Sociology Storyboard
Storyboard Text
- Scene 1: Instinctive reaction
- What did I do wrong?
- Screw off you little baby, go home to mommy.
- Scene 2: Learning norms
- Big boys don't cry... okay, I can do that.
- I'm sorry that happened to you Tommy, but man up, big boys don't cry, okay?
- Scene 3: Result of the learned norms
- If I tell her the truth she'll think I'm weak, real men don't talk about their feelings, I gotta be stronger.
- Hey Tommy, you haven't been yourself lately, is everything okay?
- I'm fine mom,
- Tommy just moved to this town and wanted to go play soccer with some of the other children at the park, although when he got there, an older boy took his ball and punched him. The older boy told him he'd better go home and not come back because he doesn't belong there. Tommy rushes home crying to tell his parents.
- Scene 4: "Boys being boys"
- Tommy has been acting out lately, he's been getting in fights with other students and being very disruptive in class.
- When Tommy comes home in tears, instead of showing that it is okay for him to cry, he was told that it wasn't acceptable and that he should "man up". This teaches him that men should not show emotions like sadness and fear. Now finding it embarrassing to cry, Tommy will do his best to avoid situations like this in the future by repressing his emotions.
- Scene 5: Coping mechanisms
- Tommy grew up thinking it was not acceptable to talk about his feelings. Thinking it showed that he was weak and somehow less of a man, therefore, when asked about his mental health, he refuses to share and instead keeps it bottled up inside.
- Scene 6: The unfortunate outcome
- The common phrase "boys being boys" is harmful, as some indicators that a boy has depression is him starting to act out and be aggressive. "Boys being boys" dismisses these symptoms as average behaviour for young men, which is very problematic.
- Oh that's just boys being boys, he's fine.
- Boys grow up being taught that showing emotions is not acceptable and it is simply something that men do not do. With this mentality, they do not feel as though it is an option to talk to people about their feelings and problems. Instead, they turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape the pain, this can start at a very young age as well.
- No one cares about me, if I ended it, would anyone even notice? I feel so isolated and alone all the time, I'm in so much pain and no one cares.
- The reliance on drugs and alcohol mixed with the lack of a good support system can often lead to suicide in boys. Toxic masculinity plays a massive role in contributing to this by teaching them that it is not okay to show their emotions. In comparison to girls, boys aged 15-19 are five times more likely to commit suicide. Countless preventable deaths occur because young men have felt isolated and alone in the world.
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