Why Are Young Men Becoming More Right Wing? - Daniel Cox - #775
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Insights & moments
The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.
⚡Myth Buster· 4
⚡Myth Buster19:00
Republican Parents Are Failing to Raise Republican Daughters
Cox's 2023 study found political socialization from parent to child works reliably across nearly every family configuration — except one: Republican parents raising daughters, where only 44% stay Republican as adults, versus 77% of daughters of Democrat parents staying Democrat.
Only 44% of women raised by Republican parents identify as Republican as adults
By contrast, 77% of women raised by Democrat parents identify as Democrat
Every other parent-child political configuration passes down fairly consistently
Cox speculates Trump and rising LGBTQ identification are contributing causes
“only 44% of women raised by Republican parents still identify as an adult as a Republican”
#politics#family#socialization
⚡Myth Buster20:30
1 in 3 Young Women Identify as LGBTQ — But Behavior Tells a Different Story
Cox confirms the widely-cited claim that roughly one in three young women identify as LGBTQ is real and corroborated across Gallup, Ipsos, and PRRI data, but notes a gap between identity labels — especially 'bisexual,' the fastest-growing category — and actual dating and sexual behavior, which remains mostly heterosexual.
The '1 in 3 young women LGBTQ' figure is corroborated across Gallup, Cox's Ipsos surveys, and PRRI
'Bisexual' is the fastest-growing identity category
People identifying as bisexual mostly still date heterosexually in practice
Cox suspects part of the trend has a political/expressive component that may shift over time
#lgbtq#identity#polling
⚡Myth Buster26:00
Colleges Aren't Turning Kids Into Marxists — Their Peers Are
Cox pushes back on the popular narrative that universities are ideologically indoctrinating students, arguing it's mostly self-selection into which students attend college, plus peer environment and later geographic sorting into liberal, cosmopolitan cities — not classroom teaching.
Cox is skeptical that higher ed itself has much direct causal political effect
Heavy self-selection determines who attends college and which type of campus
Professors joke they 'can't even get students to read a syllabus,' let alone indoctrinate them
Real driver: campus peer environment, then post-grad geographic sorting into coastal cities, reinforced by education polarization
“the professors that I know say that we can't even get these kids to read a damn syllabus”
#education#politics#myth
⚡Myth Buster56:30
Politics Talks Big, But Rarely Actually Breaks Up a Date
Despite headlines about a political dating divide, Cox's 30 in-depth interviews found young people mostly prioritize being treated well — and even on abortion, a significant share of liberal young women said it wasn't an absolute dealbreaker. What did move the needle with Trump specifically was his personal conduct, not his policies.
In-depth interviews centered on 'someone who treats me well,' not political alignment
Even abortion wasn't a dealbreaker for many liberal young women when asked directly
55% of young women say they're less likely to date a Trump supporter; 76% among college-educated young women
Interviewees said it was Trump's personal decorum and treatment of women — not his policies — that mattered most
“I'd rather die alone than date a conservative man”
#dating#politics#trump
◆Hot Take· 4
◆Hot Take16:00
Your Algorithm Is Lying to You About What Men Are Like
Cox and the host discuss how women often describe the actual men in their lives — friends, siblings, coworkers — as great, while believing 'men in general' are bad. The disconnect traces to social media surfacing only the most egregious, viral examples, distorting perception of reality.
In interviews, women often praise the real men they know but view 'men' broadly as terrible
Real-world experience contradicts the perception formed online
Algorithms and influencer-entrepreneurs profit from surfacing the worst examples of any group
Most egregious stories go viral, creating a badly biased sample of reality
“the guy leaves the house and comes back to find his wife in bed with the postman... that story catches fire”
“it makes everybody model the behavior of others on the worst examples”
#social-media#perception#men
◆Hot Take39:00
The Zero-Sum Trap: Helping Women Isn't Hurting Men
Cox and the host discuss how outlier stats (like there once being more CEOs named 'John' than women CEOs) get weaponized to dismiss young men's real struggles, while acknowledging women's struggles gets read by some men as taking empathy away from them — a corrosive zero-sum dynamic on both sides.
Old stat: more CEOs historically named 'John' than women CEOs, used to dismiss men's struggles
Writer Christine Emba: young men feel their problems dismissed as 'whining from a patriarchy they no longer feel part of'
Host says covering women's struggles draws accusations of pandering and 'feminism gone too far'
Both sides increasingly treat empathy as zero-sum — helping one group read as attacking the other
“young men feel like their problems are being dismissed out of hand as whining from a patriarchy that they no longer feel a part of”
#gender#empathy#hot-take
◆Hot Take65:30
AI Girlfriends Could Warp Young Men's Idea of Relationships
Cox and the host worry that AI girlfriend apps, like pornography did for sex, will give young men an unrealistic model of relationships built entirely on affirmation with no real conflict. The host adds an evolutionary angle: relationships carry prestige from being chosen by another person, something no subscription app can replicate — yet its low cost still makes it dangerously compelling.
Comparison to pornography's warping effect on views of sex and relationships
AI girlfriends offer constant affirmation with zero real disagreement or friction
Comes amid a documented 'friendship recession' hitting men harder than women (Cox's 2021 survey)
Host: relationship prestige comes from being selected by another person — 'not only was I able to get this person, but they chose me' — something an AI can't provide, though its cheapness still makes it compelling
#ai#dating#young-men#technology
◆Hot Take76:00
'The Internet Has Made Psychopaths Out of All of Us'
The host relays the idea that online anonymity permits cruelty people would never display face-to-face, illustrated by the venom common in first-person shooter voice chats — behavior that would carry real social consequences in any small, accountable community.
Claim: online anonymity removes repercussions and permits behavior people'd never show in person
Example: first-person shooter game lobbies as a case study in online-only cruelty
Contrasted with small communities/villages where reputation historically enforced accountability
“the internet has made psychopaths out of all of us... it permits you to do things online that you would never do in person with…”
#internet#anonymity#social-media
✶Explainer· 13
✶Explainer01:30
The 12-14 Point Ideological Gap Between Young Men and Women
Cox breaks down Gallup data showing that starting around 2014-2015, young women began identifying as liberal at a rate far outpacing young men, opening an ideological gap unprecedented in the last 25 years. Young men's stated ideology has barely moved in that time.
~42-43% of young women now identify as liberal in the latest Gallup polling
Young men's ideology has stayed relatively flat over the same period
Gap between them is 12-14 points, the fastest divergence in a quarter century
Divide began emerging specifically around 2014-2015
“at no time in the past quarter century has there been such a rapid divergence between the views of young men and young women”
#polling#gender-gap#politics#gallup
✶Explainer02:30
Abortion Matters Twice as Much to Young Women as Young Men
In a 2022 pre-midterm poll, both young men and women leaned pro-choice, but the intensity of caring diverged sharply — 61% of young women called abortion a critical priority versus only 30% of young men.
Both genders lean pro-choice overall on abortion
61% of young women said abortion was a critical voting priority in 2022
Only ~30% of young men said the same
Shows a gap in intensity, not just direction, of opinion
“61% of young women said that abortion was a critical priority for them but it was only like 30% of young men”
#abortion#polling#gender-gap
✶Explainer05:00
Teens Are Dating Far Less — And It's Costing Them Relationship Skills
Cox describes a steep, well-documented decline in how often teenagers date, especially among young men, and argues this matters because early relationships teach the nuance and empathy required for successful adult relationships.
Precipitous decline in teens having a boyfriend/girlfriend or spending dating time
Written about for the American Institute for Boys and Men (run by Richard Reeves)
Early dating experience builds skills needed to navigate complex adult relationships later
#dating#young-men#relationships
✶Explainer06:30
'Linked Fate': Why Me Too Radicalized Women But Not Men
Cox explains the concept of 'linked fate' — the sense among young women that what happens to any woman could happen to them — which made Me Too deeply formative for them. Young men in the same interviews largely distanced themselves, framing it as being about 'other' bad men.
In-depth interviews found Me Too described as formative by young women, largely dismissed by young men
'Linked fate': belief that what happens to other women is personally relevant
Young men in interviews said Me Too 'wasn't about them' — blamed celebrities or 'malevolent dudes'
Roughly two-thirds of young women believe what happens to women broadly affects their own lives
“this is not really about me... this is about celebrity or the kind of malevolent dudes out there who are kind of awful”
#metoo#gender-gap#identity
✶Explainer08:30
Why Women Feel Worse Off Even As Life Objectively Improves
Despite women now graduating college at twice the rate of men and out-earning young men in their 20s, satisfaction with how women are treated in society has collapsed from ~61% to the mid-40s since 2016. Cox and the host discuss the Tocqueville Paradox and 'concept creep' as explanations.
Gallup: women's satisfaction with their treatment fell from ~61% (2016-17) to mid-40s today
Women now complete 4-year degrees at 2-to-1 vs men and out-earn men ages 21-29
Sociologists find young women today report MORE felt discrimination than women did in the 1970s
Tocqueville Paradox: rising living standards raise expectations faster than reality can match
'Concept creep': steadily broadening definitions of harassment, sexism, and racism
“some sociologists have actually looked at the way young women felt in the 70s versus today... and actually women today feel like they have things…”
#gender#sociology#perception
✶Explainer13:30
Online Sexual Harassment Is a Genuine, Growing Exception
Amid a broader discussion of exaggerated perceptions, Cox flags one area where the data shows a real increase: Pew Research found rising rates of online sexual harassment against young women, plus post-Me Too research showing male supervisors pulling back from mentoring women out of fear.
Pew tracked a 5-year period showing a genuine rise in online sexual harassment behaviors
New tech-enabled forms: unsolicited explicit images, unwanted messages, digital stalking
Separate research found male supervisors became less likely to collaborate with female graduates post-Me Too, fearing accusations even absent wrongdoing
#metoo#harassment#workplace
✶Explainer24:00
Why Gen Z Cares So Much More About Abortion Than Millennials Did
Cox highlights a puzzling generational contrast: despite being highly educated and liberal on issues like gay marriage, Millennials were surprisingly conservative on abortion. Gen Z, coming of age during the Dobbs decision, is instead intensely pro-choice — making abortion a durable political motivator for this generation.
Millennials were unexpectedly conservative on abortion despite liberal views elsewhere
Political scientists never fully explained the millennial anomaly
Gen Z is highly liberal on abortion, breaking from the prior generation's pattern
The Dobbs decision landing on this specific generation makes abortion a lasting political motivator, especially for young women
#abortion#generations#politics
✶Explainer30:00
Living in a Political Bubble Makes You More Extreme, Not Less
Cox explains the political science finding that homogeneous political environments don't moderate people — they push them toward more extreme attitudes and easier demonization of outsiders, a dynamic the host suggests is especially uncomfortable for young women given social sensitivity to peer norms.
Being surrounded only by people who share your views correlates with more extreme attitudes
Constant social affirmation makes tribal demonization easier
Discussed as especially hard on young women given heightened sensitivity to peer-group consensus
Cox is skeptical of the broad 'cancel culture' framing but sees this homogeneity dynamic as a real, underappreciated problem
#polarization#social-media#psychology
✶Explainer33:00
Young Men Aren't Turning Conservative — They're Checking Out
Cox clarifies that young men's rightward shift is often overstated; the bigger story is rising political disaffection. Close to 4 in 10 young men view both major parties unfavorably, and issues rarely feel personally important to them.
Men's stated ideology has stayed relatively flat, not shifted sharply right
Nearly 4 in 10 young men view BOTH parties unfavorably
Young men are far less likely than young women to say any political issue feels personally important
Republicans have done a somewhat better job than Democrats addressing issues specific to young men
#young-men#politics#disaffection
✶Explainer36:30
Only 40% of Young Men Identify as Feminists
Cox cites data showing a substantial gender gap on feminism and Me Too specifically pronounced among Gen Z, including a striking finding that nearly half of Democratic men under 50 believe feminism has done more harm than good.
Pew: 20-point gap in support for Me Too between young men and women
Only ~40% of young men identify as feminists, versus most young women
The feminism-identity gender gap is larger for Gen Z than any prior generation
2022 Southern Poverty Law Center survey: 46% of Democratic men under 50 agree feminism has done more harm than good
“nearly 50% of Democrat men under 50 saying that they think that feminism's gone too far”
#feminism#gender-gap#gen-z
✶Explainer51:00
Black Men Are Leaving the Democratic Party — Black Women Aren't
Cox describes newly published research showing a significant drop in Democratic identification among Black men but not Black women, tentatively linked to Black men leaving church at much higher rates, since religious participation has historically tied Black Americans to the Democratic party.
Typical survey race breakdowns are usually too small (~120 respondents) for reliable analysis
New, larger Gallup-based data shows a real drop in Democratic identification among Black men specifically
Black men are leaving church at much higher rates than Black women
Religious participation has historically tied Black Americans to the Democratic party
#race#religion#politics
✶Explainer74:00
Young People Trust Each Other 30 Points Less Than Older Generations
Cox highlights declining generalized trust as one of the most concerning trends in his data — young people are roughly 30-40 points more likely than older Americans to believe people can't be trusted or will take advantage of them, a shift he links to growing up mediated by online interactions with strangers.
Young people score ~30 points lower than older Americans on 'can people be trusted'
~30-40 point gap on believing people will take advantage of them
Cox links this to being socialized through anonymous online interactions rather than known communities
Framed as an adaptive response to a genuinely less accountable online environment
#trust#generations#social-media
✶Explainer70:30
The US Now Has One of the Largest Generational Happiness Gaps in the World
Cox cites recent Gallup multi-country research showing the happiness and life-satisfaction gap between young and old Americans has become unusually large by international standards — a sharp reversal from a historically narrow generational gap.
Only 47% of US adults report high life satisfaction, near a 2011 record low
Gallup multi-country study finds the US now has one of the largest generational happiness gaps of any country studied
Historically the young/old happiness gap in the US was much smaller
#happiness#generations#gallup
❝Story· 2
❝Story53:30
The Democratic Party's Website Lists 16 Groups It Fights For — Men Aren't One
The host recounts checking the Democratic party's website and finding a list of roughly 16 demographic groups it explicitly advocates for — women, various ethnic groups, rural and urban Americans — with men conspicuously absent, which both speakers read as a telling signal about political outreach.
Democratic party webpage lists about 16 groups it says it's 'fighting for'
Men is the one group notably missing from that list
Cox argues that if this omission persists, it will keep pushing young men rightward
“the one group that was missing: men... it almost seems that it's such an oversight that it has to be intentional”
#democrats#men#politics
❝Story48:30
The Viral 'Sex Recession' Stat That Turned Out to Be a Blip
The host shares a cautionary tale about a statistic he used to cite often — that male sexlessness (ages 18-30) tripled from 8% to 28% between 2008-2018 — which newer GSS data later revealed was a short-term spike that reversed, with women's rates subsequently rising instead.
GSS stat: male sexlessness ages 18-30 reportedly tripled from 8% (2008) to 28% (2018)
Host repeated this stat widely before newer GSS data showed the trend had reversed
Illustrates the risk of citing a sharp short-term spike without longer-run context
By contrast, the young men/women political divide looks robust across a full decade of data
#data-literacy#statistics#dating
▲Takeaway· 2
▲Takeaway62:30
'Trad-Fishing' and 'Woke-Fishing': Gaming the Political Dating Market
Cox describes an emerging dating-app dynamic where conservative men misrepresent themselves as politically moderate to attract liberal women — but liberal women have caught on and now avoid self-described moderates too.
Some conservative men list themselves as 'moderate' on dating apps to attract liberal women
Liberal women have grown wise to this and now distrust self-identified moderates as well
Shows how deeply political identity has fused with romantic vetting
#dating#politics#dating-apps
▲Takeaway68:00
The Video Game Industry Understands Human Psychology Better Than Anyone
The host argues that the video game industry, now bigger than film, TV, and music combined, has mastered behavioral manipulation and attention-capture to an extent unmatched by any other industry, calling it an underrated force pulling young men away from real-world engagement.
Video game industry is worth more than TV, movie, and music industries combined
Industry has deep expertise in manipulating and capturing human attention
Contributes to growing hours young men spend disengaged from real-world relationships and dating
“video games know more about human nature and human behavior and how to manipulate it and capture it than every other industry put together”