For years, studio creatives have pushed the image of strong, independent male leads in the media, assuming that’s what the younger male audience wants to see. Turns out, Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers actually value the opposite, according to the most recent “Teens & Screens” survey from the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA. Superheroes are out, emotional vulnerability is in when it comes to depictions of masculinity. Rather than traditional alpha-male stereotypes, the study shows that younger audiences want to see more connected, present male characters—characters such as Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby in The Pitt.
To clarify, there’s nothing wrong with superheroes. There’s just an outdated “I’m strong and don’t like to talk about my feelings” mentality that often comes with them, and young audiences want less of that. According to the report, children and young adults ages 10 to 24 prefer to see on-screen portrayals of “fathers who openly show love and enjoy parenting” as opposed to not by a margin of 5 to 1.
“Young people are not just asking for better dads, they are asking for a reimagining of how men show up in the lives of others,” the study reads. “Whether it is a father, mentor, coach, or teacher, the message from the audience was the same.”
Specifically, the study singles out Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in HBO Max’s The Pitt. Dr. Robby is a flawed human character who acts as a mentor to the trainees he works with. In addition to a present mentor figure, young audiences want to see more male characters being expressive of their feelings and open about mental health issues.
Nearly 60% of Young People Want to See Nurturing Father Figures in the Media
“For decades, media has relied on the ‘stoic provider’ or the ‘distant hero’ as the default for adult men,” per the report. “Our data shows that by primarily showing men in positions of power or physical strength, we ignore the roles that young people value, defined by empathy, patience, and emotional availability.”
This reflects a pivotal cultural shift in the way we view masculinity in today’s society. The world is moving away from isolated, distant male characters to more vulnerable, emotionally available ones. It’s truly a beautiful representation of strength that Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences can look up to.
“By centering emotional vulnerability and active parenting, creators have a rare opportunity to provide the authentic representation that young audiences are actively seeking,” the study explains. “They are not asking for the absence of strength, they are asking for a broader definition of it, one that includes the courage to care, the wisdom to ask for help, and the joy found in domestic life.”
The “Teens and Screens” survey questioned 1,500 subjects between ages 10 and 24 across the United States. Shifting away from emotionally distant male stereotypes to connected ones, it’s now up to storytellers to change the landscape. Fewer superheroes, or at least, fewer emotionally unavailable ones (we feel Superman, above, did a good job bridging the gap), and more Dr. Robby.