What teenagers really do - what they really think, need, feel and want - is the intriguing subject of a new 16-part series on RTE Radio 1, The Teenage Years. Examining the problems encountered by people on the journey from childhood to adulthood, it sets out to describe the reality of teen life in Ireland. "In the series, teenagers talk about their experiences of issues such as sexuality, anxiety and friendship," says its award-winning producer and presenter, Colm Keane. "There is something everyone can identify with here, and parents will learn all sorts of things from listening in."

The programme goes out on Thursdays, from 12.30 to 12.50 p.m. This week's programme is a young woman's account of her first relationship, at 15, with a boyfriend her parents were not impressed with. An accompanying book, The Teenage Years, co-written by Colm Keane and psychologist Marie Murray, is published by Mercier Press for £8.99.