For many men, free time is meant to offer relief from pressure. Yet the way leisure is shaped by social expectations may be quietly reinforcing stress, poor mental health, and a narrow idea of what it means to be a man.
New research suggests that everyday leisure activities play a powerful role in shaping masculinity, for better and for worse. Rather than reflecting a genuine crisis caused by social change, the study argues that many men are struggling because long standing norms discourage emotional openness, care, and help seeking, even during supposedly relaxed moments. The findings were published in Leisure Sciences.
Professor Corey W. Johnson of North Carolina State University said: “We wrote this because the ‘masculinity is in crisis’ storyline has become a loud distraction from what men and boys are actually facing.”
The research reframes the much discussed crisis of masculinity as a diversion from more concrete problems. Across many countries, men experience shorter lifespans, higher suicide rates, greater exposure to violence, and growing economic insecurity. These outcomes are closely linked to expectations that reward toughness, risk taking, and emotional restraint. As the study itself argues, “Reactionary hysteria… distracts from the real crisis facing men and boys.”
Leisure settings are central to this pattern. Sport, hobbies, online communities, and social spaces are often treated as neutral or harmless. In reality, they can act as powerful social environments where ideas about masculinity are rehearsed and reinforced. Competition, dominance, and silence around vulnerability are frequently normalised, shaping behaviour long after leisure time ends.
Johnson emphasised why this matters,: “The headline finding is that leisure isn’t ‘just downtime’. It’s a training ground.”
At the same time, leisure also offers rare opportunities for change. Because it sits outside formal institutions like work or school, leisure can allow experimentation with different ways of being male. Creative pursuits, cooperative activities, and community based hobbies can make space for care, connection, and emotional expression without the same level of judgement found elsewhere. As Johnson observed, these spaces “can normalise emotional openness, care, and connection.”
The study also highlights how modern culture has turned debates about gender into flashpoints. Public arguments often frame changing gender roles as a threat to social order, increasing anxiety and defensiveness among men who already feel uncertain about their place in society. This focus can divert attention away from health, education, and employment challenges, replacing practical discussion with cultural panic. Johnson said the issue feels personal as well as political, adding, “We also look at the young people in our lives and worry about their futures.”
Mental health emerges as a central concern. Men are far less likely to seek professional support, even when experiencing depression or severe distress. Leisure spaces that normalise emotional openness may help counter this pattern, while those that mock vulnerability risk reinforcing it. The consequences are stark. Johnson pointed out that “men live five to seven years fewer than women in many industrialised nations, and men die by suicide at roughly four times the rate of women.”
Economic change has intensified these pressures. As traditional male dominated industries decline and service based work expands, many men struggle to adapt. Leisure cultures that cling to outdated ideals can deepen feelings of failure and resentment, particularly among younger men navigating insecure work and social isolation.
Online leisure spaces are especially influential. Digital platforms can either support healthier conversations or amplify grievance driven narratives that frame men as victims of social progress. The research suggests that design choices and moderation practices play a far greater role in shaping these outcomes than is often recognised.
The findings suggest that masculinity is not fixed but continually shaped through everyday social experiences, many of which occur during leisure time. Changing how leisure is organised and valued could therefore play a role in improving men’s mental health and social well being. Looking ahead, Johnson said the team is moving beyond critique towards solutions: “We end with a “research and design agenda” that traces the infrastructures shaping masculinity and builds care forward interventions programmatic pedagogical and technological that make other masculinities liveable.”
Rather than asking whether masculinity is in crisis, the study suggests a more useful question is how everyday environments could support men in developing healthier, more flexible identities that reflect the realities of modern life.
