Program

How is online culture reshaping boys' understanding of identity, power, and belonging, and who is helping them make sense of it? A grounded, cross-disciplinary conversation for parents, educators and readers.

Educational outcomes for boys are declining, while online culture increasingly shapes how young men understand power, success, gender and identity. This session brings together a crime writer exploring violence and alienation (Blunt), a researcher examining boys’ education (James) and a journalist/writer navigating these pressures first-hand (Toohey). From influencers and algorithms to fiction that explores violence, alienation and belonging, the panel examines how digital spaces are reshaping masculinity, how schools and families are struggling to keep up, and what more honest conversations with boys might look like. A challenging yet grounded conversation.