More young men see Barack Obama as role model than religious leaders, including the pope: study

March 20, 2026

A new report from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) shows more young men view Barack Obama as role model, than they see religious leaders, the pope, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The Christian Post reports that the report, titled, “America’s Demoralized Men, Part 1: Worthy Aspirations, Trying Circumstances” drew from a YouGov survey taken last year of 2,000 U.S. men between 18 and 29 years old.

The authors of the study, Joseph E. Davis, Michael Toscano and Ken Burchfiel, say young men are grappling to find their place in a social culture where masculinity has been branded as “toxic,” and the shifting economy is creating difficulties in meeting traditional hallmarks of adulthood.

The researchers wrote, “Assuredly, manhood and masculinity have become highly charged issues. In academia, popular media, the entertainment industry, and society at large, the commentary is often highly unsympathetic and disparaging.”

They added, “Although critics typically state that men and male attributes are not the problem, all the arguments against the ‘myth of manhood’ or ‘traditional masculine ideology,’ in the words of the American Psychological Association, have little redeeming to say about men or masculinity.”

According to the Christian Post, the study showed that parents were cited as the respondents’ most influential role models, followed by either a coach or a teacher.

However, other influential role models included Obama and NBA star LeBron James, who are both held in high esteem by 54% of young men.

Researchers say every other choice on the list received less than 50% support, including a “leader of your religious congregation” at 46%, Trump at 42% and Musk at 45%.

When researchers in the latest survey asked what milestones they consider important for defining adulthood, 53% ranked financial independence from their parents as an extremely important benchmark of adulthood, while 39% said being able to “provide for others” qualified as well.

Just 31% said educational completion and 34% said working full-time are extremely important hallmarks.

Researchers reported, “We find that young men care about their status, want to contribute, and are distressed by the gap between their current circumstances and what they really desire for their life.”

Photo: top, Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images