The past decade has seen political polarisation – accelerated by social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers – deepen and mutate. An ominous era of a polycrisis has shattered any remaining societal consensus. Meanwhile, powerful anti-establishment voices have stepped into the void.

In a polarised society, the meaning of gender is in flux. People want to be liberated from outdated norms – but many hold on to the gender binary as a source of stability in an uncertain world. How can brands navigate the changing gender landscape without leaning on stereotypes?

Sports melodramas like 2024'sThe Iron Claw,Creed III, andFerrariexamine and critique toxic masculinity narratives, offering audiences a more nuanced perspective on male competitiveness and its emotional toll. Films and TV are increasingly challenging the idea of the invincible, hyper-masculine hero.

The UK government has announced plans to treat misogyny as extremism. The rise of anti-feminist and misogynistic content online has become a worrying global trend, highlighting the need to challenge misogynistic viewpoints and counter extremism against women in online communities.

Want to understand shifting masculine hero narratives? Struggling to get a grip on how to talk about and depict ‘maleness’? Explore our Deep Dive on masculine archetypes in 2024.

Amid looksmaxxing trends, young men are grappling both with the online narratives of toxic masculinity and the gendered cultural and economic expectations projected by society. Canvas8 spoke to British Gen Z men to find out what masculinity means to them and how they like to express it