Growing up in a time when divorce rates were high, I heard the term "daddy issues" a lot. Frankly, that term is being overused, and I can't stand it for the sole reason that not having a father does not make a person weird. Let me explain.
Every time I go on Instagram, I often see videos of young boys slaying the makeup game. On every video, there is a comment about how this kid must not have a father because of his actions. You can find the same type of comment on any post of a girl doing something sexy, whether its dancing or simply posing for a photo. Basically, people associate not having a father with having a personality that's socially unacceptable.
I really have trouble seeing this connection. What makes a father so special that his sheer absence could make a person fly off the handle? Why can't people just accept that the actions of others are their own choices and have nothing to do with the presence of a patriarch.
This odd connection aids in our society's obsession with putting men on pedestals. To have the audacity to claim that a person is "weird" because he or she lacks the guidance of a man is not only silly but highly insulting to mothers everywhere. This kind of behavior is what drives social stereotypes and works as a catalyst for shaming people for doing anything too "feminine." God forbid a boy knows how to apply eyeliner; he should be outside building a shed! God forbid a woman shows pride in her body; she should be in the kitchen!
This kind of thinking is beyond stupid and is a sign of extreme sexism and ignorance in a person. There's nothing wrong with not having a father in one's life; these things happen. A father is not going to keep a child on the moral high ground.
