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Hello, Wentyl! This week we released a feature we’ve been working on for months – a three-part special looking at what it’s like to be a boy in Australia in 2026.
We found plentiful evidence to show that boys get lower marks, are disciplined more often and are twice as likely to be put in a special-needs category than girls.
We discovered that toxic influences are so pervasive that some mothers worry about how they can avoid raising male “monsters”.
Experts say the focus on girls – while once justified – has contributed to a growing crisis in boys’ education and identity.
At home, adolescent boys are spending up to six hours a day on their phones, with social influencers pressuring them to be rich, good-looking and successful at the expense of women – and supposedly "weaker" men.
It’s no wonder boys are frustrated, feeling the pressure and acting out.
For this series we spoke with 20 teenage boys across the nation, including these year 11 and 12 students from Pittwater House School in Sydney – Tai, Finn, Luca and Henry. Picture: Sam Ruttyn
News Corp spoke to 20 teenage boys from five schools in four states who offer a different view of masculinity.
They acknowledge the negative impact of the manosphere, but say most boys know the difference between a reel and real life.
They may follow influencers such as Clavicular or Androgenic, but aren’t about to start attacking their faces with hammers.
They think boys and girls learn differently, mature at different rates, and have different needs. They want this better acknowledged at school.
They know boys sometimes do silly things to be cool or impress their mates, but it doesn’t make them bad kids.
 Adelaide's Aberfoyle Park High School students Oliver, Charlie and Jethro discussed the different educational needs of boys who don't want to "just sit in the classroom doing theory all day". Picture: Russell Millard Photography
They know how the “ideal man” is meant to look and act, but also know what kind of man they want to be.
They like being males, and would like to see masculinity better valued and understood.
Best of all, they’re also optimistic about the future, and look forward to growing into good men: good fathers, partners and husbands.
When pressed, they don’t name narcissistic influencers as role models, but their own fathers, whom they hail as hardworking, generous and caring.
They think the future is in good hands, and we do too.
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