[Hook & Introduction]
Fellas — what if I told you that your son or nephew —
The guy glued to his phone, raised on Netflix, social media, and supposed gender progress —
Is MORE likely to want a submissive wife than your grandfather was?
I know. That sounds backwards. But I need you to hear this.
A massive new global study just dropped —
And it contains one of the most surprising data reversals I've seen in years.
The King's College London Global Institute for Women's Leadership, working with Ipsos,
surveyed over TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND people across TWENTY-NINE COUNTRIES.
The survey ran from December 24, 2025 through January 9, 2026.
And what they found about Gen Z men — guys born between 1997 and 2012 —
should absolutely be part of every conversation you're having with your boys this morning.
[Why It Matters]
Here's the number that stopped me cold.
THIRTY-ONE PERCENT of Gen Z men say a wife should ALWAYS obey her husband.
That's almost one in three young men.
Compare that to Baby Boomer men — guys who grew up in the 1950s and 60s.
Only THIRTEEN PERCENT of them said the same thing.
So Gen Z men are more than TWICE as likely as Boomers to want an obedient wife.
Let that land.
The generation raised on the internet — the most connected generation in human history —
holds more traditional views on marriage than the guys who were actual Mad Men era adults.
And it doesn't stop at one question.
THIRTY-THREE PERCENT of Gen Z men say a husband should have the FINAL SAY on big decisions.
That's also double the Boomer rate of seventeen percent.
TWENTY-FOUR PERCENT say a woman shouldn't appear too independent or self-sufficient.
Only twelve percent of Boomer men said that.
And MORE THAN HALF — over fifty percent — of Gen Z men say men are expected to do
TOO MUCH to ensure equality for women.
Forty-five percent of Boomers felt that way.
This isn't a blip. This is a pattern. Across EVERY question.
According to the King's College London study, Gen Z men hold the most traditional views
of any age group — more traditional than Gen X, more traditional than Millennials,
and more traditional than the men who grew up before the women's liberation movement.
[5 Conversation Starters]
1. The geography of it is wild.
According to BBC News reporting on the Ipsos study,
only FOUR PERCENT of Swedish respondents across all ages
agreed a wife should always obey her husband.
But in Malaysia? SIXTY PERCENT.
In Indonesia? SIXTY-SIX PERCENT.
Same survey. Same question. Completely different planet.
Which tells you this isn't just one story — it's a dozen different stories depending on where you live.
2. Gen Z women are also trending traditional — just not as fast.
Eighteen percent of Gen Z women said a wife should always obey her husband.
Only SIX percent of Boomer women said the same.
So the trend isn't just male. Both sexes in Gen Z are more traditional than their grandparents.
But the gap between Gen Z men and Gen Z women is massive —
and it's growing. Sixty percent of Gen Z overall agrees
there is "marked tension between men and women today."
They know it. They're living it.
3. There's a fascinating internal contradiction in the data.
According to Ipsos and King's College London, forty-one percent of Gen Z men
say women with SUCCESSFUL CAREERS are more attractive.
That's well above the Boomer average of twenty-seven percent.
So they want an ambitious woman who brings something to the table —
but also one who defers to them on big decisions and doesn't appear too independent.
Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos UK, called it "an interesting duality" — quote —
"They are both the group most likely to agree that women who have a successful career
are more attractive to men, but simultaneously most likely to agree
that a wife should always obey her husband."
That's not hypocrisy. That's a generation trying to hold two contradictory things at once.
4. The pressure they feel is real — even when it doesn't match reality.
Here's a finding that deserves its own conversation.
Globally, thirty-one percent of people say they THINK society expects men
to have the final word in household decisions.
But only twenty-one percent personally AGREE with that.
In the UK specifically — fourteen percent personally believe women
should handle most childcare.
But forty-three percent think society EXPECTS women to do it.
Prof. Heejung Chung, who directs the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's
and co-authored the study, told the BBC this matters —
"Many people appear to be pressured by social expectations
that do not actually reflect what most of us believe."
Translation: young men are conforming to an imaginary rulebook
that most people around them don't actually follow.
5. The masculinity pressure Gen Z men put on THEMSELVES is also striking.
FORTY-THREE PERCENT of Gen Z men agree that young men should try to be physically tough
even if they're not naturally big — versus thirty-two percent of all respondents.
TWENTY-ONE PERCENT say a man who does active childcare is LESS masculine.
Only eight percent of Boomer men said that.
And THIRTY PERCENT of Gen Z men say men shouldn't tell male friends "I love you."
Among Boomers? Twenty percent.
Gen Z men are caging themselves in as much as they're caging women.
[Context & Key Insights]
So what's driving this?
Professor Heejung Chung has a theory she laid out to the BBC.
Gen Z men, she says, often feel overlooked by politicians.
They harbor resentment over their lack of opportunities compared to older generations —
especially around home ownership, stable employment, the things their dads took for granted.
And adopting more conservative views on gender roles
is a way for them to cling to a perceived authority
that their fathers and grandfathers actually had.
Robert Grimm, Head of Political Research at Ipsos Germany, put it more bluntly —
quote — "Digital environments amplify division,
as social media algorithms favor extreme messaging."
He says influencers are capitalizing on young men's economic grievances
and redirecting that frustration toward women.
That tracks. Think about the Andrew Tates of the world.
The manosphere. TikTok creators pushing the tradwife aesthetic.
These platforms aren't just reflecting young men's attitudes.
According to BBC News coverage of this research, experts say they're SHAPING them.
Young men are mimicking behaviors they see online
without fully grasping the implications.
But here's the thing, fellas — and this is important —
the MAJORITY of people in this study across all twenty-nine countries
still support gender equality.
Sixty-eight percent said achieving equality between men and women
is important to them personally.
Sixty percent agreed things would work better if more women held leadership positions.
The retrograde views are real. But they're not the whole story.
What this study actually reveals is a generation in conflict.
Young men who feel economically squeezed, culturally adrift, and algorithmically radicalized —
but who also, when you ask them directly, want women to succeed.
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who chairs the Global Institute
for Women's Leadership at King's Business School, put it this way — quote —
"Not only are many Gen Z men putting limiting expectations on women,
they are also TRAPPING THEMSELVES within restrictive gender norms."
That's the real cost here.
And it's one that hits close to home for a lot of us watching our sons and nephews
navigate this world.
[Practical Takeaway]
So what do we DO with this, fellas?
First — understand what you're seeing.
When you see a younger man express these views, resist the urge to write him off.
The research suggests he's probably operating on perceived social expectations
that don't even match what most people actually believe.
He's conforming to a ghost.
Second — have the conversations.
The Gen X men in this audience — the 35 to 55-year-olds —
you're in a unique position to model something different.
Not preaching. Just living it.
A man who is emotionally present, who shares household responsibility,
who is secure enough not to need dominance —
that is a powerful counter-narrative.
More powerful than any algorithm.
Third — pay attention to what your sons and nephews are watching.
Sixty percent of Gen Z men say their social media feeds have grown more extreme.
Most of them didn't seek that out. The algorithm pushed it to them.
Know what they're consuming. Talk about it. Name it.
You don't have to be perfect at this. You just have to show up.
[Audience Reflection]
Here's the question I want to leave you with today.
Think about the young men in your life —
a son, a nephew, a younger brother, a mentee.
What's the most powerful thing you've MODELED for them
about how men treat women?
Not what you've said. What you've SHOWN.
Because the data says the algorithms are winning right now.
And the only real competition to an algorithm
is a real man in their life who demonstrates something different.
[Community Engagement]
Fellas — this is a real talk conversation starter.
Drop your take in the comments right now.
Are you SURPRISED by this data?
Do you see this in the young men around you?
And if you're a Gen Z man watching this —
I want to HEAR from you especially.
What's driving this? What are you feeling?
Share this one with someone who needs to see it.
This is the kind of data that should be in the conversation —
not buried in an academic press release.
[Empowering Close]
Here's what I know about this audience.
You're men who are doing the work.
You're up at this hour because you give a damn about showing up — in your relationships,
in your families, in your communities.
The world is changing fast. The pressures on young men are real.
But the answer to confusion and pressure is never retreat.
It's clarity. It's modeling. It's being the kind of man
that other men — especially young men — want to become.
That's what MiTL is about. Morning accountability. Real talk. No shortcuts.
I'll see you back here tomorrow for Show #3008.
Now go make it a great day.
[Keyword Integration]
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that is your morning accountability partner and daily accountability partner —
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Whether it's science, technology, business, ai, fitness, healthy lifestyle —
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Start your day right men — this is bapl, this is MiTL, this is Show #3007.