Does the news media contribute to mens identity issue's, when identifying as a career?

Isn’t that one of the first questions people ask?
And what do you do for a living?

I think when you only have so many seconds to introduce someone, that is the only way to do it. If you have a lot more time, such as in a long interview or a talk show about his life, then you can go into much more detail.

@SQUEEKY2 I sometimes feel embarrassed when asked that question. Do I say retired? Disabled? Ect?

I don’t think people ask it to be mean or anything, but you’re right after you answer they instantly judge you by your answer.

Why is it damaging? it’s the piece of information most relevant. if you’re on the news to talk, people want to know what kind of credibility you bring. Are you an SME? A politician? Just someone famous?

Imagine the news show: “Welcome back, we’re going to talk about Climate Change now, and here to talk is Bob Winfield who likes long walks, salty snacks, and playing with his kids. So, Bob…tell use about the Earth’s albedo?”

Like…that doesn’t really help me know how credibly to take this person.

@Entropy I don’t know. Just wondering. I watched a news story and they report sites that Ed Stelmach was former Premier of Alberta. They didn’t include his current title. Which I wondered if he was a has-been.

I bothered me, and I don’t know why?

@RedDeerGuy1 – Great. Perfect example. I presume they were talking about Alberta area politics. The fact that this guy was the Premier of Alberta seems like the most relevant piece of information about him. The fact that he left politics and now cuts hair in his barber shop…doesn’t really help the audience.

@Entropy Ok thanks. I was just wondering.

Not really, it’s a part of your biography. If asked, I say I’m a youth leader. I drive a truck to earn a living, but my life’s work is with children. I couldn’t care less how the media would identify me after my name. If you feel damaged by that you may be too sensitive.

@Acrylic Ok. What would you suggest that I should I say when asked? Retired? Disabled? Cashier? Psychology major?

@RedDeerGuy1 You can honestly answer Disabled. None of the other answers are accurate.

“Identity issues” don’t arise from a news media description. If one has an identity issue, it is more reflective of an individual’s self actualization. And why limit your question to men? Women are more likely to be pigeon holed by society than men are.

@zenvelo Ok. Thanks.

@RedDeerGuy1 Dealers choice. Pick one. Pick all four. Any combination. If someone asks me what I do, I ask back “when?”.

Why are we leaving women out of this?

@kruger_d Sorry my bad. I was mainly asking about myself.

@RedDeerGuy1
Oh, so you are so much excluding women as every human who isn’t you. Ha! No worries.

The media does, but so does everyone else who participates in the asking about people as their profession, both for men and for women, too. It’s a much larger social issue, which yes, exists. However it is so normalized that not very many people notice or think about it as such.

The media usually gives the age of someone in the news. It may not be a vital piece of information but somehow it is always included. Isn’t age just a number? Apparently not.

Not sure they are doing anything to contribute to men’s identity issues. They are often using these terms as descriptive…to put the person into context with the story. Sometimes it is used to make the story more exciting. If Joe Schmuck gets caught robbing a convenient store it’s one story. If Joe Schmuck is a former mayor it adds a whole other dimension to the story.