What is going on with people?

[Emptyandsad]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/gen-z-men-baby-boomers-wives-should-obey-husbands

Society seems to be going backwards! I always thought that, generation after generation, we were generally, slowly, becoming more equitable...

What ! Jeez

Completely agree with the Andrew Tate references and anyone else of that ilk; naive, gullible, impressionable and stupid boys listening to them and thinking they’re any kind of figures worth looking up to

There should be another term to add to 'incels'...

'Uncels' - 'understandably celibate'... 😠

@Gribouille - superb I'm going to start using it!

You are part of the problem.

Exactly what I said in lots more words 🤣

When social media replaces the vacuum in the home where dads used to be as well as some dads using it to parent because they don't have critical thinking skills or empathy.

Not really.
Obviously, I don't know what your intentions were but you described in quite definitive way that men are not interested in being equal partners (not true for the majority of western men at all) and that women somehow decided that they wanted men to contribute to the household management which is also incorrect. Men contributing to household were simply the natural consequences of equitable access to work and education for women.
Using the term "pushback" also strongly suggest that you subscribe to the "traditional values" which... I am trying hard not to judge.

So no, it wasn't at all exactly what you said.

This is sadly true. There was a Metro (I think) article today that talked about how women are tired of not getting adequate emotional / domestic support from partners and the men in the comments were basically saying this. That women's standards were simply too high.

I think a number of men want kids, somebody to have sex with them, keep their house clean, raise their kids and cook for them. And want to retain their lives as single men and just contribute money

Not read the thread but did read the article. Being as it is a global survey and it cites Indonesia and Malaysia ( muslim countries) as having high percentages of young people who think wives should obey their husbands, the rise of conservative Islam is the main factor behind this change. Islam has had a large internal revival over recent decades towards a much more conservative version, and this has spread around the globe.

Oh well - enough money, no need for a man.

I noticed that too and thought it was not helpful to lump all countries together.

This doesn't even make sense. These days, there are plenty of women who'd jump at the chance for the Dad to do the part-time job in order to do all the school runs etc. If they think it's easier, have at it lads!

Having worked and also been a full-time Mum in the early years, I know which I think is easier (not the relentless childcare). I love my kids which is why I'll do it, gladly, but it's hard work. A colleague was just saying the other day how she can't wait to come back to work (part-time) because being a Mum only and doing everything for her child with no respite is hard work.

Also, if it's so easy and wonderful to be the one who works less, with less economic power, and does the bulk of the childcare, given men are in charge in most countries, wouldn't it be men predominantly doing that role? But it's not so...

Here we go...

😂

Theres a really easy natural consequence for this. Women, we just need to make sure none of us is willing to shag these blokes or procreate with them. Should nip it in the bud within a generation 👌

I found this fascinating. As while the merging of different countries is not useful, the comparison across age groups is.

It means that irrespective of how conservative the country is (or is not), younger generations are becoming MORE conservative not less, on gender issues. Which is interesting. So Boomer Indonesians are more egalitarian on this topic than Gen Z Indonesians when you would expect the opposite.

It never ceases to amaze me the number of individuals who expect something for nothing ie a relationship for doing sweet fuck all.

They probably always existed but now they've got a voice.

Although the idea of everything in this survey is abhorrent, especially the suggestion of wives obeying their husbands etc,there are other issues to consider. The fact there is also a move towards a total lack of respect & acceptance of the more traditional role where women choose to be a stay at home wife & mother while taking the main responsibility of the household being considered an inferior role in society also needs addressed. Women should have freedom of choice. Whether thats choosing to have a career along side being a wife & mother, or if financially viable choosing to be a stay at home mother,both deserve the same amount of recognition & respect in society.

I really don't think there is a lack of respect for SAHM (well except in divorce proceedings.)

Came on to say exactly the same thing. It's really disturbing.

This.

This thread is absolutely fascinating, as an illustration of an absence of evidence and facts not stopping people from strongly having an opinion.

Several posters now have pointed out that, if you read the article, the survey is global and the stated change to a belief that women should obey their husbands has not occurred in the UK. High levels of belief that women should obey their husbands are cited in Muslim countries.

Yet no posters are responding to this but instead are ignoring it, and continuing to identify western/ UK causes to explain the (non-existent) rise in the UK in strongly worded and outraged posts.

This is how misinformation spreads and we have a divided and prejudiced society, where we can't identify the real problems, their causes or solutions.

Why bother when you can quickly froth up outrage, that people, apparently, enjoy having?

Honestly its depressing that hardly anyone bothers to fact check anything - even when all you need to do is click on the link to a short article - but still feel entitled to emote strongly in strongly held 'opinions.'

No wonder the world is fucked up.

Plus no positive male role models in young men's lives to reinforce that the likes of Andrew Tate and his croneys are pondlife, so get off your phone/tablet and get out in the real world and make real human connections,

But you wouldn't expect the younger indonesians to be more egalitarian when its a Muslim country and there has been a strong revival in conservative Islam. You can even track this revival visually by looking at photos from the 60s and 70s in many Muslim countries and compare them to now in terms of the volume of women wearing headscarves.

Conservative Muslims believe that women should obey their husbands. Its quite a standard Muslim belief and is written in the Qu'ran. Its also not permitted for spouses to refuse each other sex. You can see the idea that Muslim husbands are dominant in many Muslim beliefs, such as Muslim men being able to marry Christians or Jews, but Muslim women only being able to marry Muslims. This is because of a expectation that the man will set the religion in the household, whereas a wife would not.

This is about US politics, but it's a really interesting conversation about Gen Z attitudes and divides, it also touches on age at covid lockdowns as a factor.

I don't see why it's controversial to recognise that the cultural make-up of the UK has changed over the generations, nor that different cultures have different views on men and women's roles.