Adam Carolla Show – Scott Galloway on Why Young Men Are Struggling Now More Than Ever

Date: November 20, 2025
Guest: Scott Galloway – Professor, Author ‘Notes on Being a Man’, Host of the Prof G Pod

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the contemporary crisis facing young men in America, with Adam Carolla and Professor Scott Galloway examining the cultural, social, economic, and technological contexts contributing to a growing sense of alienation, lack of direction, and poor outcomes among young men. The discussion is candid, sometimes provocative, and mixes deep data with old-school common sense, generational anecdotes, and musings on masculinity, technology, and dating.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crisis of Modern Masculinity

• Statistics of Male Struggle

  • Scott shares sobering figures: "If you walk into a morgue and there’s five people who’ve died by suicide, four are men. ... three times as likely to be addicted, three times as likely to be homeless, 12 times as likely to be incarcerated. ... More single women own homes than single men." (03:56)
  • Emphasizes that current young men face disadvantages entirely different from the "unearned advantage" of prior generations: "Should a 19-year-old male that doesn't have nearly the advantage I had pay the price?" (05:23)

• Societal Blind Spot

  • Both hosts highlight the lack of empathy for young men's struggles. Scott: "If any special interest group was killing themselves at four times the rate of the control group, we’d weigh in with programs. ... There's just no getting around it." (04:30)
  • Scott notes: "The far right saw the problem first. ... The far left—their answer is, 'Well, you don't have problems, you are the problem.'" (06:46)

2. Political Backlash and Cultural Polarization

• Right vs. Left Narratives

  • Adam pushes back on the idea that the mainstream right wants to revert to the 1950s, arguing this is fringe, while anti-male sentiment is more accepted on the left: "I don't know anyone who wants to bring blacks and women back to the 50s. That's a super small, deep cut minority." (07:19)

  • Scott counters with examples like Nick Fuentes, but agrees mainstream left policies can inadvertently harm, such as through overreaching DEI or race-based policies: "Anytime you have a DEI department anywhere, it's already one of the most diverse, equitable and inclusive places on earth to begin with." (16:26)

• Nostalgia vs. Reality

  • Discussion on "going back to the 50s": Adam clarifies for many, it's nostalgia for community and safety, not regressive attitudes. "I have described my old neighborhood…as a throwback to the 50s…but I wasn't talking about segregation." (12:16)
  • Scott challenges rose-tinted views: "By its very definition, we tend to inflate how good those times were." (14:37)

3. Technology, Social Disconnection, and Screen Addiction

• Screen Time as the Real Enemy

  • Scott: "Men 20 to 30 are spending less time outdoors now than prison inmates." (28:28)
  • Argues highly profitable tech firms are actively incentivized to keep young men isolated and online: "Every incremental minute, they can get you on your phone...they get another 20 to 30 billion in market cap." (28:57)

• Mental & Physical Consequences

  • "The more time you spend on a screen, the less money you're gonna make, the more likely you're gonna be obese, the less likely you're gonna have sex, the less likely you're gonna get married, the more likely you're going to engage in self-harm. Screen time is literally the toxin right now." (29:39)

• Adam's "Treadmill for the Mind" Analogy

  • Adam likens the need for digital discipline to the invention of the treadmill: "We understood…physically…we needed to simulate this life that's in a bygone era...But we haven't really taken that lesson mentally." (32:00)
  • His own trick: "I won't bring [my phone] into the studio… I'm not bringing it in, because I have to play little tricks on myself like the treadmill." (33:20)

4. Decline of Male Socialization and Mating

• Synthetic Relationships and Porn

  • Scott worries about AI-driven porn pushing men further into isolation: "Porn is going to become so lifelike…I'm not sure I would’ve gone on campus as much [in college] if I had access to that." (36:05)
  • Dating data: "63% of men under 30 have decided they're no longer trying to date. ... 45% of men 18-24 have never asked a woman out in person." (38:18)

• The Biological and Social Mismatch

  • Scott: "Men mate socioeconomically horizontally and down; women horizontally and up. ... When we’re producing an entire generation of economically and emotionally unviable men, there’s just less mating." (37:40)
  • "Men need relationships more than women. Widowers are less happy after their wife dies. ... If [a man hasn't cohabitated or married by 30], there's a 1 in 3 chance they're going to be a substance abuser." (39:35)

5. The Problem with Modern Affluence and Work-Life Balance Narratives

• Overreliance on Convenience

  • Adam: "We are creating a society…maybe at some point you’ll never have to leave the house, or have a girlfriend, or go on the proverbial hunt again." (41:40)
  • Adam recounts: "There’s businesses [that] come to your home and fill up your car with gasoline. Not all of it is bad...But there is gonna be no resistance." (43:03)

• Work Ethic and Male Energy

  • Adam laments absence of passion among young male workers compared to his days with Jimmy Kimmel: "I've not seen in any person I've employed here for fifteen years. I've never seen any weekend work...any enthusiasm. ... Whatever that fire in the belly or eye-of-the-tiger kind of thing — it's gone." (54:55)
  • Scott notes work-life balance is misunderstood: "There’s no such thing. There’s just trade-offs...If you expect to be in the top 10%, much less the top 1%...get ready to work your ass off." (61:09)
  • Adam: "Work-life balance…is not something you should be striving for at 26...You’re supposed to be working your ass off so that you can have that balance later in life." (63:55)

6. Path Forward – Restoring Male Aspirations and Codes

• Masculinity as Provider, Protector, Procreator
  • Scott: "I try to envision an aspirational vision of masculinity…to be a provider, to be a protector, to plant trees whose shade you'll never sit under." (65:37)
  • "Once you have some economic security, … your job is to protect yourself, be healthy, and then protect your family, your community, your country...The ultimate expression? Help people you're never going to meet." (66:15)
  • Adam agrees on the importance of self-imposed struggle: "It's not as important for women. I think it's super important for men and young men … You’ll never row crew again but you will fall back on that push through the pain thing." (69:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Male Struggles:

  • "If any special interest group was killing themselves at four times the rate of the control group, we'd weigh in with programs…But there's just no getting around it." – Scott Galloway (04:30)

• On Cultural Regression:

  • "Most of the people I know who look at like…I have described my old neighborhood…as a throwback to the 50s…families walking the streets and no crime…I wasn't talking about segregation or two drinking fountains or anything like that." – Adam (12:16)

• On Tech Profit Motives:

  • "The most valuable companies in history have one objective, and that's to sequester you from relationships in the outdoors…The more time you spend on a screen, the less money you're going to make…the more likely you're going to be obese…the more likely you're going to engage in self-harm. Screen time is literally the toxin right now." – Scott (28:57, 29:39)

• On Gender & Dating Economics:

  • "Men mate socioeconomically horizontally and down, women horizontally and up…Beyoncé could work at McDonald's and marry Jay-Z, but not vice versa." – Scott (37:40)

• On Work Ethic:

  • "Name a really successful person and I'll show you someone who works their ass off..." – Scott (61:09)

• Advice for Young Men:

  • "The best way to make a lot of money is to start by making a little bit of money…Because once you’re in the arena, you learn how to fight." – Scott (65:37)
  • "Work-life balance…is not something you should be striving for at 26...You’re supposed to be working your ass off." – Adam (63:55)

• On Resilience and Self-Imposed Struggle:

  • "Crew teaches you: when you’re at that moment where you think, I can’t take anymore, you’re actually about a third of the way to your actual limit." – Scott (69:06)
  • "I do [cold plunges] because it hurts…I impose it on myself…And I preach this all the time…avoiding it is hurting that person in their future endeavors." – Adam (69:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:56 | Scott shares suicide, addiction, and incarceration stats | | 07:19 | Adam challenges right/left characterization | | 14:37 | Nostalgia and reality: 50s, crime rates, community | | 28:28 | Screen time, young men outdoors less than inmates | | 36:05 | AI porn, dating data, rise of tech-enabled male isolation | | 41:40 | Path of least resistance, convenience society | | 54:55 | Adam laments decline of male work ethic | | 61:09 | Scott on work-life balance myths, expectations vs. reality | | 65:37 | Scott outlines a new aspirational masculinity | | 69:25 | Self-imposed struggle, resilience, value of pain |

Tone & Style

• Blunt, Unfiltered, and Humorous: In classic Carolla style, the conversation is unsparing, mixing hard truths with comedic asides and irreverent anecdotes.
• Data-Driven Yet Anecdotal: Scott Galloway provides rigorous statistics and social science, counterbalanced by Adam’s lived experience and generational wisdom.
• Dialogic, Open, and Respectful: Disagreement is met with good faith engagement—a rarity in current cultural discourse.

Useful Takeaways for Listeners

• The crisis of young men in America is profound and largely ignored by mainstream institutions.
• Tech platforms are actively incentivized to keep young men isolated and passive.
• Socioeconomic considerations, not solely gender or race, must be at the core of “helping the disadvantaged.”
• Work ethic, real-world friction, and voluntary struggle are vital for male development and long-term happiness.
• The solution requires new codes of masculinity built around providing, protecting, and ultimately, serving others beyond oneself.

For full context, listen between [03:56] (Scott presents stats) and [69:25] (discussion on self-imposed struggle and code for men) for the heart of the conversation.

Summary by Podcast Summarizer AI – Preserving the voice, insight, and tone of Adam Carolla & Scott Galloway.