What Does It Mean To 'Be A Man'? Men And Boys Aged 5-50 Define Masculinity In Powerful Viral Video

Throughout their lives men and boys are told to 'be a man' or to 'man up'. Often this term is used at during difficult times or when when they are showing vulnerability, but what exactly does it mean to 'be a man'?

Cut.com asked men and boys aged between 5 and 50 what it means to "be a man" in a powerful word association video that has gone viral.

Some had a positive relationship with the phrase, associating it with being "awesome" or bring a "hero". But others recoiled when they heard the phrase, questioning the impact that enforced masculinity has on young men.

"It took me a while to learn what that meant," explains a 49-year-old man as the video begins.

Here's what the contentious phrase means to 5-50:

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