Ghanaian online journalist, Kobby Kyei, has expressed concern over the struggles faced by many boys and young men in silence because society discourages them from showing emotions.
Speaking on The Career Trail on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he challenged the long-held belief that “men don’t cry”, describing it as a damaging mindset that prevents boys from opening up about their pain.
“In this current era, you don’t tell a man not to cry. You need men to share their emotions, to cry, to let you know what they are going through,” he said.
“How do you build a society of boys where boys are neglected?” he continued.
According to him, the failure to nurture boys emotionally will have long-term consequences for society.
“A generation is coming where we are going to cry for not empowering the boy child. Because the boy child that has been left will grow up to be the man that you think should be the head of the family,” he warned.
He painted a vivid picture of the hidden pain many men endure.
“Some men close from work, sit behind their steering wheels and cry. Others get home and sit in their cars for an hour before going inside. These are real struggles that society doesn’t see,” he said.
Kobby Kyei added that even within families, men are often misunderstood when what they truly need is empathy and support.
“Ask yourself, when was the last time your mother woke your father up at dawn just to say, ‘Daddy, while you were sleeping, I was watching you. What are you going through? Share with me.’ Instead, many women will say, ‘I’ve seen you chatting with another lady, I’ve seen you cheating on me.’ Why don’t we bring our men closer instead of pushing them away?” he questioned.
He warned that if society continues to neglect the emotional lives of boys, the consequences will be severe.
“If you are not grooming the boy child to become a better man of the family, it will destroy the very foundations of the home. A lot of boys are suffering that they can’t share,” he emphasised.
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