14 DAY TRIAL // Superheroes nowadays send a stereotypical male behavior to young boys, and this goes against what society wants to promote – more peaceful and caring men, said psychologists on Sunday, at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
Past superheroes found in comic books fought criminals but they also gave an example to young children, as outside their costumes they were normal people with a real life and all the problems related to it, said psychologist Sharon Lamb, PhD, distinguished professor of mental health at University of Massachusetts-Boston.
“There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday,” she added, as “today's superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he's aggressive, sarcastic and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity.
“When not in superhero costume, these men, like Ironman, exploit women, flaunt bling and convey their manhood with high-powered guns.”
Lamb surveyed 674 boys age 4 to 18 and also talked to sales clerks to better understand what boys were reading and watching on television and at the movies, so that she could make a clear picture about the way the media and marketers package masculinity to boys.
The results of the study showed that in today's society, boys only have two choices in life: be a “player” or a “slacker” - the guy who never even tries - to save face, reports Science Daily.
Lamb said that “Boys are told, if you can't be a superhero, you can always be a slacker.
“Slackers are funny, but slackers are not what boys should strive to be; slackers don't like school and they shirk responsibility.
“We wonder if the messages boys get about saving face through glorified slacking could be affecting their performance in school,” she added.