New survey data from the Institute for Family Studies shows that a sizable share of young men regularly engage in gambling, pornography and video gaming, a pattern some commentators are calling the “addiction economy.”
According to the data, roughly one-third of young men, 35%, gamble daily or weekly. Nearly half, 42%, watch pornography daily or weekly, and the vast majority, 86%, play video games daily or weekly.
The same research found that 61% of young men say they often feel they have little control over the things happening in their lives. At the same time, 84% say they have ambitious plans for their future.
A pastor writing in a recent opinion piece argued that this gap between ambition and a felt lack of control is driving many young men toward what the piece described as digital escapes offering a temporary illusion of control, thrill or connection. The author, who was not identified by name, wrote that companies spend heavily on advertising for sports gambling and prediction markets aimed specifically at young men, a presence that is now difficult to avoid on social media, television and online shopping platforms.
A Generation Caught Between Ambition and Isolation
The piece contends that many young men face obstacles to traditional markers of success, including career advancement, homeownership, marriage and raising children, and that these barriers leave them feeling isolated. It also points to difficulty forming friendships with other men and relating to women as compounding factors.
The author argued that criticism and shaming from older generations do little to address the underlying problem, writing that young men “may be demoralized, but they haven’t given up.” Instead, the piece calls for mentorship: establishing honest relationships with young men, helping them feel they have agency over their lives, and giving them concrete opportunities to contribute at work, in community organizations, in friendships and within their families.
The piece frames the current moment not as cause for alarm but as an opening for intervention, urging mentors, family members and community figures to engage directly rather than retreat into criticism.
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