Is toxic masculinity fueling the male loneliness epidemic?

In this episode of Fed Up, But Figuring It Out, host Priya Migneault unpacks the complex relationship between toxic masculinity, men’s mental health, and rising loneliness among men. While masculinity itself isn’t inherently harmful, rigid expectations around dominance, emotional suppression, and hyper-independence can leave many men isolated and struggling to connect.

Priya explores how traditional gender norms, like “man up” culture, fear of vulnerability, and the pressure to appear strong, discourage emotional openness and prevent men from forming deep friendships or seeking help. The result? Higher rates of loneliness, depression, substance use, and suicide among men.

If you care about gender equality, mental health, masculinity, and modern culture, this conversation is for you.

Sources:

Connor-Savarda, B.-N. (2023, March 30). Loneliness: One of the consequences of toxic masculinity. Emotion Intelligence Magazine. https://www.ei-magazine.com/post/loneliness-one-of-the-consequences-of-toxic-masculinity

Engaging men in gender equality: End violence against women in Canada. Canadian Women’s Foundation. (2018, January 10). https://canadianwomen.org/blog/comes-toxic-masculinity-lose/

How Toxic Masculinity Harms Men and Boys. Survivors.org. (2025, January 21). https://survivors.org/how-toxic-masculinity-harms-men/

Jones, F., Verity, L., Panayiotou, M., & Qualter, P. (2023). A review of evidence on the link between masculinity, loneliness, and suicide as observed in social media discussions. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbeha.2023.100129

Reeves, R. (2022, October 17). Toxic masculinity is a harmful myth. Society is in denial about the problems of boys and men. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/the-present/toxic-masculinity-myth/

Salter, M. (2019, February 27). The Problem With a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/02/toxic-masculinity-history/583411/

Suicide in Canada: Key statistics (infographic). Government of Canada. (2023). https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html

Wade, D. (2023, March 31). Defining — and Addressing — Toxic Masculinity. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/toxic-masculinity

Are we actually disagreeing—or are we living in completely different realities? In this episode of Fed Up, But Figuring It Out, Priya breaks down how echo chambers, filter bubbles, and algorithm-driven content are reshaping truth, fueling political polarization, and making empathy harder than ever. From social media algorithms and confirmation bias to online radicalization and the January 6 insurrection, this episode explores how personalized media ecosystems distort reality—and why none of us are immune. If you’ve ever felt like the world is spiraling, wondered why conversations feel impossible, or questioned what’s real online anymore, this episode is for you.

Join the conversation on Instagram: @fedup.pod

Sources:

BBC. (n.d.). What are echo chambers?. BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbwkbqt

Levy, G., & Razin, R. (2019). Echo Chambers and their effects on economic and political outcomes. Annual Review of Economics, 11, 303–328. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-080218-030343

Meacham, M. (2013). The Neuroscience of Engagement. ATD. https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/the-neuroscience-of-engagement

TED. (2011). Beware online “filter bubbles” | Eli Pariser. YouTube. Retrieved 2026, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s&t=20s.

Fascism doesn’t come back wearing the same uniform. It returns disguised as patriotism, “traditional values,” law and order, and promises of safety. In this episode of Fed Up, But Figuring It Out, Priya Migneault breaks down what fascism actually is, how it works, and why it keeps resurfacing in moments of fear, economic instability, and political distrust.

Drawing on political theory, historical case studies, and contemporary examples, this episode unpacks the core traits of fascism: authoritarianism, ultranationalism, propaganda, anti-intellectualism, rigid hierarchies, manufactured victimhood, and the erosion of democratic norms from the inside out. From Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany to modern strongmen politics, book bans, culture wars, state violence, and economic scapegoating, the patterns are clear — even when the slogans change.

This isn’t an abstract history lesson. It’s an exploration of how fascism thrives today through misinformation, fear-based rhetoric, attacks on education, moral panics about gender and sexuality, and the false promise of certainty in uncertain times. The episode also examines why people are drawn to fascist movements, how authoritarianism predicts political behavior more than income or education, and why neutrality and indifference are not harmless positions.

Ultimately, this episode asks a necessary question: Will we recognize fascism when it shows up looking familiar? And what responsibility do we have to pay attention, speak up, and protect empathy before it’s too late?

If you’ve ever felt like something is deeply off — politically, socially, culturally — this episode gives you the language, history, and tools to name it.

Sources:

Drew, C. (2023, March 23). 12 examples of fascism in history. Helpful Professor. https://helpfulprofessor.com/examples-of-fascism/

Fousek, P. (2021, January 7). Fascism, and how to fight it. Hampton Institute. https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/fascism-and-how-to-fight-it

Macwilliams, M. (2016, January 17). The One Weird Trait that Predicts Whether You’re a Trump Supporter. Politico Magazine. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533/

Mahoney, K. (2009). Hate Speech, Equality, and the State of Canadian Law. Wake Forest Law Review, 44(2), 321–351.

McLean, E. (2023, April 7). Fascism’s History Offers Lessons About Today’s Attacks on Education. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fascisms-history-offers-lessons-about-todays-attacks-on-education/

Soucy, R. (2025). Fascism. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism

Stanley, J. (2018). How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Random House.

Stanley, J. (2023, February 14). Banning Ideas and Authors is Not a “Culture War” – It’s Fascism. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/13/african-american-studies-republican-ban-florida