Lost Boys: Helping Young Men Find Their Way

After more than twenty years teaching college students, I saw a quiet change. To be blunt, increasingly young men seemed muted and uncertain. They were bright and capable but unsure of who they were or where they fit. Lost.

Scott Galloway, in his book Notes on Being a Man, describes this same drift. He writes about a generation of men who have lost purpose in a culture that no longer rewards the old definitions of manhood. The world now values empathy, communication, and adaptability, yet few young men are taught these skills.

In my classrooms, I saw young women excelling. They spoke up, led projects, and aimed high. This is to be celebrated. Meanwhile, many of their male classmates hesitated. They feared mistakes or rejection and often chose to stay quiet. They are left behind, if not shunned.

The answer is not to shame young men but to guide them. We need to affirm healthy masculinity which might be described as strength paired with responsibility, confidence balanced by respect. We need to show that good men keep their word, lift others up, and take ownership when things go wrong. They need a new script or algorithm.

Young men also need role models who live with integrity. They need mentors who remind them that purpose is found in showing up, not showing off. And they need to hear that they matter, that they are needed, and that their future depends on effort, not perfection. This starts at home but needs to be found in the community at school, church, and in the media.

The best advice I can give any young man is simple: take responsibility for something. When you are needed, you find direction. And from direction comes confidence, resilience, and meaning.

Also, male mentors are desperately needed. Man up.

If we can help our young men rediscover that, we all win.

Sources:

https://www.today.com/parents/teens/scott-galloway-crisis-young-men-rcna241567

John Bradley Jackson
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