Society Wins When Fathers Are Respected
July 12, 2026
Men’s happiness has declined significantly in recent decades and hardly anybody has paid attention.
According to a recent research brief from the Institute for Family Studies, data from the General Social Survey shows that the share of men ages 25–44 who describe themselves as “not too happy” has more than doubled—from 11% in the 1980s to 24% in recent years. The drop is especially steep among working-class men: 27% of those without a bachelor’s degree report being “not too happy,” compared with 17% of college-educated men.
