October 12, 2026 at 2:26pm EDT

In sharp contrast to “masculinity content” or the “manosphere,” encouraging toxic male behavior particularly from teen boys, there is a corner of the internet where it’s OK for men of all ages to be vulnerable, share personal struggles, and offer encouraging words to other men: the r/BoyDinnerDiaries subreddit.

“This particular subreddit is not, strictly speaking, about men’s dinners,” writer and essayist Caitlin Dewey recently explained in her Substack newsletter. “Instead, it’s one of the few communal spaces where men are encouraged to be vulnerable, seek connection and share openly about things they’re going through.”

The Reddit group got its start earlier this year and already has more than four million members, most of whom are men and boys who share a photo of what they’re eating, along with stories and thoughts about their personal lives. From sharing their sadness about a wife’s terminal illness to venting frustrations about being laid off at work, the community has become a place for men to reach out for advice and connect with other men.

One user shared an image of a meal of protein pancakes and a banana with a story about his wife’s infidelity and the divorce that followed. “It’s like I don’t know her or maybe I never really did,” he wrote. “Especially after everything we went through together. We watched our daughter fight cancer. We got through those years together. We rebuilt our lives, bought a business, and were finally in a position to enjoy the future we’d worked so hard for. And now here I am, watching her ride to work with someone else.”

Men in the comments were quick to offer words of support. “Dude I don’t know what else to say except I’m really sorry,” wrote one. “I wish you and your daughter an abundance of health and happiness. Please take care of yourself.”

But it’s not all adults sharing in the group. One redditor wrote: “I (16M) have a crush on another guy (16M) and I don’t know what to do about it,” and words of advice and support came flooding in, so much so that the teen wound up telling the other person about his feelings. When the feelings weren’t reciprocated, the men in the subreddit were there to offer encouraging words as well.

“I have no advice to give here but I just wanted to say that you should be proud of yourself,” said one. “I wish I had your guts at age 16. You went there and shot your shot.”

“Nothing wrong with any of this my friend,” said another, “Good on you for being honest and telling him how you feel, that took some guts for sure.”

Dewey, in her Substack newsletter, said that the subreddit it made her cry “literal, rolling tears.”