Why It’s So Hard For Teen Boys to Share Their Feelings

It can be hard for teen boys to share their feelings with their parents, teachers, friends and even a therapists. Sharing feelings is one of the best ways to know what teens are dealing with and what problems and concerns they may have. A lack of this communications makes it hard for others to know how to help.

Social and Cultural Pressure to Be Tough

Western society doesn’t put much value on the idea of men and boys being able to discuss their emotions or have deep feelings. Instead, it’s seen as macho and strong to ignore feelings and simply carry on. However, when teens do share their feelings, they often get mocked, ridiculed and even bullied. Parents can sometimes be uncomfortable when their teenage boys share their feelings, and not know how to handle the conversations.

There are plenty of messages in the media and in their real lives that work against encouraging teenage boys to naturally talk about their feelings to a licensed therapist. Movie heroes, sports stars and others are praised for keeping it all together and not talking about their issues. The message is repeated on the local level as high school cliques, peer pressure and more send the message that boys need to be tough and distant from the