Overview

• The term ‘mankeeping,’ coined by Stanford’s Angelica Puzio Ferrara, describes the disproportionate emotional and social labor women undertake for their male partners.
• Women are increasingly speaking out about feeling drained by acting as their partners’ unofficial therapists and social directors.
• Some men report making efforts to share emotional responsibilities by strengthening friendships with other men and supporting their partners more evenly.
• Psychologists highlight that no single person can meet all emotional needs and underscore men’s need for vulnerability and diverse peer connections.
• Despite heated media claims that mankeeping has undermined dating and fueled celibacy, experts stress the term’s value in highlighting imbalances in emotional labor.