276: ENCORE: Lessons from Netflix’s “Adolescence”

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

Mental Health, Kids & Family, Parenting, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 828 Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2026

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If watching "Adolescence" on Netflix left you feeling worried about your son, this episode will help you turn your concerns into action. Dr. Lisa Damour breaks down what the show gets exactly right about adolescent boys: why they're emotionally constrained by culture, how that vulnerability gets exploited by toxic online figures like Andrew Tate, and what parents can do right now to connect with their sons. This is our most-watched episode ever on YouTube — and we think you'll understand why. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - Why boys are often only "allowed" to express anger and pleasure at others’ expense - How feelings of inferiority in middle school can make boys uniquely vulnerable to toxic influencers who offer them a shortcut to feeling powerful - Why modeling emotional honesty is one of the most protective things a father can do — and why moms alone can't close this gap - How toxic and misogynistic content finds boys through algorithms, even when kids aren't looking for it — and the concrete steps parents can take to intervene - How to watch "Adolescence" with your teen and use it to start a real conversation built on curiosity and care, not fear and anxiety With Father's Day around the corner, there's no better time to revisit this episode. ________________ GET DR. DAMOUR'S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Guidance, strategies, and tips delivered straight to your inbox → ⁠https://drlisadamour.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/⁠ DR. DAMOUR'S BESTSELLING BOOKS - Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood – ⁠https://bit.ly/UntangledBook⁠ - Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls – ⁠https://bit.ly/UnderPressuretheBook⁠ - The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents – ⁠https://a.co/d/cbOmTKp⁠ UNTANGLING 10TO20 MEMBERSHIP Premium courses & resources for teens and the adults who care for them → ⁠https://lnkd.in/gr52MB-F⁠ VISIT DR. LISA'S WEBSITE → ⁠https://drlisadamour.com/⁠ ________________ Today's sponsors: OneSkin: Use the code ASKLISA for 15% off your next purchase at ⁠https://www.oneskin.co/ASKLISA⁠. iRestore: Receive discounts on their red light therapy devices at ⁠https://www.irestore.com/⁠ Understood: Check out Everyone Gets a Juice Box wherever you listen to podcasts. Hero: Use promo code ASKLISA for 10% off your order at https://www.hero.com. ________________ Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges. Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday. ________________ Episode keywords: parenting teen boys, raising adolescent boys, helping teen boys with emotions, teen boy mental health, middle school boy struggles, boys and anger issues, dads and sons relationship, father son communication, teaching boys to talk about feelings, breaking toxic masculinity, boys and online misogyny, Andrew Tate influence on boys, protecting kids from social media, teen cyberbullying help, Netflix Adolescence series, discussing difficult shows with teens, helping non athletic sons, building teen self worth Podcast keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tell me a parenting issue everyone struggles with with tweens and teens, but no one talks about.
0:06.8	Rina, I think a lot of people feel like they just don't know how to connect to their kid anymore.
0:12.6	I'm Rina Nainen and welcome to Ask Lisa the psychology of raising tweens and teens.
0:17.6	And I'm Dr. Lisa D'Amour.
0:19.0	We bring you science-back strategies for managing anxiety, discipline, intense emotions, and more.
0:24.6	We decode tough parenting issues with tips you can use right now.
0:28.6	So subscribe to Ask Lisa the psychology of raising tweens and teens and join our YouTube community today.
0:35.6	Just Google, Ask Lisa Podcast.
0:38.1	We're here to help you untangle family life.
0:43.6	Encore episode 276, lessons from Netflix's adolescence.
1:03.2	Friends, if you've seen the Netflix series Adolescence or even just heard about it and felt worried about your son, this episode will help you turn that concern into action.
1:12.3	We'll explore how emotionally constrained boys often are, how that vulnerability gets exploited online, and what parents can do to show up for their sons. With Father's Day around the corner, it's the perfect time to revisit this episode.
1:17.9	This is one of our most watched episodes ever on YouTube, and I think you'll understand why.
1:24.7	Netflix has given the series a mature audience rating, which means it's designed for adults
1:29.5	and may be unsuitable for children under 17 because of graphic content.
1:34.2	And we're going to talk about whether you should see it with your kid.
1:37.0	So we haven't really done this before where there's a moment in pop culture that talks about
1:42.3	and dissects teenage life in a way that we felt we had to come on,
1:48.0	do a special episode, and talk about the big findings. Right, Lisa? Yeah. No, this is,
1:53.5	this is important and worth it. And I'm thrilled that we're thinking about this together.
1:58.5	We're talking about the British TV series on Netflix called Adolescence.
2:02.3	It's really taken the channel by storm.
	...

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