In recent years, an indiscriminate use of the male and female gender has begun. A use that goes beyond the linguistic norm. Thus many see it as normal and correct to use both genders when they want to refer to the collective.
It is not unusual to hear that of "boys and girls", "all and all" or "many and many" to give a simple example. The RAE has communicated that the use of these expressions is against the linguistic norm and it must come to an end if its use is purely linguistic.
The RAE recalls that the norm indicates that in the case of referring to a group the collective generic noun must be used and not the individual one. In many of these cases, the collective generic coincides with the masculine form, hence the confusion of many when using it, but whether we like it or not, the generic noun is what it is and cannot be changed.
"You can use both genders when you want to highlight or talk about them", according to the RAE
The RAE also comments that only the two genders have to be used when you want to highlight or talk about them, for example: "the disease affects boys and girls of that age." In any case, the fight of the RAE will be difficult and arduous because we currently have many cases of misuse, both in areas with little cultivation and in areas where a high degree of knowledge of the language is expected and yet they prefer to skip the rule because "it is frowned upon."
The most striking example of the latter is found in the famous "AMPA" of schools. In this case, both genders are being used when the collective is "Parents". Yes, I know that it is also masculine and that it sounds macho, but we cannot change the words because we like them or not. And it is still striking that an organization so close to the educational world has changed without opposition from the teachers who should "teach."
There are many examples and the use is indiscriminate, so surely it is better for the RAE to change the rule than to try to make good use of itHowever, it is always positive to see how such an old institution continues to work in its functions: Clean, set and shine.