The #MeToo movement has been a long time coming. Women have been abused and mistreated by men in positions of power for way too long, and it’s about time we started speaking up and holding the perpetrators accountable. That being said, there is a downside for guys, as many of them are struggling with dating because of it.
- More than half of men said #MeToo has made them act differently. According to Match.com’s annual Singles In America survey, 51% of men said that thanks to the #MeToo movement, they’ve changed their behavior around women.
- It’s not just in romantic situations either. Of that 51%, roughly 39% said that #MeToo made them act differently around female colleagues, presumably because they’re afraid of overstepping boundaries or doing/saying something that could be seen as inappropriate.
- #MeToo is making men more reserved, apparently. Single men are freaking out about the smallest interactions these days, with 35% say they suddenly feel shy about approaching someone new and 33% admitting to modifying their behavior on dates. Not only that, 28% of men say their approach to social media has changed too.
- Not everyone thinks it’s a bad thing. While 51% of men act differently with women thanks to #MeToo, not all of them think that’s a negative. Only 14% of single guys say that #MeToo has made dating worse, and that’s a pretty promising sign.
- Women aren’t that unreasonable. What that 14 % of men need to realize is that women aren’t looking for something to be offended by and we’re not looking for guys who are perfect. All we want is a guy who respects us enough to listen to what we say and not to force himself or his will on us. It’s really not that hard. Being awkward about it or acting like we’re being unreasonable for not wanting to be assaulted in work, on dates, or even while walking down the street means you’re the problem.
- Yes, we should offer the same courtesy in return. While #MeToo is about the systemic abuse of women, that’s not to say that men aren’t also subject to similar treatment from time to time at the hands of women, and that’s not cool either. Women should offer men the same courtesy and respect as we expect from them, and everyone will be much happier.
