Good morning.
Youth culture has long been associated with liberal or progressive thinking, protest and resistance. But the idea that the young are a homogenous group of lefty radicals has been challenged in a new study from King’s College London that suggests there is “an emerging gender divide” between young men and women.
The research is based on a representative survey of 3,716 people over the age of 16 and has revealed some stark differences on gender issues like the impact of feminism, terms like “toxic masculinity” and has even found that, in some cases, young men are no more supportive of gender equality than men in their 50s and 60s.
This report is part of a wider trend suggesting that gen Z (those born roughly between 1997 and 2012) are not necessarily as left leaning as many may assume. A survey conducted last year by Change Research found that young women in the US lean more politically left than young men, with 41% of women identifying as progressive in comparison to 24% of men.
I spoke to Dr Alice Evans, a senior lecturer at King’s College London whose book The Great Gender Divergence will be published later this year, about what is driving these trends. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
Councils | Lawyers have raised alarm at the lack of oversight in local government, as a Guardian analysis found almost one in 10 councils in the UK have been subject to a corruption investigation in the past decade.
David Cameron | The UK could officially recognise a Palestinian state after a ceasefire in Gaza, David Cameron has said. The foreign secretary said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing.
UK news | Detectives shared a new photo of Abdul Ezedi who allegedly left a “vulnerable” young woman and her toddler with potentially life-changing wounds after throwing a corrosive substance over them. Calling him “dangerous” and highlighting the maimed right side of his face, they warned: “If you see him, do not approach him.”
Europe | Viktor Orbán has agreed a deal with fellow EU leaders on a €50bn support package for Ukraine after pulling back from the brink for a second time at a summit in Brussels.
Environment | An oil and gas company owned by a major Tory donor, which has been fined for illegal flaring, has been awarded a licence to drill for fossil fuels by the government. This week, the government granted the right to drill for fossil fuels in 24 new licence areas across the North Sea.
In depth: ‘Algorithms keep sending us negative stories that immerse us in groupthink’
Here are some of the key figures from the report: 68% of young women think it is harder to be a woman, compared to 35% of men. About 37% of young men think the phrase “toxic masculinity” is unhelpful, nearly double the number of young women. On the topic of feminism, 16% of gen Z males felt it had done more harm than good, in comparison to 13% among men who were over 60. Three in 10 young men believe that in 20 years’ time it will be more difficult to be a man, while young women believe the opposite, making gen Z the most divided generation by gender on what the future will look like. And it’s not just this one issue: all age groups besides young men have become more progressive on issues surrounding race and immigration.
This rapid divergence is seemingly the most stark it has ever been. Prof Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, has noted how unusual it is to have this kind of intra-generational chasm and said that to avoid a “fractious division among this coming generation … we need to listen carefully to both”.
So what has caused this split?
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Economic stagnation
When it comes to social and economic mobility, the numbers are pretty stark for young people. In 1997, the most common housing set up for 18-34-year-olds was living in a couple with one or more children. Now the most common is living with your parents. 18-30-year-olds are facing higher rents than ever and are less likely to have savings, making home ownership a distant dream for most.
A YouGov poll found most Britons thinks young people have it economically harder than previous generations, and gen Z share these anxieties with the cost of living crisis at the top of their concerns.
Dr Alice Evans says that “cultural entrepreneurs” – in other words misogynist social media influencers such as Andrew Tate (above) – use this sense of economic immobility to create an “economic resentment” by pushing a narrative that “men are struggling because women are getting rights and advances at their expense”. This is what Evans calls a “zero sum mentality” – the belief that if women are doing better men must be doing worse, rather than the idea progress can benefit all.
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Social media silos
As more young men fall down a social media rabbit hole filled with sexist content, young women have become increasingly politicised and vocal about progressive issues, particularly feminism. Where older generations shared formative experiences together, younger people now have more fragmented lives because of these disparate digital spaces.
“Young people have got a rich diversity of media to engage with and learn from, so if young women are already concerned about equality, then they can self-select to learn more about that,” Evans says. She adds that polarised media exacerbates the problem, with young men potentially adopting “distorted views” on feminism from more extremist rightwing sources, fuelling animosity and resentment.
Evans notes that she believes young women could also be more prone to polarised thinking as social media algorithms show them content that is similar to what they have already engaged with to keep them online. Negative stories about sexism are thus rarely balanced with “the evidence of the significant progress that has been made over the last half century in reducing discrimination and misogyny” by feminist activists and thinkers, Evans says. All of this creates even more ideological polarisation between young men and women.
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The fallout
Political divides could exacerbate existing trends, given that young people are marrying at far lower rates than previous generations, and gen Z have indicated an even lower interest in having children and marriage. So, if the gaps continue to widen, there could be further ramifications for young people’s love lives and social cohesion, as more and more people view politics as a dealbreaker, both in friendships and romantic relationships.
None of this is inevitable though – and what happens next is dependent on the decisions that are made now across society, argues Evans: “If it’s the case that algorithms are keeping us hooked by sending us negative stories that immerse us in groupthink, then we could decide to regulate that just as we regulate other spheres of the economy.”
What else we’ve been reading
A once grim harbour in Rotterdam has been transformed into a tidal park to allow the river to rise and fall in the middle of the city in turn allowing wildlife to thrive. Nazia Parveen, acting deputy editor, newsletters
Once upon a time winning the pot of money on TV could change your life. Amelia Tait takes a look at how far TV prize money is stretching in 2024. Nimo
If you have ever wondered why we celebrate Black History Month, you can find the answer in this National Geographic article. It all began in the early 20th century with historian Carter G. Woodson, dismayed by the silence on Black achievement and accomplishments. Nazia
We all know at least one iPad baby. It could be a younger cousin, niece or nephew or even your own child. Clea Skopeliti asked some parents what they are doing to curb their kids’ phone usage. Nimo
There is definitely a huge Traitors-shaped hole in my life at the moment. I’m hoping one of these board games will help to fill the gap until the next series. Nazia
Sport
Football | Premier League clubs are on course to spend one of the lowest amounts in a January transfer window, with owners and financial experts blaming the league’s increased scrutiny over its profit and sustainability regulations (PSR) for the significant downturn.
Formula One | Lewis Hamilton has described his decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025 as one of the hardest of his life. The seven-time world champion has agreed a multi-year deal with the Scuderia that means he will leave Mercedes at the end of this season.
Rugby | Alex Mitchell is a surprise inclusion in England’s starting XV to face Italy on Saturday after making a remarkable recovery from a leg injury and proving his fitness on Thursday morning.
The front pages
The Guardian leads with “US orders strikes on Iran-backed militia in revenge for base attack”. The i reports “Millions face stealth tax rise as Tories demand cuts”.
The Daily Telegraph says “‘Chemical attacker’ was failed asylum seeker”. The Sun quotes one of the victims of the attack on its front page with “I can’t see! I can’t see!” The Mail carries an image of the suspected attacker under the headline “Manhunt”.
The Times reports “Bank chief raises hopes that rates have peaked”, while the Financial Times follows the same story with “BoE sets stage for rate cuts but insists on ‘more evidence’ of falling inflation”. Finally, the Mirror carries a message from Paul Gascoigne on its front page: “Don’t make same mistakes as me, Marcus”.
Something for the weekend
Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now
TV
Domino Day (available on BBC iPlayer)
Every generation deserves an attempt to get its own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not quite sure what generation we are up to now – I took my eye off the ball sometime around Z – but whatever it is, they should be glad they fall into the one that gets Domino Day as its submission. As supernaturally slanted stories of young women discovering their power and its temptations, the dark ways of the world, solidarity and sisterhood go, it is not half bad- in fact it’s a stylish supernatural show is a sign that women’s stories are finally starting to be told. Lucy Mangan
Music
The Last Dinner Party: Prelude to Ecstasy
It’s hard to think of the last time a band elected to open their debut album with an orchestral overture. But that’s how the Last Dinner Party’s debut begins: woodwind, brass and strings turned up to 11, further decorated with crashing cymbals and shimmering harp. It’s so grandiose, even the director of a 1950s Hollywood blockbuster would have suggested his soundtrack composer dial it down a bit. Prelude to Ecstasy is a delight, filled with enough ideas to suggest that they’ll come up with just as many more the next time around. Alexis Petridis
Film
The Zone of Interest (cinemas nationwide)
Jonathan Glazer adapts Martin Amis’s chilling Holocaust drama. Focusing on the everyday domesticity of the Auschwitz commandant’s family might only reflect the horror indirectly, but the film pulls the banality of evil into pin-sharp focus. How did the placidly respectable home life of the German people coexist with imagining and executing the horrors of the genocide? How did such evil flower within what George Steiner famously called the German world of “silent night, holy night, gemütlichkeit”? Peter Bradshaw.
Podcast
Your Mama’s Kitchen
Audible, new episodes weekly from Wed
How does the kitchen you grew up in shape the person you are today, host Michele Norris asks guests in this warm, nostalgic celebrity interview series. The first in a new drop of episodes hears Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves-McConaughey reminisce about learning how to tell anecdotes, grandpa-built wood-burning stoves and the realisation that ice-cream can help calm down arguments. It’s a charming listen. Alexi Duggins
Today in Focus
The deal that could transform politics in Northern Ireland
A deal agreed with the DUP will allow power sharing to resume in Northern Ireland, with Sinn Féin as the largest party. Rory Carroll reports from Belfast.
Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
The world has been gripped by the search for an escaped Japanese macaque in the Scottish Highlands – so it was with delight that Libby Brooks could report on Honshu being retrieved safe and sound, snacking on some yorkshire pudding in a garden in the hamlet of Insh, less than 2km from where he was first spotted exploring the back gardens of Kincraig.
Keith Gilchrist, the living collections operations manager at Highland Wildlife Park, who was coordinating the search, described his “huge relief” that the search was over. “We’re so happy that he’s back and safe,” Gilchrist said. “In the end the bird feeder saved the day. In the open country it’s so difficult to get a dart into him but we knew if he was in the right spot at the right time we’d be able to get him.”
The monkey was shot with a tranquilliser dart and taken to the park to be checked by a vet before being reunited with his troop later.
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Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until Monday.
