This Is The Crisis That Will Make Or Break The Next Generation Of Men

It's the lack of men in what are called the "HEAL" professions, which stands for health, education, administration, and literacy, a term coined by Richard Reeves from Brookings and the American Institute for Boys and Men.

We don't have enough male teachers shaping our boys, male therapists guiding men’s mental health journeys, or male healthcare workers providing that sturdy, reassuring presence in healthcare. Boys and men are grappling with unprecedented challenges today, including economic stagnation, mental health struggles, and a spiritual void, and addressing them effectively with male leadership could mean the difference between societal thriving and outright destruction. It's time we pivot our focus. We have poured resources into getting more women into science and tech, but now we need to encourage young men into these healing roles. This is not just for their own sake, as their traditional job fields dwindle, but for the betterment of children, families, and society at large.

Boys and men are grappling with unprecedented challenges today, including economic stagnation, mental health struggles, and a spiritual void, and addressing them effectively with male leadership could mean the difference between societal thriving and outright destruction.

I am no economist. I'm a writer for Evie Magazine, passionate about the intersections of gender, culture, and everyday life, but I make it a point to follow the monthly job reports. Month after month, the data paints a stark picture: the only sector consistently growing is healthcare, which is overwhelmingly female dominated at about 80 percent. Meanwhile, male heavy industries like manufacturing and construction are hemorrhaging jobs, accelerated by technological advancements and now AI. We read the headlines about "job losses," but let us call it what it is: a loss of opportunities for men.

Wages for men have been stagnant for decades, and without intervention, we're setting up generations for failure. If we truly want to tackle the issues plaguing men, we need to get serious about steering them toward fields where jobs are abundant and impactful. Today, men currently make up only 22 percent of HEAL jobs. The number of HEAL jobs is projected to increase by 1.6 million by 2033. What if more men filled these openings?

But here's the problem: many dismiss HEAL professions as "unmanly." I get it. Teaching and therapy conjure images of nurturing, often coded as feminine. Yet history tells a different story. Fifty years ago, nearly 70 percent of psychologists were male. Today, that has flipped to just 20 percent.

Male teachers have plummeted to a mere 23 percent overall, dipping even lower in elementary schools. Guidance counselors account for only 11 percent male. This shift is not progress. It's a detriment. Boys need male role models more than ever, especially in an era marked by fatherlessness, mental health crises, and drug epidemics. Without them, outcomes suffer, including higher dropout rates, increased violence, and fractured communities.

The idea of male nurses often raises eyebrows and is seen as emasculating at first glance. But let us challenge that. A strong young man from an air conditioner company came to install my air conditioner. As he worked, I asked if he liked his job. "No," he admitted, "I'm in nursing school. I want to be a nurse and help people, and I think my strength would be needed." I was surprised, but he was right. When my step-grandmother was terminally ill earlier this year, she specifically requested a male nurse for her home visits. Why? She felt safer with a male presence and knew he would have the physical capability to lift her if needed. This was not about diminishing female nurses. It was about recognizing the unique strengths of men.

Studies show that boys with strong male mentors are less likely to veer into trouble, perform better academically, and grow into responsible adults.

Perhaps we need to reframe these roles to attract more men. Instead of "male nurse," why not "strength provider"? It highlights what men bring: physical resilience, protective instincts, and a steady hand in crises. Male teachers could be positioned as "role model mentors," and male therapists as "resilience coaches." It's not about forcing men to be more like women. It's about adapting our evolving economy to celebrate masculine virtues in new contexts.

The ripple effects could be profound. Studies show that boys with strong male mentors are less likely to veer into trouble, perform better academically, and grow into responsible adults. This translates to societal wins, including reduced crime, lower violence rates, stronger marriages, and healthier communities. We're talking about a potential remedy for the wounds inflicted by father absent and single mother homes, urban decay, and cultural disconnection.

Research shows that men are more likely to seek male therapists. We need more male focused and male led treatments for mental health and to address our male suicide crisis. Encouraging more young men to enter the field would greatly impact countless lives and families.

Women especially should reflect on this, because the decline of men in psychology, education, and academia is not a small cultural quirk but a civilizational loss. For thousands of years, our greatest teachers, philosophers, and scholars were men, guiding younger generations with a distinctly male understanding of discipline, purpose, and intellectual formation. Today, when so many boys grow up without fathers, the absence of male professors, male psychologists, and male mentors leaves them with no roadmap at all. And while women bring immense value to these fields, we also tend to relate to men as if they were women, which does not speak to their nature or their needs. If we want society to evolve, we cannot ask men to become more “nurturing” in a feminine way, but instead reshape our perception of these careers so that men can bring their strengths back into the spaces where boys desperately need them.

There have been billions funneled into encouraging women in STEM. Despite the effort, results have been underwhelming. Enter the "gender equality paradox." In highly egalitarian countries like Sweden, fewer women pursue STEM compared to less gender equal nations like Saudi Arabia or Iran. Is this sexism? Hardly. It's women exercising freedom to choose paths aligned with their interests, often people oriented over thing oriented.

Men can heal society, if we let them.

We must respect freedom to choose and shouldn't force career choices on anyone, but when it comes to men in HEAL fields, we need to promote understanding and equal opportunity. The stakes transcend equity; it's about necessity. Having female engineers is great, but having male healers could literally save lives and souls. Society needs men in these roles for our boys and young men far more than it needs perfect gender parity in tech labs.

Ultimately, I believe men can heal society, if we let them. By investing in programs that guide boys and young men toward these professions, destigmatizing them, and emphasizing masculine strengths, we can build a balanced, resilient world. It's not about pitting genders against each other. It's about mutual support and valuing overlooked masculine traits in a changing landscape.

Let us shift the narrative. Men are not just providers in the traditional sense. They are essential healers too, and the future of our communities depends on their strength, guidance, and leadership.