Surveys show a growing gap emerging between young men and women. But the gender divide is not simply about politics, but a more fundamental misunderstanding. Our most recent survey revealed that only 42 percent of young men believe young women understand the problems men face in American society. Similarly, a majority (72 percent) of young women feel young men don’t understand their struggles. To better understand why so many young men and women feel misunderstood we decided to ask them to share their views, in their own words.

The 2024 election revealed major weaknesses in the Democratic Party’s coalition. Young voters, a reliable Democratic constituency for the last two decades, backed Harris over Trump by a relatively narrow margin. According to AP VoteCast, Donald Trump lost the youth vote by only 4 points (47 vs. 51 percent), driven by his strong showing among young male voters. But rather than revealing a new fault line, the 2024 election reflected the growing gender divergence in youth political identity.

Young Men Distrust Both Parties: There are growing signs that young adults do not trust either political party. The share of young adults who have a negative view of the Democratic and Republican Parties has risen dramatically in recent years. Today, 31 percent of young adults have a negative view of both parties, far greater than among older Americans. But there is a pronounced gender gap in the perception of the political parties. Young men are uniquely distrustful towards both the GOP and Democrats. Thirty-Seven percent of men compared to 26 percent of women have an unfavorable view of both Democrats and Republicans. Young women are significantly more likely than men to have a favorable view of the Democratic Party and negative view of the Republican Party.