In this episode, Dara shares his response to the compelling drama series ‘Adolescence’ that recently launched on Netflix. Covering the harrowing events around a 13-year-old schoolboy murdering a female schoolmate, the show is an extraordinary dramatic and technical achievement that has found itself at the heart of the dark side of the zeitgeist – namely, the changed social landscape that shapes the minds of boys and young men in insidious online spaces that are ubiquitous, ever-accessible and distressingly persuasive.
Through his involvement with What Does He Need? – the long-running community arts project exploring contemporary masculinity in boys and young men, Dara feels like he has a foot very firmly in the world of ‘Adolescence’. He discusses the work and his own experience with the young people he has spent time with. He also talks about performing masculinity, and how he was very clear from a young age about the type of masculinity he was not attracted to.
Further to that, Dara advocates for placing love at the centre of male engagement. He remains convinced that the confident expression of love is key to building the safety, trust and vulnerability that will allow men of all ages to thrive. His vision is one of collaborative leadership rooted in caretaking – men and boys taking care of themselves, and caring for those they share this world with.
Finally, Dara recommends an interview with Delroy Lindo on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast as a complement to this discussion of masculinity.
Celena Ribeiro article on Adolescence from Guardian Australia: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/29/the-adolescence-alarm-if-theres-a-problem-with-boys-behaviour-its-because-of-us
Delroy Lindo speaks to Marc Maron: https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1630-delroy-lindo
What Does He Need? masculinity project: https://www.whatdoesheneed.com/