Hi, I'm Sam.
I help schools and parents see what boys are being sold online, and what to do about it.
Boys are being sold
- a jawline.
- a shortcut.
- peptides.
- steroids.
- a body.
- insecurity.
- fake mentors.
- a jawline.
Every day, teenage boys scroll past influencers selling them a better face, a bigger body and a faster way to get there. Increasingly that means injectable peptides and steroids, bought online with no prescription and no idea what is really in the vial.
Most parents and teachers have no idea how far it goes. I study this market and the young men in it, and I translate what the evidence says into plain talk that boys listen to and parents can act on.
Researcher. Writer. Former navy diver.
I grew up in the north of England and joined the Royal Navy as a mine clearance diver: a job built on knowing exactly what risk you’re taking, and why.
Since then I’ve spent ten years in public health research. My work looks at the risks young people take and the people selling them those risks: looksmaxxing, extreme gym culture, unregulated peptides and steroids, and the online cultures that promote them. My team tests what is actually inside the products young men buy.
I don’t arrive with a script about what boys should be. I bring what the research shows, a few honest stories, and a lot of time for their questions. It’s not a crisis of masculinity. It’s a crisis of mentorship.
One visit. Three audiences.
Most schools book the student talk and a parent evening together, so boys and their families hear the same thing in the same week.
Year group talk
For Years 9 to 12. What the algorithm is selling them, why it works, and what is really in the vial. Straight talk, then open questions.
20–30 min + Q&A · in personParent evening
What your son is likely seeing online, the warning signs, and how to start the conversation without starting a fight.
60 min · in person or onlineStaff briefing
For wellbeing, health and PE teams. The trends, the products, the language boys use, and where to send them for help.
45–60 min · in person or onlineTalking to the people who need to hear it.
Research people actually read.
As at November 2026
Fresh off the press.
In print and on air.
It's not a crisis of masculinity. It's a crisis of mentorship.Sam Cornell · ABC Religion & Ethics, 2026
Let's talk about what boys are being sold.
Tell me about your school, the year groups you have in mind and a rough date. I’ll reply with options and a fixed fee.
Get in touch