Philip Zimbardo gave a TED talk in 2011 called "The Demise of Guys", and it pointed out, very clearly and succinctly, the downward trajectory of males culturally, socially, and I would say that soon we'll see it in politics as well. Successful social trends and movements are hard to put a finger on until they've translated to real impacts in every aspect of that society. For instance, the civil rights movement of the 1960's has taken up to fifty years to truly be seen as a "successful" social movement. We undeniably have a long ways to go. However, we have greater earning, mobility, and opportunity for minority groups than we ever have in history (despite what many people say about the present state of race relations and minority opportunities). My point here is this, we're seeing the socio-cultural demise of males, and in another 50 years politics may look much different.

     Zimbardo highlights a number of startling statistics regarding men and education today.

• Boys are 30% more likely to drop out than girls
• Girls outperform boys from Elementary through graduate school
• Women earn BA's at 10% higher rates than men.

     Though men still tend to earn more than women (women earn 78 cents to every man's dollar) that is not likely to last if the workforce in the next decade becomes one in which women are more numerously qualified than men for the jobs. So what is contributing the the decline in men's ability to stay competitive? According to Zimbardo, it's the inclination of the male mind toward something he calls "arousal addiction"; or the constant desire for "different". Zimbardo points to the two things that have become pervasive in male culture in this country (and many others) due to excessive internet use: video games and pornography

     Video games are dominated by the male culture, in marketing, in content, and in consumer base; and the industry capitalizes on it. The $10 billion a year industry develops games oriented toward male psychology, primarily war games and shooters. The result, Zimbardo says, is that the average boy has played 10,000 hours of video games by the time they are 21. Pornography, likewise, is a vastly growing industry (the largest, in terms of growth) in this country -- 15 billion, annually. In addition, the average boy watches 50 pornographic video clips a week. New video games with hi impact graphics and action, and constant production of pornography with the variety of women and passively sexual experiences creates the male arousal addiction; a constant stream of different and exciting experiences.

     Zimbardo attributes this psychological response to males' comparably poor showing in education and expertise to women, as well as modern males' seeming inability to sustain valuable and healthy romantic relationships. However, I'd add one caveat, and that is the transitional nature of what it means to be a man now. Masculinity is a much more nebulous term than it used to be, and varies greatly between subcultures, even between individual communities. With uncertainty comes instability in that demographic, just as it did during the civil rights movement. Perhaps, as our society becomes better equipped to deal with the widespread reliance and integration of the internet, as well as women's expanded and more egalitarian role in society, the male cultural will be less arousal-oriented, and a better balance. Of course, it's difficult to imagine a male mentality that still isn't breast-obsessed...that's been around a lot longer than the internet Mr. Zimbardo.

See all of Philip Zimbardo's TED talk, "The Demise of Guys" talk below.