Adolescence has landed at a time when macho-culture is rising - now more than ever, we need to change the narrative

21 March 2025, 13:38 | Updated: 21 March 2025, 14:19

The new drama has exploded onto our screens, and we’ve all been swept away in the talk about how it was filmed (in one shot per episode - wow), the incredible acting and the faultless script.

Beneath the chatter, however, there’s a much more terrifying reality - whilst this was developed for entertainment purposes if you work in this space - it’s not surprising at all.

Misogyny didn’t appear with online influencers and the Internet; we’ve been swimming in it since birth.

The dramatisation of the manosphere is based on a reality that is very real; there is an undercurrent of toxic behaviour that is happening inside and outside of schools right now due to outside influence and its impact on young boys today. 

In fact, 77% of parents say that they are either moderately or extremely worried about the future for their sons in the current climate.

Parents are worried, as we see in Adolescence - there is a sense that if boys are in their room, then they are safe - they aren’t out on the streets, up to no good - they are at home playing games.

The reality is today, children spend a lot of time in the online world, a world that allows them to create an avatar a mask, an ideal version of themselves and control every element of how this comes to the world.

They say this feels empowering at the time and that in a world that treats them like children and rarely listens, it feels great to be able to have autonomy.

We need to be actively working to create a better future for our boys.

We have to recognise the challenges of boyhood today, but we must not get stuck in a “poor boys” mindset.

There are no villains and victims - but we do need to recognise the role that gender plays in society today because of the imbalance.

Ultimately, it’s about children and the challenges that they are facing today.

We need men to step into male allyship and to create space for boys to grow and to learn and to tackle the root cases that allow this to happen.

So what can parents do today to achieve this? We need to bridge the generational divide.

Parents need to take the time to learn about life growing up online, something we didn’t have in our adolescence.

The way that we approach this needs to be free of blame; many young boys we speak to say they feel judged by their parents, that they don't have much time for them, and they don't tend to listen or value what they say.

Adolescence is often a period where children drift away from their parents and are more likely to listen to their peers.

It's really important to have open conversations and try to avoid preaching.

Finding the balance between transparency and invading privacy is a tightrope.

Yet, our biggest opportunity comes in supporting our children with critical thinking skills, making them curious about the content they consume and getting them to think about how technology works and who they are.

Just listening and creating space generates trust which gradually opens even the most closed of doors.

Adolescence has landed at a time when the macho-culture is rising - now more than ever, we need to change the narrative.

The outcomes of many boys and girls depend on our actions from today onwards.

________________

Lee Chambers is a businessman and founder of Male Allies UK.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email views@lbc.co.uk