大象传媒

Catherine Carr has been talking to teenage boys across the UK about their fears, worries and ambitions - a unique generation shaped by Covid lock-downs, #MeToo and a cost-of-living crisis.

They speak with striking candour about everything: their worries about the hierarchy in friendship groups; being tall, being rich, being poor, being accused of sexual assault. They're vulnerable about their feelings and what it means to hear 'all men must die' bandied around at school when you're just 12 years old.

They feel pressure from online influencers to be strong men, but they're also very aware of the complicated issues around sex and consent. They see girls doing better at school - and they are struggling to work out what their role in the adult world will be.

Throughout the series, you'll hear boys revealing some shocking experiences, like watching porn aged eight, or the attractions of joining a gang.

They also share their successes - older ones setting up businesses, while younger ones glory in being able to do 20 press-ups without stopping.

There are also nuggets of wisdom from the adults who spend their lives working with boys and fighting their corner. Teachers, coaches and youth workers talk about how they see boys navigating their way in the world, and experts provide insight and data from research done into boys' changing lives over the last 50 years.

But the mainstage in About the Boys is given to the boys themselves. This is a chance for them to explain what life in 2024 looks like for teens trying to find healthy and happy ways to grow into men.

A Whistledown production for 大象传媒 Radio 4

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