June 16, 2026, 5:09 a.m. ET Social media influencers have a simple message for young men: Your worth comes down to a few superficial things – your looks, your money, your status. And because women are shallow, or because the system is rigged against you, the only path forward is to game it. Those factors aren't irrelevant. Appearance and income matter in dating and career. But they're far from the whole picture.