The Tate brothers, online influencers with millions of followers, stir up controversy at my private, all-boys Catholic high school in Chicago. But they have won over a small, outspoken group of young male fans.⁠ ⁠ “He’s back!” someone exclaimed in a group chat, celebrating the return to the U.S. in February of Andrew and Tristan Tate from Romania, where they have been under investigation since 2022 for human trafficking and money laundering—charges they deny.⁠ ⁠ At a time when many of us have too many questions about what it means to be a man, the Tates offer answers that are appealingly simple. If we follow their sexist, racist lead, they promise, we’ll be alphas too.⁠ ⁠ Plenty of guys here dismiss Andrew Tate as a “blowhard,” but when a student wrote in a chat in February that Tate was an “alpha male ready to save the world,” some gave him a thumbs-up. When videos of Tate bragging about his wealth and dismissing women’s rights hit a group text, a few peers praised him for showing men how to be strong and successful. In group chats and hallways, a handful of guys trade jokes or memes mocking feminism, but edged with a serious undertone.⁠ ⁠ Being a teenage man today feels like standing in a hallway with a dozen doors, each leading somewhere different, and no one telling you which to pick.⁠ ⁠ Am I supposed to lead or step back? Does “manly” mean just one thing, and should I still chase it? It’s hard to figure out what it means to be strong without being “toxic,” confident but not arrogant, assertive but not overbearing. Are we meant to shrink so others can rise? Is it always zero-sum? It’s confusing.⁠ ⁠ That’s where figures like the Tates, Elon Musk and President Trump step in with bold answers: Don’t worry, just dominate. Trump’s brashness mirrors what many of the teenage boys I know crave—unapologetic power.⁠ ⁠ Read more of student Eli Thompson's essay at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ Photo: Photo: Vadim Ghirda/AP