian Counseling Connection