Gen Z Men Are Getting More Conservative. What the Hell Happened?

Gen Z Men Are Getting More Conservative. What the Hell Happened?

From Under the Influence with Jo Piazza by Jo Piazza

April 9, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

The episode explores the increasing conservatism among Gen Z men and the factors contributing to this shift.

A third of Gen Z men think wives should obey their husbands. This generation of young men, ages 14 to 29, is getting more conservative by the day. How? Why? And can we reverse it? To figure it out, we talk with Gen Z strategist and creator ⁠Haley Lickstein⁠ about what the hell is going on with young men and how much of it is the internet’s fault. And what about the women? Are they fighting back or also moving backwards? From the rise of the manosphere to tradwife thirst traps to the slow-drip messaging around birth control, we break down how conservative ideas have been seeded, scaled, and sold to a generation that was supposed to be more progressive than the ones before it. We also get into why the right is winning the culture war online, what progressives are getting wrong about influence and messaging, and how algorithms are shaping belief systems, relationships, and even who people date. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER The Parisian Heist here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Jo Piazza

Guest: Haley Lickstein

Topics covered

  • Gen Z
  • conservatism
  • gender roles
  • internet influence
  • culture war
  • progressivism

Keywords

  • Gen Z men
  • conservatism
  • manosphere
  • tradwife
  • birth control
  • culture war
  • internet influence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Parisian Heist

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