Half of young men call American dream out of reach no matter how hard they work
August 5, 2026
America’s young men often have traditional aspirations, including a real desire to be responsible, to be able to support themselves and others, to marry and become fathers.
But there’s a rub — in fact, several — according to the second report in the Institute for Family Studies’ “America’s Demoralized Men” project released Wednesday. They face barriers including inadequate income, limited educational opportunity and trouble finding a romantic partner. As a result, the report says many of them feel both frustrated and stressed. And the so-called American dream seems like just that: a dream.
