We hear a lot about Gen Z boys, and most of it, sadly, is not good. They’re being red pilled so much that they literally believe in gender equality less than young boys did in 1990. And while we can find all the research and monitor screen time, and do all the things to try and curb this alarming behavior, there is one major hobby that young boys can do that can help immensely when it comes to their overall growth as human beings: reading.
Luke Bateman, Bookstagrammer, author, and retired Australian professional rugby league footballer, posted on his social media about why it is actually vital for young boys to read. And if you need to watch his video a couple of times because you’re getting, uh, a bit distracted, we totally get it. Take your time.
“We have a reading crisis amongst young men and boys,” Bateman begins. “Only 12% of Gen Z males are reading books.”
That’s right — a measley 12%! Why is this such an alarming stat?
Bateman explains further, “…books and reading are where we go to learn empathy and kindness and compassion and acceptance and understanding. It’s where we develop our intellect and problem-solving solving and critical thinking. And our reading does this because our minds can’t tell the difference between visualization and reality. So when young boys are reading these stories and they’re visualizing these things, it’s an emotional and situational practice ground forum where they get to dive into complex situations and complex emotions and work their way through them and develop confidence in these areas.”
Literature allows for a reader to walk alongside flawed characters, who, in Bateman’s words, doubt themselves and are full of fear and don’t know what they’re doing, just like our young boys.
He turns to, of course, The Lord Of The Rings as a perfect example.
“And they get to experience characters like Frodo and Sam, and they see that you don’t win because you’re the biggest and the strongest. You win through perseverance and never giving up, and overcoming hardships.”
“And when boys are reading, they get to flex their wonder and imagination muscle. And we need boys to grow into men with wonder and imagination because then they’re strong, employable and adaptable, not rigid and brittle. And they grow into fully integrated men who can experience their emotions and express their emotions articulately, and they don’t need to turn to alcohol or drugs or devices or something else to try and numb themselves from what they’re feeling because they can’t speak the language of what’s happening inside of them, because books change lives.”
Bateman asks how often we hear somebody say that a book changed their life. I know I say it almost monthly, as an avid reader.
So, how do we get young boys to read? We have to set the example.
“Make sure that they see the people that they look up to reading books, and make sure that they know it’s not shameful. I know that I felt so much shame for such a long time around my reading, but we have to reduce the stigma around reading. It can’t be seen as girly or feminine because it just leads to boys becoming much more whole and fulfilled and joyful versions of themselves and just makes them such better and more capable people with more agency in the world.”
To start, here are some great recommendations for books for middle schoolers, and for adults looking to set that example Bateman was talking about. Here’s a list of 20 of the best books of 2025, so far.
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