Second graders of Savremena at the panel discussion

On 15 November, on the premises of Dorćol Platz, a panel discussion titled "BEING MALE: How to Preserve Your Mental Health?" was held, organised by the Center E8 and the Be a Man club. The goal of this panel discussion was to encourage men to reflect on themselves to prevent the adoption of stereotypical ideas about what it means to be male.

The moderator of this panel was Dragan Ilić, a prominent psychologist and well-known journalist. The participants were influencers Vuk Vukašinović and Andrija Stokić, along with Dr Nikola Petrović, a member of the Serbian Psychologists' Society.

High school students showed great interest in this topic, as all seats at Dorćol Platz were filled with young people of this age, mostly second-year students of Savremena Gimnazija.

One of the most common stereotypes in society is that if you are male, then you do not have the right to have emotions

One of the first topics addressed in this panel discussion was toxic masculinity. Dr Nikola Petrović, a psychology lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, stated that toxic masculinity goes to the extent that men refuse to visit a doctor to seek help because it is not considered masculine.

One of the most common stereotypes in society is that if you are male, then you do not have the right to have emotions. In this regard, the panel discussion moderator, Dragan Ilić, asked the participants how it is possible for men to maintain their masculinity in today's world without depriving themselves of emotions, and whether men today must hide if they want to be emotional.

It is expected that we, even as boys, already have the capacity to be men

Andrija also pointed out that the problem of not expressing emotions in men starts in the family due to certain rules, beliefs and prohibitions that are created there. "All of us boys and men from an early age hear 'Be a man! Put up with it! Don't cry, you're not a girl!'. This way, it is expected that we, even as boys, already have the capacity to be men, but we are not because we are boys. The chronological process of maturation and capacity building is neglected and we are not able to meet the expectations of others."

Responding to Andrija's statement that the problem of not expressing emotions in men starts in the family, Dr Petrović added that fathers have a significant influence on sons and their development. "Fathers are important figures for sons, perhaps not so much in the first few years when mothers are central figures, but after that, fathers are the ones sons look up to", says Dr Nikola, adding that, for him, there is no answer to what a real man is and he does not believe in that concept.

We need to bring back the awareness that we are physical beings and that we need to exist more analogically

Another topic mentioned was quarantine. The isolation young people experienced during the two-year coronavirus pandemic left a serious mark on them. The panel discussion participants agreed that the coronavirus pandemic "stole" some key years in the development of young people.

Vuk also emphasised that the digital world or, more specifically, Instagram, can create new problems. "Instagram is 90% of the world for someone. When we get to that point, then we have to understand that we are still physical beings, not digital. We tend to use every free moment by taking our phones, diving deep into that world and no longer existing physically. We need to bring back the awareness that we are physical beings and that we need to exist more analogically", concludes Vuk.

During classes with the class teacher, students of Savremena Gimnazija will delve into the topics covered in the panel discussion

The organisers of this panel discussion say that it is a preview of the campaign they will launch during November for International Men's Day.

"With it, we want to provide young boys and men with the space to think about themselves and encourage the development of their emotional literacy and maturity", said the organisers.

During classes with the class teacher, students of Savremena Gimnazija will delve into the topics covered in the panel discussion and shed light on current issues in this field.

I am extremely pleased and proud to be the parent of a Savremena student. During my first encounter with the school management, when I asked about my child’s potential enrolment, I saw how much love, enthusiasm and professionalism you put in your work. I was impressed by your approach, ideas and methods. I couldn’t believe something like this existed in our country! It doesn’t take long to realise that this is a school you would recommend to everyone. Creativity, modern technology, top-quality education, and most of all, the humaneness that can be seen throughout the school, make it truly different and worthy of its name – Savremena Gimnazija. With such an approach, the success of this school and, consequently, our children’s success, is unavoidable. Congratulations! Jelena Đorđević, Andrija’s mum
Contemporary in any sense of the word, our school offers functional knowledge and quality preparation for tertiary education in Serbia and abroad. Implementing modern and creative teaching in the classroom, where the teachers’ pedagogy and students’ performance are aligned with the highest academic standards for the high-school finals, our school develops linguistic, mathematical, scientific, artistic, cultural, technical and ICT competence, which is a prerequisite for further education and professional development. Teaching is supported by the interactive whiteboards and educational software, whereas practice exercises research and critical thinking.