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Published by Dr Lucy Foulkes and Dr Jack Andrews
Why do teenagers copy their friends? Why does being one of the "cool kids" backfire later in life? Is there really a teenage mental health crisis? Coming of Age is hosted by Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews, psychologists at the University of Oxford who study adolescence for a living. Each week they take one thing about being a teenager - or raising one - that nobody quite understands, and actually explain it: real research and a lot more reassurance than the headlines usually offer.
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Why does your teenager suddenly need a very specific pair of trainers, copy their friends’ opinions, or lose interest in family traditions they once loved? In this episode, Lucy and Jack unpack the psychology of peer influence and why fitting in matters so much during adolescence. They explore when teenagers are most susceptible to their friends, how peer influence can shape everything from clothes and risk-taking to anxiety and bullying, and why it can also be a powerful force for good. Plus, they explain what parents can do when they’re worried about the influence a friendship group is having on their child. Get in touch at pod.comingofage@gmail.com Further reading Laursen, B. & Veenstra, R. (2021). “Toward understanding the functions of peer influence.” Journal of Research on Adolescence . Steinberg, L. & Monahan, K. C. (2007). “Age differences in resistance to peer influence.” Developmental Psychology . Salmivalli, C. (2014). “Participant roles in bullying: How can peer bystanders be utilized in interventions?” Theory Into Practice . Chierchia, G., Piera Pi-Sunyer, B. & Blakemore, S-J. (2020). “Prosocial influence and opportunistic conformity in adolescents and young adults.” Psychological Science . Foulkes, L. et al. (2018). “Age differences in the prosocial influence effect.” Developmental Science .
Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews are research psychologists at the University of Oxford, and in the very first episode of Coming of Age they explore what adolescence really is, and why it's one of the most misunderstood stages of our lives. From why teenagers seem so sensitive to friendships and social status to what the science tells us about identity, popularity and belonging, they unpack the psychology behind behaviours that are so often dismissed as "just being a teenager." Together, they discuss why adolescence now stretches well into our twenties, why fitting in feels so important during the school years, the surprising difference between being popular and being well liked, and why just one close friendship can make a profound difference to a young person's wellbeing. They also explain why that unanswered text message can genuinely feel catastrophic to a teenager, and how understanding the science can help parents respond with greater empathy. Get in touch at pod.comingofage@gmail.com Research Discussed: Age range debate: Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C.(2018). The age of adolescence . The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health , 2 (3),223-228. Cliques and hierarchies: Foulkes, L. (2024). Coming of Age: How AdolescenceShapes Us . London, UK: Penguin Random House. Two kinds of popularity: Sandstrom, M. J., & Cillessen, A. H. (2006). Likeable versus popular:Distinct implications for adolescent adjustment . International Journal of Behavioral Development , 30 (4),305-314. Prinstein, M. J. (2017). Popular: The Power of Likabilityin a Status-Obsessed World . New York: Penguin. The emotional pain of rejection: Sebastian, C., Viding, E., Williams, K. D., & Blakemore, S. J.(2010). Social brain developmentand the affective consequences of ostracism in adolescence. Brain & Cognition , 72 (1),134-145. One good friend is all you need: Alsarrani, A.,Hunter, R. F., Dunne, L., & Garcia, L. (2022). Associationbetween friendship quality and subjective wellbeing among adolescents: Asystematic review. BMC Public Health , 22 (1),2420. Narr, R. K.,Allen, J. P., Tan, J. S., & Loeb, E. L. (2019). Closefriendship strength and broader peer group desirability as differentialpredictors of adult mental health. Child Development , 90 (1),298-313. Evans-Whipp & Gasser (2019), Teens with at least one closefriend can better cope with stress than those without . Theconversation Guidance for parents: Damour, L. (2016). Untangled: Guiding teenage girls through the seventransitions into adulthood . New York: Ballantine Books.
Coming of Age is coming. Oxford psychologists Lucy Foulkes and Jack Andrews are lifting the lid on why teenagers really do what they do — the science behind friendships, peer pressure, risk-taking and the truth about the "mental health crisis," minus the panic. Subscribe now so you're first in line for episode one.
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Observed September 20, 2026.
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