What Can We Learn from the Growing Conservatism of Gen Z Men?

This article first appeared in the 2024 Harvest USA Magazine, “Discipling Men and Women in Our Modern Age.“

It’s a story from time immemorial: Older generations worried and confused about the trajectory of their successors. In 2023, only 2.3% of baby boomers and 4.5% of Gen Xers identified as LGBTQ+. Contrast this with the 22.3% of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+,[1] and it’s understandable why our seasoned saints in the church are expressing great concern. But, with Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2013) more than any preceding generation, a clear fault line has emerged between men and women on many issues. While 28.5% of Gen Z women identify as LGBTQ+, only 10.6% of men do.[2] Among white Americans, 46% of Gen Z women identify as liberal, compared to 28% of their male counterparts.[3] Gen Z men are more conservative than their millennial older brothers, while Gen Z women are more liberal than their older sisters. This helps explain the shocking drop in Gen Z’s support of same-sex marriage. In 2021, 80% of Gen Z supported same-sex marriage in America. But in 2023, that number drastically fell to 69%, well below the 73% support of millennials.[4] There is no doubt that Gen Z men were the driving factor in this seismic shift. What should the church do with this data regarding Gen Z men? Is this cause for celebration that the tide is shifting back to a biblically informed worldview about sex and gender? Or are other messages and voices capturing their hearts, potentially leaving them just as far from Christ and his redemptive work?

The State of Young Men in America Today

It’s hard to be a Gen Z man. In America, there are over nine million prime-age men who are unemployed, not looking for work, and not in school.[5] Only 42% of all bachelor’s degrees go to men.[6] Richard Reeves notes that “deaths of despair” (suicide, overdose, alcohol) are three times higher for men than for women. He says that the two words that capture the reason for their despair are feeling worthless and useless.[7] The overarching narrative in our culture today does not help men in their despair. Dr. Anthony Bradley sums up our culture’s message to men as, “We don’t want you, we don’t need you, and when you engage, you cause problems.”[8] This can be seen in the increasing number of women pursuing financial independence apart from men. Today, 40% of women earn more than the average man in America.[9] The #MeToo movement, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the increased awareness of sexual assault on college campuses all add to the narrative that men are dangerous to women and society.[10]

Sadly, more young men than ever before have imbibed this message. Bradley has seen an increasing number of men “self-resign.” Their message to society is, “Leave me alone!” They don’t look for work, they don’t seek marriage, they’re done running the proverbial rat race. One study showed that 45% of 18- to 25-year-old men have never approached a woman in person.[11] Instead, they’ve settled for a life of isolation with social media, pornography, recreational drugs, and video games.

While more widely recognized today, many conservative voices have been concerned about this trend in young men for the past four decades. Sociologists like Jonathan Haidt have noticed that the American school system inherently favors girls more than boys, not only due to brain development timing, but also “shorter recess, bans on rough and tumble play, and ever more emphasis on sitting still and listening.”[12] Boys also have a decreasing number of male teachers in elementary education, and the epidemic of father absence in America disproportionately affects boys more than girls.

Jordan Peterson to the Rescue?

There has been a vacuum of prominent men speaking a message of hope that resonates with young men. Even in the church, there can be the danger of focusing only on the sins men should avoid without giving them a vision of true greatness.

But with any vacuum, it’s only a matter of time before something or someone fills the void. Enter the podcasters and YouTubers! If you look at the demographics of those listening to Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Andrew Tate, David Goggins, and Andrew Huberman, you’ll see that the vast majority are high school boys and young men. These personalities are encouraging millions to put down video games and pornography, “make their bed,” and make something of themselves.

“Even in the church, there can be the danger of focusing only on the sins men should avoid without giving them a vision of true greatness.”

One prominent camp of male influencers, represented by men like Andrew Tate and SNEAKO, are previously self-professed Christians who have converted to Islam. In their “manosphere” and “red pill community,” Christianity was deemed too weak, so they opted for the masculine “strength” that Islam offers. Male influencers like these are tapping into some of the worst ambitions of young men. They teach men to be “alpha males” whose goals in life are money, flashy cars, getting shredded, and anonymous sex— all while somehow trying to call men back to traditional values.

In another camp is the reaction to everything labeled “woke.” Even though Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson may have very different political ideologies, they stand shoulder to shoulder in giving men a voice against the tyranny of “the left.” That tyranny may come in the forms of gender ideology, mandated COVID protocols, or suppression of free speech. Their appeal is not to a party line, but a rebellion against the elites who have ushered in an age Rod Dreher calls “soft totalitarianism.”

Because the elites have gone all-in on progressive ideologies, the most natural form of rebellion for young men is to adopt an increasingly conservative position on social issues. This may be one reason why Gen Z support for same-sex marriage has dropped so dramatically— because LGBTQ+ advocates have utilized cancel culture as their primary means of gaining support. Young men notice individuals who stand up for what they believe. They find it empowering to see examples of men who don’t back down from their principles in the face of intense political and social pressure.

Jordan Peterson epitomizes this heroism for young men. He’s developed a platform championing free speech. But he’s much more than a political reactionary, he’s a father figure to millions of dejected and hopeless young men. More than any other influencer, you’ll hear countless young men say, “Jordan Peterson saved my life.” How did he do this? Anthony Bradley notes that Jordan Peterson knows how to speak to men stuck in shame. In a culture plagued by perfectionism, Peterson offers young men a way to grow that is filled with compassion.[13]

3 Lessons the Church Can Learn from Gen Z Men

Young men in our churches today are flocking to these influencers. Many would say these voices have a greater impact on their daily life than their local pastor. And yet, none of these influencers proclaim the true gospel. They are devoid of Christ, and they also don’t have real, genuine relationships with these young men. In essence, they are the celebrity pastors of Gen Z. What can we learn from this trend?

Lesson 1: Not All “Conservative” Movements Are Good

In our ever-polarizing age, it’s easy to adopt the mantra that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” But true biblical wisdom calls the church to a higher standard. We must always remember that our true enemy, Satan himself, knows how to appeal to our weaknesses. So, for Christians who are chiefly concerned with culturally conservative values being labeled hate speech, the temptation for the church is to see influential men spouting vile and destructive commentary as cobelligerents—because at least we have a common enemy. Sinful ideologies about women, sex, physical strength, and financial success are rampant within culturally conservative circles and many male influencers know how to appeal to the carnal desires of young men. We must not be complacent with swapping one bad idea for another.

Lesson 2: Young Men Need Compassionate, Relational Investments from Older Men

Despite what you may be tempted to believe, young men need and desire life advice. There is a massive market for advice to young men; they’re starving for it, and they’re willing to consume hours of online content every day to find it. While online influencers may have some helpful information about nutrition, exercise routines, and ways to get promoted at work, what young men truly need is relationships with older men in their local church. Primarily, young men need their fathers. The Lord provides everything we need for life and godliness in Christ (2 Pet. 1:3), but without the intentional, loving involvement of his father, a young man will struggle as he learns how to care for others in a Christlike way. God has given fathers the unique position of greatest influence over their sons. Fathers, your sons need you. An essential concern for every church should be building up good fathers.

The older men of your church have the opportunity to point young men to the character, strength, and kindness of their older brother, Jesus Christ.

But even more powerful is when a group of godly, older men heed the call to build up the next generation. Young men need multiple role models—ideally, friends of their father—who make time for them, believe God will use them, and are safety nets when life takes terrible turns. My story, as well as that of many of my friends, is of God placing important older mentors on our paths. These men delighted in us, invested in our future, and were available to hear about our fears, shame, and failures. The older men of your church have the opportunity to point young men to the character, strength, and kindness of their older brother, Jesus Christ.

Lesson 3: Young Men Need a Vision of Greatness

So much of the pornography scourge in the church is an epidemic of purposelessness. The church is typically good at pouring into young men who display potential for future pastoral ministry. But what about the 17-year-old who has the potential to be a successful plumber with a lovely wife, four children, and a thriving ministry of hospitality and care for widows? Or the 25-year-old single man with gifts for writing and the culinary arts? Do they realize the eternal potential for Kingdom impact that their unique gifts, abilities, and opportunities afford them?

So much of the pornography scourge in the church is an epidemic of purposelessness.

Anthony Bradley helpfully encourages the church to instill in men a sense of “virtuous ambition” that could be applied to any problem they see in the world. The ambition[14] of many online influencers is no greater than money, sex, power, and fame. But virtuous ambition recognizes that the cross of Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, sin, and death; part of our calling as believers is to make that message known by being part of the solution to the real problems in the world. Every time a young Christian man pursues a career as a doctor, lawyer, carpenter, or police officer, he is proclaiming Christ as Lord of all. He’s declaring that Jesus has fundamentally dealt with the problem of sin in the world and will one day consummate his work of making all things new.

Are we teaching young men that whatever they do in life, they are ambassadors proclaiming that Jesus Christ has conquered, and all his enemies will be made his footstool? This kind of virtuous ambition will “count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). This ambition is willing to lay down your life in love for your friends (John 15:13). This ambition awakens a checked-out man to envision a life that is full of purpose, meaning, value, and worth in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

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[1] Jones, J., “LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Now at 7.6%,” Gallup, March 13, 2024. https:// news.gallup.com/poll/611864/lgbtq-identification.aspx

[2] Ibid.

[3] Cox, D., Hammond, K., Gray, K., “Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence: How Gen Z’s Formative Experiences Shape Its Politics, Priorities, and Future,” Survey Center on American Life, November 9, 2023. https:// www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-and-the-transformationof-american-adolescence-how-gen-zs-formative-experiences-shape-its-politicspriorities-and-future/

[4] Ibid.

[5] Anthony Bradley (Guest), (2023, June 22). “We Need More Fraternities.” What Happens Next in 6 Minutes with Larry Bernstein , June 22, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.whathappensnextin6minutes.com/p/we-need-more-fraternities

[6] Reeves, R., Secker, W., “Degrees of Difference: Male College Enrollment and Completion,” American Institute for Boys and Men, March 29, 2024. https://aibm.org/ research/male-college-enrollment-and-completion/

[7] “Male inequality, explained by an expert / Richard Reeves.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, Jan. 4, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBG1Wgg32Ok&t=820s

[8] Anthony Bradley, “Anthony Bradley: Evangelicalism’s Man Problems” The Aaron Renn Show, May 20, 2024 . Retrieved from https://www.aaronrenn. com/p/anthony-bradley-evangelicalisms-man

[9] Richard Reeves, “Richard Reeves on the Troubles of Boys and Men,” The Permanent Problem Podcast, April 9, 2024 . Retrieved from https://brinklindsey. substack.com/p/richard-reeves-on-the-troubles-of

[10] Cox, D., Hammond, K., Gray, K., “Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence: How Gen Z’s Formative Experiences Shape Its Politics, Priorities, and Future,” Survey Center on American Life, November 9, 2023. https:// www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-and-the-transformationof-american-adolescence-how-gen-zs-formative-experiences-shape-its-politicspriorities-and-future/

[11] Alexander, “Risk Aversion and Dating,” Date Psychology, July 14, 2023. https:// datepsychology.com/risk-aversion-and-dating/

[12] Jonathan Haidt, “Jonathan Haidt: I’m Worried About the Boys, Too,” The Free Press, December 5, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/jonathan-haidt-worried-about-the-boystoo

[13] Jonathan Haidt, “Jonathan Haidt: I’m Worried About the Boys, Too,” The Free Press, December 5, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/jonathan-haidt-worried-about-the-boystoo

[14] Anthony B. Bradley, “The Lost Art of Ambition: How Churches Can Inspire Young Men to Greatness (Part 3),” May 21, 2024. https://anthonybbradley.substack.com/p/thelost-art-of-ambition-how-churches