Firstly, Happy New Year and welcome to 2020, how Sci-Fi does that sound???
As the saying goes, ‘big boys don’t cry’. But in the last week, more than one in ten (13%) of men aged 18+ in the UK have had a good blub. And good on them!
We men should be encouraged to understand our feelings and express our emotions. With this in mind the second edition of the Modern Man-ual, is all about ‘The 2020 Man’.
Commissioned by menswear retailer Jacamo, the report highlights gaps in the conversation when it comes to men.. both inside and out.
Men need to be brought into modern-day discussions, to explore and normalise the topics of male body confidence, mental health and masculinity, in the hope of raising awareness and confidence amongst British men, to help them feel as good as they deserve to feel.
Dr Chris Morriss-Roberts, discussed the effect media and advertising has on self-image and body confidence.
“Traditional ideas of masculinity when it comes to the body is all about size and muscles and the beef. There was no way around it, it’s ingrained in our heads that bigger is better. But the truth is you can’t force your body to be a certain size or shape if it’s not meant to be like that. That’s a message which is important for well-being, and which doesn’t get talked about enough – that for a lot of people you’re never going to be that size, that big. It can play games in your head that your body is important and defines you. It’s taken me 25, 30 years to accept my body as it is.”
With the Female Body Positive Movement in full swing, and infact 41% of men wanting to see a similar movement for men, the report highlights a need for the conversation to expand, with 38% of those who we spoke to admitting they do not feel positive about their bodies.
When asked about what they think are the most important qualities in a man, 74% say honesty and 73% say good manners. And to add even more substance to the ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts’ debate, 74% of men stated they do not think physical strength is key to ‘being a man’.
With the report finding that almost a quarter of men do not feel comfortable speaking about their feelings, it’s time to open the debate.
2020; the year for men to stand, be counted, celebrated, understood and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
