Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk explained on Fox News Thursday why societal pushback against traditional masculine roles has left many young men without direction.

Host Will Cain said that while there is hope for young men, the troubling trend of those between 20 and 24 opting out of work, education, and societal engagement is undeniable, with the U.S. seeing 10% and the U.K. 15% of young men disengaging. During an appearance on “Will Cain Show,” Kirk said that the issue runs much deeper than poor economic conditions.

“They are checking out. They are the lost boys of the West. And this is worthy of a longer conversation. But really quick, they’re checking out largely because the entire society has become hostile to them. They’ve been told that they were toxically masculine,” Kirk said. “You look at, for example, in the United Kingdom, they had an entire documentary, not even a documentary, a movie called ‘Adolescence’ that was all about that young white Christian boys are somehow a threat to the entire country.”

Kirk added that a growing cultural narrative is driving young men to disengage from society, particularly in the Western world.

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“The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, praised that movie as [a] must watch film for the entire country. We see it all throughout our nation as well. This is a major problem because it also is really surfacing, and we’re seeing it in the dating pool as well,” Kirk said. “Marriage rates are down. Fertility rates are down. And the emphasis of the point needs to be made. It’s the young men that are voluntarily checking out of society. This means that their psychology is broken, Will.”

Kirk said that the issues facing young men today go beyond economic struggles — they are fundamentally psychological and soul-crushing.

“That means that their mindset is broken. We have economics problems, but it’s something more than that. It is soul-crushing, which is why one of the things that has given me hope, I know you’ve covered this beautifully, is that young men are starting to go back to church,” Kirk said. “That is the most important thing. As they start to give more of their lives to Jesus Christ and put God first, they will have more purpose and more why rather than checking out.”

In April, the Department of Justice (DOJ) cut over 360 grants for programs it believes do not align with its mission, including those focused on “racial equity” and “toxic masculinity.” DOJ officials said they intend to redirect resources to law enforcement priorities, emphasizing crime prevention and criminal prosecution while eliminating funding for programs deemed non-essential.

In addition to unemployment and educational disengagement among young men, there is a growing reading crisis, with many turning to sports betting, social media, and video games for entertainment. The publishing industry’s shift to cater primarily to women, with female authors and executives dominating, has left men’s literary interests sidelined, further exacerbating the disengagement.

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