AF-NE Event Spotlight: Men in the Free World

On March 13, 2025, the America’s Future Northeast Hub hosted the discussion, “Men in the Free World” at the Montclair Brewery in New Jersey, where the topic of discussion was the societal challenges and victories of men in the modern world. This was a one-of-a-kind event that no one would want to miss, as many non-profit organizations are not having this kind of discussion. The event featured an engaged audience while chowing down on some delicious pizza and sipping on crisp craft beer.

Everyone goes through major struggles in their life, whether that be mental, health, or financial problems, it is ok to not be ok, but for men, society has traditionally told them to keep their problems to themselves. In the era of toxic masculinity, it is very important to discuss this. Men have their share of common issues that need to be discussed. No one should seek pity when they are going through a tough time. However, having open dialogue about these issues man-to-man would help these young men morph into the strong caregivers we know they can be.

The topics that were discussed included mental health, dating, and employment. Each attendee had their chance to share their take on each of the big issues. With mental health being the biggest one. Mental health is particularly a problem in young men, especially those who are grinding as hard as they can to get ahead and are not seeing the results go their way. Every man has gone through a time in his life where he struggled mentally. This could mean living on their own for the first time, living in a new city in a new state far away from home, or having more time to themselves because of unforeseen circumstances. This is very common. The best way to not feel lonely and depressed is to get out every day and network, join young professional organizations that match your beliefs [Insert corny join AF joke here], and go exploring the world. More importantly, setting goals and implementing steps to achieve those goals are a great way to boost confidence in young men.

Dating is another problem facing young men. While there may seem like a rush to get into a relationship, the best thought to keep in mind is “it is better to marry late than marry the wrong person; because marrying the wrong person can screw things up. I know a lot of singles who are in their 30s who think they are running out of time. Everything is going to work out. The best way to find your one true love is similar to how to conquer mental health: get out there and meet people. It is much better to meet someone who you belong to an organization than matching with someone on Hinge who you do not even have any similar qualities with.

Lastly, unemployment is a struggle that many people face at different stages of their career and in life. With the Trump administration laying off thousands of employees just recently, it feels like this terrible job market has no end in sight. It can be an extremely rough time for men who struggle with unemployment. I have seen countless individuals who are the most talented people in their industry who are struggling to find meaningful work. We cannot control the state of the job market, but what we can change is the attitude towards the job search. Applying for jobs has become very different in the past 50 years. The evolution of social media has played a vital role in that. Just like mental health and dating, the key to finding your next job is to go out and meet people! You never know who someone else knows.

It is important to talk about these issues. Men have been facing a heavy amount of scrutiny for the past number of years. Men are constantly told they need to bottle up their emotions, needing to be the caregiver, and acting tough to defend their family. Let’s give all our great men the love and compassion they rightfully deserve. Many men are struggling, so all of the men who help this world go round and are not in a good place right now, know that everything is going to be ok. God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers.