In this episode of To Be A Boy, Joeli and Elliott unpack the newly announced social media ban for under-16s: from TikTok, YouTube and Roblox to VPNs, WhatsApp and the very real risk that teenagers are simply left to “stare at the wall”.

They ask whether the ban is a necessary cultural reset, a blunt instrument, or both. They also look at what young people need instead: youth clubs, third spaces, safer online communities, and more honest support for families. Plus, a detour into The Care Gap, boys and domestic responsibility, dinner fatigue, England football feelings, and Elliott’s surprisingly nerve-wracking mission to give men flowers for Father’s Day.

Joeli and Elliott are joined by Shuab Gamote, advocate for young people, strategic adviser to the NEETs Commission, and co-author of Inside the Mind of a 16-Year-Old.

Shuab has spoken to more than 1,000 young people across the UK, and in this conversation he shares what they are really saying about school, work, confidence, social media, COVID, class, AI, safety, and the future. Together, they explore why so many boys feel misunderstood, why the education system is failing some young people, and why confidence, purpose, trusted adults and real-world opportunities matter so much.

It’s a wide-ranging, hopeful and deeply human conversation about what boys are navigating today, and what parents, schools, employers and policymakers can do to help them feel seen, valued and ready for the world ahead.

In a world of social media, body pressures, dating confusion and manosphere content that’s only getting louder, what does it mean to be a young man right now?

In this episode, Elliott and Joeli speak to Ricardo Barcello, a 19-year-old student and member of the Movember Youth Advisory Board, about what life really feels like for young men today. From gym culture and skincare anxiety to friendship, misogyny, dating and the growing divide between boys and girls, Ricardo brings honesty, empathy and much-needed nuance to the conversation.