Tapping on the glass: Toxic masculinity, social media and mental health in Dear Evan Hansen

This article examines the intersection of musical theatre, toxic masculinity and adolescent mental health through a case study of Dear Evan Hansen . While the musical has been widely celebrated for its frank depiction of anxiety and social isolation in youth, it has also been criticized for romanticizing mental illness and recentralizing straight, white, cisgender masculinity. I argue that the production provides a valuable lens for understanding how social media exacerbates adolescent boys’ feelings of invisibility and inadequacy, contributing to the development of toxic masculine behaviours. Drawing on scholarship in psychology, media studies and theatre, I position Evan Hansen not only as a figure of teenage anxiety but also as a model of how digital culture intensifies pressures surrounding gender performance. The staging and score emphasize Evan’s longing to be seen, framing his self-loathing as a direct response to mediated ideals of masculinity. His trajectory from anxious outsider to viral pseudo-celebrity illustrates the dual risks of social media dependence: self-directed violence through anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, and outwardly harmful behaviours including deceit and manipulation. By situating Dear Evan Hansen within broader conversations about social media’s role in shaping adolescent mental health, I demonstrate how the musical dramatizes both the dangers and the allure of toxic masculinity for young men who struggle to meet hegemonic standards. Ultimately, while Evan’s actions are troubling, his narrative suggests a possibility for detoxifying masculinity by exposing the costs of conformity and offering a vision of self-acceptance. In highlighting how musical theatre reflects contemporary experiences of boyhood, this article argues that Dear Evan Hansen provides a crucial site for interrogating the cultural interplay of gender, media and mental health in the digital age.