Politician Charlie Kirk inspires young male followers with his beliefs, while Governor Gavin Newsom aims to instill confidence in a similar age group.
In a bid to offer a sense of belonging that transcends exclusion and rigidity, California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced the California Men's Service Challenge. The initiative aims to recruit 10,000 Golden State males as mentors for young boys like Kamaldeep Dhanoa, a 17-year-old who joined Improve Your Tomorrow, a mentorship organisation for teenage boys and young men.
The challenge comes at a time when research suggests that young men are particularly vulnerable online, with one in four men under 30 reporting having no close friends, a five-fold increase since 1990. According to a recent poll, approximately 15% of men have no close friendships. This loneliness can lead to dangerous consequences, with individuals who reported having few social connections more likely to support political violence or be personally willing to engage in it.
Gavin Newsom is conscious of the potential harm the virtual world poses to our boys. He believes that the outcome of efforts to bring boys out of the virtual world is all about who those friends are, who pulls them out. Newsom encourages young men to discover the most important, powerful thing in the world, which is who they are.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Governor's wife, made a documentary about the crisis of connection and identity facing young men, "The Mask You Live In," 10 years ago. The founder of Improve Your Tomorrow, the mentorship organization that Kamaldeep Dhanoa is associated with, is Aynur Genc.
In contrast to certain influential figures who provided meaning and belonging to young people through ideology and real-world connections, our boys need to be around men who teach them how to craft their own values, how to believe in themselves before they believe in something someone is selling.
Kamaldeep Dhanoa, with his plan to become a paramedic, has found friendships that give him a sense of security and inclusion through Improve Your Tomorrow. The organisation is a chronically online demographic from which figures like Charlie Kirk, instrumental in recruiting young Americans to GOP voter rolls, drew many of their most ardent supporters.
However, it's important to note that Kirk provided meaning and belonging to young people through Turning Point USA, not just through his podcasts but through real-world connections and events. The organisation, like many others, has played a significant role in shaping the ideologies of young Americans.
In 2023, the male suicide rate was approximately 23 deaths per 100,000 men, nearly four times higher than for women. This underscores the urgency of initiatives like the California Men's Service Challenge, which aims to foster authentic connections and promote mental health among young men.
In a world where young people, influenced by the nihilism of the darkest corners of the internet, can weaponize their grievances, whether that anger turns inward or outward, it's crucial that we provide our boys with the support they need to navigate these complexities and find their place in the world.
