I don't think it's possible for the younger generation to appreciate how much better it is for boys in STEM today than it used to be.

Missing in this discussion is what it meant to be a boy interested in STEM socially.

It's cool to be an engineer today. It pays very well, it's easy to make friends, find a mate, etc.

Those of us who grew up as nerdy kids in the 1980s dealt with the kind of bullying and social ostracism that future generations cannot even imagine.

Are boys being downplayed in favor of girls for advancement opportunities? Maybe. But you still have it MUCH MUCH better in a holistic sense than we did, to a degree you'll never know.