Who's Influencing our Boys?

By E.L.Mendes

He was a professional kickboxer and struggling reality TV star. He is now a well-known influencer.

Why should I care?

We should care because his opinions are influencing our young men. His views on women, money, and society are all over social media. He lives in a violent misogynistic world. Women are property. Men are superior. Depression isn’t real. Illness is a sign of weakness. Weakness is unacceptable.

Eleven-year-old boys are chastising classmates for being fat, lazy females who do nothing but lay around all day eating while men go out and make a living. He encourages his followers to be violent and treat their women as property. He believes that his girlfriends are monetary assets. The worst thing he has spewed forth like word vomit is that women should “bear responsibility” for being raped.

“You can’t be responsible for

something that doesn’t listen to you.You can’t be responsible for a dogif it doesn’t obey you, or a child if itdoesn’t obey you, or a woman that

doesn’t obey you.”

He says that teachers are liars. They tell you that you will amount to nothing if you make bad grades; it is a big con game. He believes you shouldn’t trust a teacher.

Hard to believe? Well, believe it. Our boys are lapping it up.

What can we do about it?

Do we ban the mention of his name in class? Do we punish anyone who repeats any of his rantings?

I don’t believe this is the answer. If he is banned, he becomes more desirable. The best advise I have heard on the subject is to teach our kids about entertainment. He is an entertainer and this is his persona. It is an act. He has some good things to say and some outrageous things to say. Be an independent thinker and decide what is good and what is bad.

Don’t be a sheep. Our students are able to relate to what is true and untrue. They need to understand that everything they see on social media is not true. The lives you see are only snippets and are usually scripted for your entertainment.

He has some good inspirational quotes. Our students have to be able to decipher the good and the bad. Let’s have a discussion, not a mandate.

“I encourage people to work hardto become the best version of

themselves.”

“It doesn’t matter who your are, it doesn’t matter what you say, there are some people who don’t like you.

And the people who don’t like you are not interested in the truth.”

“Close your eyes. Focus on making yourself feel excited, powerful. Imagine yourself destroying goals with ease. Do this until you can no longer contain a smile. And when the smile comes... open your eyes.