Male Roles, Obligations and Options for Building a Fulfilling Life | Scott Galloway

Scott Galloway examines the profound crisis facing young men in contemporary society, highlighting their struggles with mental health, relationships, economic opportunity, and generational disadvantage.

Young Men Today Face Unprecedented Challenges in Wellbeing and Opportunity

Young men are experiencing alarming rates of depression, anxiety, obesity, and addiction. Galloway states that 40,000 men die by suicide every year, with men being four times more likely than women to kill themselves and three times more likely to suffer from addiction. He notes that this generation is the most obese, depressed, and anxious in recent memory. Young men also face constant reminders of their perceived failures, amplified by digital notifications and societal pressures.

Sexual isolation is another challenge. Only one in three men under 30 is in a relationship, compared to two in three women, a result of increased selectivity and social shifts. Galloway explains this discrepancy is due to women dating older partners in search of greater economic and emotional stability. The dating landscape, exacerbated by online apps that incentivize constant searching for better options, has led to what Galloway calls a "sex recession," intensifying the competition among men.

Economically, young men have fewer clear paths to prosperity and are evaluated primarily on their economic viability. Galloway points to “economic hypergamy,” noting that even in cities where women earn as much as men, twice as many couples still have the man as the main earner. This leaves many young men feeling devoid of purpose and unable to compete on criteria that become harder each year. The lack of economic prospects not only diminishes young men’s role as providers but also reduces their attractiveness in the “mating market.”

The shortage of male role models further compounds these issues. Galloway highlights that boys without strong male mentors are 12 times more likely to be incarcerated than their peers. He also laments that older men are not stepping up to provide the necessary mentorship or support programs for young men.

Structural Disadvantages for Young Men Stem From Policy and Generational Wealth Favoring Older Americans

Galloway identifies systematic issues that disadvantage young men. Social Security and tax policy shift $1.3 trillion annually from younger, struggling generations to the wealthiest and oldest, amplifying inequality. While the average 7-year-old today is 72% wealthier than their counterpart 40 years ago, 25-year-olds are 24% less wealthy than their peers were then—evidence of absolute decline.

Elite universities remain gates largely closed to most young men, accessible primarily to the wealthy or the exceptionally gifted. Galloway underscores how admission to institutions like Stanford or NYU is reserved for the children of the very rich—those in the ...

Big Tech Platforms Engineer Addiction in Youth Through Engagement-Focused Algorithms

Scott Galloway and Andrew Huberman highlight how social media algorithms deliberately engineer dependence and compulsivity among young people. Galloway references research by Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge, noting that the rate of teen suicide has skyrocketed since mobile social media became available, and that social media is the leading culprit. These platforms foster unreasonable expectations about appearance and success, producing tremendous anxiety in both young men and women.

Galloway shares personal experience with his son’s compulsive TikTok use, describing secretive and prolonged phone use, and jokingly referencing the stereotypical secrecy and shame usually attached to other addictions. He worries society is "flushing into" youth with a readiness for addiction—children now get an "automatic DOPA" hit from their phones, making [restricted term] easy, fast, and expected.

Huberman reframes the [restricted term] addiction narrative, emphasizing that phone and social media use is more like clinical obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) than classic addiction. This compulsion is not relieving anxiety but reinforcing it, perpetuating an endless loop of checking and scrolling that slowly degrades attention and well-being. The cycle is reflexive, often unnoticed, and much more passive than typical addiction, but equally destructive.

Platforms Promote Divisive Content For Engagement and Ad Revenue, Driving Societal Division

Galloway explains that algorithms prioritize incendiary and antagonistic content because engagement (comments, shares, fights) drives advertising revenue and shareholder value. This business model values divisiveness over nuance, encouraging outrage and deepening social rifts. Positive or thoughtful exchanges are deprioritized because they "don't tickle the sensors." As a result, Americans now see their neighbors or those with different political beliefs as greater enemies than foreign adversaries.

He points out that Big Tech platforms intentionally allow inauthentic or bot-driven content, because controversy and antagonism increase engagement and thus profits. This, he asserts, is "tearing at the fabric of America." Huberman adds that these platforms have tapped into an endless supply of arousal through anger and frustration, and people become addicted to this outrage-driven environment.

Business Model Relies On Isolating Users From Real-World Connections, Which Are Lost Engagement and Ad Opportunities

Galloway states that Big Tech actively tries to sequester youth from real-world relationships, seeing real human connection as a lost opportunity for digital engagement and ad revenue. "The number of kids who see their friends every day has been cut in half in the last 20 years," he says, emphasizing technology's role in youth isolation.

Galloway criticizes how platforms profit when users are kept online, revealing a disregard for children's well-being. Algorithms push girls to sexualize themselves and can even serve suicidal individuals more harmful content. This profit-driven design sacrifices real human connection and social development for corporate gain.

Pornography: A Potentially Catastrophic Addiction Undermining Young Men's Motivation and Social Skills

Accessible Porn Reduces Young Men's Incentive to Build Social Confidence or Communication Skills

Scott Galloway draws parallels between porn consumption and the decline of male motivation to pursue real relationships. He shares with mentees his own porn use to normalize the discussion, but encourages them to cut back and re-invest that time in more productive social or professional pursuits. He finds young men choosing the easy [restricted term] and fantasy of online porn over the hard work required for dating, rejection, building confidence, and developing communication skills.

Analogy: "Sex Pats" Show Porn Hinders Young Men From Professional, Physical, and Social Growth for Real Relationships

Galloway and Huberman use the "sex pat" analogy—men who seek sexual experiences abroad for easy, transactional encounters and avoid personal growth. Accessible, lifelike online porn creates the same effect for many more men, removing the pressure to level up, approach women, and take the risks necessary for meaningful connection and growth.

Young Men Are Swapping the Hard Work of Dating, Rejection, and Growth For a False Intimacy That Stunts Maturation

Galloway worries that porn addiction inhibits the essential personal development that comes from striving for real intimacy. Lifelike porn saps motivation, with men "avoiding the hard work" of real dating and missing opportunities to build the resilience and skills needed for broader life success. Huberman agrees, stressing that true relationships require ego-risk, communication skills, and acceptance of failure. Porn, by offering a facsimile of intimacy without those challenges, stunts male maturation and social growth.

Big Tech Lacks Oversight, Harms Children and Society

Galloway asserts there is almost no regulation on Big Tech, stating, "There's more regulation in this mic than there is on big tech because they have weaponized Washington and money and Citizens United." He highlights how platforms made $11 billion last year from users under 18, profiting from minors while evading responsibility for protecting their mental health. Large tech companies wield disproportionate lobbying power, ensuring Congress is outmatched and unable to regulate effectively.

Section 230 Shields Editorial Monopolies Through Algorithmic Amplification

Galloway points out that Section 230 protects these companies as "platforms" and not "publishers," but argues this liability shield should be removed for algorithmically elevated content. By actively deciding which content goes viral, tech companies act as editors and should be held responsible for the societal harm caused by the content they amplify.

Foreign Actors Exploit Platforms, Profiting From Increased American Hatred

Galloway warns that bad actors—inclu ...

Scott Galloway and Andrew Huberman argue that systemic imbalances in U.S. tax, spending, and education policies disproportionately favor older, wealthier generations at the expense of young people, undermining their economic viability and health outcomes.

U.S. Tax and Spending Policies Shift Wealth, Opportunity From Young To Old, Creating Unsustainable, Immoral Generational Dynamic

Government spending, tax structure, and entitlement programs have created a generational dynamic where wealth disproportionately accumulates with the old. Galloway points out that nearly 40% of government spending currently goes to people over age 65 and forecasts this will reach 50% within a decade. Younger generations face higher taxes, escalating education costs, and stagnating wages, while much government policy is steered by and for the benefit of older voters—who continue to elect even older representatives to protect their interests.

The Social Security system exemplifies this transfer. Every year, $1.3 trillion moves from working young people, who are already grappling with heightened anxiety, depression, and obesity, to the wealthiest generation in U.S. history. The Social Security tax is capped at $160,000 of income: a younger person making $160,000 pays about $9,000, but someone earning far more also pays just $9,000. As a result, the wealthy pay a lower percentage of their income, and young people, regardless of their relative wealth, subsidize benefits for an older, richer cohort.

Tax policy also entrenches advantages for older generations. The largest deductions—capital gains and mortgage interest—disproportionately benefit homeowners and stockholders, who are primarily older. Meanwhile, young people typically rent and earn most of their money from wages, for which there is no equivalent tax relief.

Federal deficit spending compounds this generational inequity. The U.S. spends $7 trillion annually but collects only $5 trillion in revenue, with nearly all of the $2 trillion deficit going toward seniors. This amounts to borrowing against the future of young Americans, enabling current overconsumption while leaving them to deal with mounting debt and choked opportunity. Galloway describes the system as "morally corrupt," reflecting values that prioritize immediate benefit for older generations over the well-being and future stability of the young.

Education Prioritizing Wealthy Children and Exceptional Few

Higher education policy also perpetuates inequality and restricts opportunity for young people. Galloway scathingly labels elite universities with billion-dollar endowments that do not expand access as "hedge funds with classes" undeserving of tax exemptions. College admissions at such schools overwhelmingly favor the children of the wealthy—students from top 1% households are 77 times more likely to gain admission to elite institutions like Stanford and NYU. The other cohort favored: the exceptionally accomplished, leaving ordinary but capable young people without options for advancement.

Traits favored by admissions processes are highly correlated with wealth—leadership in elite sports, international charity work—which most ordinary students cannot access. The prevailing educational culture rejects vocational training, stigmatizing non-university career paths and narrowing routes to stability and prosperity for those who do not attend prestigious colleges.

The absence of a robust apprenticeship culture further limits mobility. In Germany and the UK, apprenticeships are featured in 11% of LinkedIn profiles, while only 3% of U.S. users claim them, in part because American parents feel ashamed if their children pursue non-university routes.

Public Policy Underinvests in Youth Economic Viability While Overinvesting In Senior Care

This generational imbalance is mirrored in public research and K–12 funding. Huberman observes that medical research overwhelmingly targets diseases of old age and interventions to extend life for seniors, with far less attention devoted to issues plaguing young people—such as mental health, depression, suicide ideation, and social media addiction—even as these now rival cancer as caus ...

The conversation between Andrew Huberman and Scott Galloway explores a vision of healthy masculinity rooted in service, accountability, and meaningful male mentorship, while warning against confusing aggression and dominance with admirable masculine traits.

Healthy Masculinity Can Be Understood Through Three Aspects: Providing, Protecting, and Desiring Connection and Family

Galloway outlines a framework for healthy masculinity through three dimensions: provider, protector, and procreator, emphasizing that these roles offer fulfillment and motivation while steering clear of toxic or entitled behaviors.

Provider Dimension Urges Young Men to Plan For Economic Viability, Focusing On Supporting Dependents Without Necessarily Choosing Harvard or Goldman Sachs

Galloway insists that young men should have a plan for economic viability, noting that male self-esteem and societal esteem are still often tied to a man’s capacity to provide. He clarifies this does not require an elite path—success can mean many things, such as learning a trade or providing emotional or domestic stability if a partner is earning more. He shares personal experience from his early relationship, in which he picked up more domestic responsibility when his partner's income surpassed his, to underline that the core requirement is developing a sense of responsibility to support one's family, not chasing status or wealth. Planning for relevance in a capitalist society, whether through traditional paths or practical trades, is fundamental.

Protector Role Urges Men to Develop Strength, Skills, and Responsibility For Family Safety and Care, Providing Deep Satisfaction

Galloway frames the protector role as developing personal strength, skills, and responsibility for the well-being and safety of loved ones. He says some of the most admired “masculine” professions—firefighter, police officer, military—center on protecting others. Personal fulfillment for him comes when he feels his family is safe, loved, and supported. Galloway laments that some high-profile male role models neglect this aspect, prioritizing personal gain over protective responsibilities. He acknowledges, for example, that public figures like Elon Musk can be seen as protectors through their ambition to secure humanity’s future, but stresses that daily, tangible protection and care for those closest is most rewarding.

Procreator Dimension: Honoring Men's Relational Desire as Growth Motivation, Not Entitlement Excuse

Galloway advocates for recognizing and channeling men’s natural desire for relationships and sex as a constructive motivator for growth—prompting young men to build excellence, resilience, and connection. He cautions against demonizing masculine desire, seeing it as a neutral energy that, when disciplined, can drive self-improvement rather than entitlement.

Male Mentorship Effectively Redirects Young Men From Isolation, Addiction, and Depression to Purpose and Accomplishment

Both Galloway and Huberman stress mentorship as an essential structure in adolescent male development, reversing negative outcomes like isolation, addiction, and depression.

Engaged Male Role Models More Predictive Than Policy Interventions in Reversing Incarceration or Dropout Trajectories

Galloway asserts that losing a male role model due to death, divorce, or abandonment is statistically the most significant turning point leading to negative life outcomes for young men, such as incarceration or dropping out of school. Sustained male relationships are more powerful in redirecting life trajectories than many policy interventions.

Mentors: Decent Character, Interest, Questions, Accountability, Effort

Effective mentors need not be prestigious; they simply require good character, interest, and a willingness to ask questions and hold young men accountable. Galloway shares how his mother sought out men to mentor him after his father’s absence, and how a neighbor, coaches, and his mom’s boyfriend each offered small investments of attention that fundamentally altered his path. Huberman relates how he found guidance from coaches and academic advisors after his own parents’ divorce, often turning to different mentors for different types of support.

Simple Mentorship Benefits Mentor and Mentee

Galloway insists mentorship need not be complicated. Basic interest, reliability, and advice—like helping a mentee reorganize time away from distractions or offering lessons in investing—can dramatically change a teenager’s direction and self-worth. He mentors several young men at a time, most from non-elite backgrounds, and finds that even simple acts of guidance and presence provide value to both the mentee and the mentor.

Retreat From Male Mentorship Reflects Abuse Concerns and Men's Inaction

The hosts note a widespread retreat from male mentorship, attributing it to society’s anxiety over scandal and abuse, as well as personal inertia.

Scandals Involving Authority Figures Cause Men to Avoid Engaging With Non-related Children, Harming Young People

Galloway and Huberman note that scandals involving authority figures, like the Catholic Church or Michael Jackson, have led many men to avoid engaging with unrelated children for fear of misinterpretation. This avoidance, influenced by both an external taboo and internalized worry, deprives countless boys of needed guidance and support, especially those from single-mother households.

Childless Men in 30s and 40s Express Paternal Love Through Mentorship

Galloway points out that many childless men in their 30s and 40s “have love to give” but are unsure how to express or direct it. Paternal and fraternal love can and should be channeled through mentorship, which doesn't require extraordinary status or training.

Taboo Around Men Expressing Affection or Interest in Young Men's Wellbeing Leads To Self-Censorship to Avoid Misinterpretation

Many men self-censor, refraining from offering support or expressing care out of fear they’ll be misperceived, leading to a shortage of healthy, positive male models for young men who need them most.

Healthy Masculinity Excludes Aggression, Domination, and Cruelty—Confusing These With Toxic Traits Misguides Young Men About Aspirational Manhood

Both hosts dissect how cultural discourse often misidentifies masculinity ...

Scott Galloway proposes a set of practical, evidence-based strategies for improving both individual prospects—especially among young men—and broader societal cohesion. These approaches range from direct personal actions to far-reaching policy reform.

Enhance Prospects & Mental Health: Fitness, Earning & Service

Galloway instructs his mentees to work out at least three times a week, emphasizing that building physical strength through lifting weights or running is the best antidepressant for young men. He underscores the unique physiological advantages young men possess, such as higher [restricted term] and muscle density, which can greatly enhance their mood and confidence and help combat depression and anxiety.

The next step is for young men to earn money, ideally outside the home. Galloway points to jobs like Lyft driving, TaskRabbit gigs, or entry-level positions such as Panera, observing that even part-time work can yield decent pay and expose young men to the realities of capitalism. Making money builds confidence, teaches market dynamics and economic value, and often opens up more opportunities.

Thirdly, volunteering at least three times a month—whether in a nonprofit, church group, sports league, or club—helps young men connect with their communities and develop a sense of purpose. Galloway asserts that a young man under 30 who exercises regularly, works 30 hours a week outside the house, and participates in volunteering is already in the top 8% of his peers for relationships and economic viability.

Reframing Rejection Unlocks Social and Romantic Progress

Galloway insists on reframing rejection as a necessary part of personal growth. He trains his mentees to approach others—initiating friendships by simply inviting someone to watch a game, or respectfully asking someone on a date. The expectation, and even the goal, is to hear "no." He argues that enduring many rejections builds competence, confidence, and resilience; every admired individual or success story is underpinned by countless setbacks that preceded a "yes."

He counters the myth that respectful social approaches, particularly toward women, are likely to result in public embarrassment or professional ruin. If a man calmly and courteously approaches a woman, she'll decline if uninterested, and both will move on without consequence. The reputational risks of respectful, in-person interaction are vastly overstated, especially compared to the damaging mental health effects of isolation. Galloway observes that dating apps and related “callout culture” exaggerate these fears, but that most women value genuine, considerate approaches in real life.

Solutions Must Address Young Male Dysfunction: Economic Insecurity, Educational Stratification, Absent Work Pathways

Galloway argues for systemic solutions to young male dysfunction involving economic insecurity, educational stratification, and the scarcity of work pathways. His foremost policy proposal is mandatory national service, drawing inspiration from Israel and Singapore. There, national service gives youth purpose, skill development, camaraderie, and social leveling—factors linked to lower depression rates and stronger social bonds. It also exposes young people to different parts of America, allowing them to serve alongside diverse peers and develop empathy and competence, whether in military, senior care, animal shelters, or environmental service.

To address economic inequality, Galloway suggests eliminating the social security tax cap and increasing capital gains taxes to fund youth education and economic development. He criticizes transfers of wealth to older generations and argues that young people are being systematically disadvantaged.

He urges reform of university policies: Institutions with endowments over $1 billion should lose their tax-exempt status unless they grow their freshman classes faster than the population and ensure that at least 20% of their degrees are in vocational or non-traditional fields. Galloway calls for dramatically expanded investment in vocational training and trade schools, restoring dignity and economic opportunity to non-academic career paths.

Balance Innovation and Protect Children/Social Cohesion in Tech Platform Regulation

Galloway advocates for stronger regulations on technology platforms to balance innovation with social protection and cohesion. He proposes that platforms should be legally liable for algorithmic content amplification, not shielded by Section 230 immunity. Social media should be age-gated at 16 or 18 to prevent harmful early exposure.

Antitrust action should prevent dominant platforms from acquiring competitors, restoring competition and encouraging user well-being over profit maximization. Platforms must also disclose the nature of their algorithm amplification and mak ...