Man, Interrupted: Why Young Men are Struggling & What We Can Do About It

by Philip Zimbardo, Nikita Coulombe

Overview

In 2011, Philip Zimbardo gave a TED Talk called "The Demise of Guys," which has been viewed by over 1.8 million people. A TED eBook short followed that chronicled how in record numbers men are flaming out academically and failing socially and sexually with women. This new book is an expansion of that brief polemic based on Zimbardo's observations, research, and the survey that was completed by over 20,000 viewers of the original TED Talk.

The premise here is that we are facing a not-so-brave new world; a world in which young men are getting left behind. Philip Zimbardo and Nikita Coulombe say that an addiction to video games and online porn have created a generation of shy, socially awkward, emotionally removed, and risk-adverse young men who are unable (and unwilling) to navigate the complexities and risks inherent to real-life relationships, school, and employment. Taking a critical look at a problem that is tearing at families and societies everywhere, Man, Interrupted suggests that our young men are suffering from a new form of "arousal addiction," and introduce a bold new plan for getting them back on track.

The concluding chapters offer a set of solutions that can be affected by different segments of society including schools, parents, and young men themselves.

Filled with telling anecdotes, results of fascinating research, perceptive analysis, and concrete suggestions for change, Man, Interrupted is a book for our time. It is a book that informs, challenges, and ultimately inspires.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781573246897
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	04/01/2016
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Philip George Zimbardo is a psychologist and a professor emeritus at Stanford University. He became well-known for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment and has since authored various introductory psychology books, textbooks for college students, and other notable works, including The Lucifer Effect, The Time Paradox, and Shyness. He is also the founder and president of the Heroic Imagination Project.

Nikita D. Coulombe is a writer and artist who worked with Philip Zimbardo for several years. Together they co-authored the TED eBook Demise of Guys. Passionate about understanding human nature, she co-founded the sex education blog, BetterSexEd.org.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Note to Readers

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Just Drifting

Part I Symptoms

1 Disenchantment with Education 3

2 Men Opting Out of the Workforce 7

3 Excessive Maleness 11

Social Intensity Syndrome (SIS)

4 Excessive Ganung 19

Mastering the Universe from Your Bedroom

5 Becoming Obese 23

6 Excessive Porn Use 27

Orgasms on Demand

7 High on Life or High on Anything 33

Over-Reliance on Medications and Illegal Drugs

Part II Causes

8 Rudderless Families, Absent Dads 39

9 Failing Schools 63

10 Environmental Changes 77

11 Technology Enchantment and Arousal Addiction 83

12 Sour Grapes 133

Entitlement versus Reality

13 The Rise of Women? 143

14 Patriarchy Myths 161

15 Economic Downturn 179

Part III Solutions

16 What the Government Can Do 187

17 What Schools Can Do 195

18 What Parents Can Do 199

19 What Men Can Do 209

20 What Women Can Do 223

21 What the Media Can Do 231

Conclusion 237

Appendix I TED Survey Results 241

Appendix II Social Intensity Syndrome-Scale and Factors 251

Notes 255

Recommended Resources 309

Index 311

Editorial Reviews

01/04/2016
Zimbardo, a psychologist known for conducting the 1971 Stanford prison experiment, and Coulombe tell a despondent tale in which digital technology—the same force that, in some respects, unites our society—is also tearing certain populations apart. There’s no real linear narrative, just a string of fragmented observations about young American men. The role of villain goes to online gaming and pornography, which, according to the authors, are driving their disproportionately male users away from reality; the authors only fleetingly acknowledge that women also use these technologies. The attention given to these two factors means that the treatment of other subjects, such as how boys are faring in public schools, feels simplistic and brief by comparison. The book draws extensive comparisons to how women are faring in schools and the workplace, but the discussion of gender tends toward generalizations. The authors’ observations are well researched and supported with quotations, but the discussion mostly feels ungrounded. The final chapters, however, turn to more practical ideas. What this book might lack in causal clarity, it makes up for with lucid and compassionate solutions for improving the lives of young men. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Zimbardo has put his finger on a great challenge of the modern era, which is how to hang on to the social skills that humanity has accrued over centuries now that virtual reality has no need for them."

Eleanor Mills

"In this entertaining, sobering, and thought-provoking book, Dr. Zimbardo bravely and wisely calls attention to the spreading crisis afflicting many of America's young men."

Roy Baumeister

"Man, Interrupted is the most important book I've read in years, given that it is thoroughly researched, well-organized, beautifully written, and outlines a problem that affects at least half the population of the country, if not everyone. Even more, it identifies the causes and suggests practical solutions. This book should be read by legislators, judges, politicians, parents, spouses and, well, men…all of them."

Michael Shermer

"Man Interrupted: Why Young Men Are Struggling And What We Can Do About It is a compassionate look at the phenomenon of young men disappearing into the virtual worlds of videogaming and porn — to the detriment of everyone. Authors Zimbardo and Coulombe don't simply supply evidence of the risks and benefits of today's hyper-alluring technologies. They also tackle contributing factors, such as absent dads, failing schools, environmental toxins, economic realities, etc., and offer a range of suggestions for parents, media, governments, men, women and schools."

Gary Wilson

"What this book might lack in causal clarity, it makes up for with lucid and compassionate solutions for improving the lives of young men."

From the Publisher

"In this entertaining, sobering, and thought-provoking book, Dr. Zimbardo bravely and wisely calls attention to the spreading crisis afflicting many of America's young men." -Roy Baumeister, author of Is There Anything Good About Men? and Willpower

Reviews