Boy Code Research Paper

Throughout the United States, a new generation of teenagers is faced with many challenges. With the increase in technology, teenagers now have access to cell phones and computers, which allow internet social sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Photobucket. With the increase media coverage, there also comes with the increase of influence. The media set the standards for how society runs and can include news articles, magazines, television shows and movies. In this generation of the United States, they portray males and females differently even though we are not that much different. They exaggerate the little differences and create gender stereotypes. They emphasize that young men in our society should follow “boy code” and fit the media’s …show more content…
According to renowned psychologist William Pollack, the author of Real Boys, the boy code “a set of behaviors, rules of conduct, cultural shibboleths, and even a lexicon, that is inculcated into boys by our society-from the very beginning of a boy 's life” (Pollack xxiii). In this male dominated society, the boy codes strives to be anti-feminine which means not showing emotions, being macho, and to act tough; however the problem with this code is that not all teenage boys are the same. You cannot impose a set of stereotypes across the whole gender of male teenagers. Sadly, if young men do not follow the boy code, they are made to feel ashamed because portraying emotions according to the boy code is a sign of “weakness”. Similarly, the mask of masculinity follows the same suit. The mask of masculinity according to William Pollack is “a mask of masculine bravado that hides the genuine self to conform to our society’s expectations; they feel it is necessary to cut themselves off from any feelings that society teaches them are unacceptable for men and boys-fear, uncertainty, feelings of loneliness and need” (Pollack 5). Because males cut their feelings out from society, this can lead to unreliability to women. This unreliability unfortunately is what separates males and females roles in society and also makes men and women difficult to understand each other and the problems that they go through; then it creates a cycle imposing gender stereotypes on one another. To solve this problem, psychologist William Pollack recommends a set of solutions for boys to overcome conventional pressures. One of his solutions is “as least once a day, give your boy your undivided attention” (Pollack 47). Solutions like these can help get rid of the boy code and societal pressures for boys to be masculine; instead young men can