I listen to a lot of podcast episodes looking for ones that will be great for sparking conversation with younger people.
I look for themes related to our digital age and themes around what it means to be a good person in this world. In addition, I think of things kids like, such as stories that involve animals, adventure, and so on.
Best of all, you can listen to an episode with kids, but if not, listen yourself and make note of something to bring up later with kids or teens.
People often ask how I find the time to listen to so many podcasts. Here’s what I tell them:
You will need to check out these episodes to know what is appropriate or not for your kiddo.
Episode: The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar
Recently I had the good fortune of doing film screenings in France, including Screenagers Under The Influence, which deals with dependency on substances and screens. A university student asked me after the film about the idea of sugar being addictive. I said that indeed research has shown it to be addictive. This entertaining episode is perfect for adults and kids.
Episode: A Feast for Baboons
This episode explores the idea of innate aggression. How innate is it?
Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has studied baboons with this question in mind. From the description: “The key question was how do these guys unlearn their entire childhood culture of aggression, something supposedly built-in? Sapolsky tells us that tale — a moment he describes as one of the best science moments of his life.”
I loved learning about the influence of the female baboons. Go girls!
An added bonus is that our sound editor and engineer for The Screenagers Podcast, Alan Gofinski, also works on Radiolab for Kids."
Episode: The Power of Family Stories
As a person who makes personal story documentaries, this Hidden Brain episode really touched me. It includes research on teenagers, so they might want to tune in if you hit play on a car ride this holiday. Why not take breaks and quiz each other on things like “What was dad’s first job?”
The episode is poignant because it explores how taking time in our families to share stories is a powerful bonding exercise — irrespective of what specifically gets shared. Here is a quote from the show: “The point of family stories is not the stories themselves, but the process of storytelling and the psychology of what happens as we elicit and listen to stories from other people.”
Episode: Befriending your impostor syndrome with Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir
Iceland's president, Halla Tómasdóttir, is such a life force. I just felt incredibly uplifted when I heard this discussion. Her commitment to making time to really listen to others to be the best leader she can be, is worth the whole conversation. And there’s more, such as her honesty about overcoming impostor syndrome.
Episode: Why School Safety Experts Want Phone Bans
In this episode, I explore a question that has sparked debate among educators, parents, and safety experts: Is it safer for students to have their phones during a school lockdown, or could it do more harm than good? To tackle this complex topic, I speak with a school superintendent, two police officers, and Clayton Cranford, a retired school resource officer and founder of Total Safety Solutions.
Episode: Swim Towards The Shark
The story about a shark attack is a WOW of a story! (I am not at all recommending that anyone do what the guy does in it!)
Another great part of this episode is the moving interview with movie maker Sarah Polley about her journey to healing from a life-altering concussion. (In my recent blog with book recommendations, I listed Polley’s brilliant memoir. )
(yes, Podcast is two times, not a typo 😀)
This is a recently released five-part series created by two super smart recent college graduates. Full disclosure: One of them is a friend of my son, and that is how I learned about the pod.
Did you know that females make up the vast majority of true crime listeners? The production of this pod is excellent, and it provides a clever way to allow important ethical discussions with teens in your life. There are some discussions of murder, but not at all in a salacious way.
Episode: Meet Me At The Fair
The 4H part, with kids talking about their bunnies, is super sweet.
I am all for 4H because it provides wonderful opportunities for young people to be in person life with others experiencing the world and responsibilities.
This will bring up discussions about jobs and also an appreciation of people who are working at festivals and beyond. As a teen, I worked at Renaissance Faires, which made me think of those days. There may be a couple of swear words so if you want them to be beeped, listen on their website.
Episode: Johann Hari: Stolen Focus Pt. 1
Oprah interviews best-selling author Johann Hari to discuss his book “Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.” Johann is an engaging speaker and storyteller. What will your child think about Hari’s ideas that our society is increasingly built on "scanning and skimming" rather than sustained attention?
Episode: How ZYN's Social Media Strategy is Driving Teen Nicotine Addiction
There was JUUL. Now there is ZYN. Big Tobacco is continuing to make its business model addiction, and its customer base are teens and young adults. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Robert Jackler, an expert on how Big Tobacco targets teens with slick and deceptive advertising and misleading products. Dr. Jackler, a professor at Stanford, talks about ZYN, the small flavored nicotine pouches that are going viral on social media. This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Here are links to other podcast recommendations I've made in the past:
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I listen to a lot of podcast episodes looking for ones that will be great for sparking conversation with younger people.
I look for themes related to our digital age and themes around what it means to be a good person in this world. In addition, I think of things kids like, such as stories that involve animals, adventure, and so on.
Best of all, you can listen to an episode with kids, but if not, listen yourself and make note of something to bring up later with kids or teens.
People often ask how I find the time to listen to so many podcasts. Here’s what I tell them:
You will need to check out these episodes to know what is appropriate or not for your kiddo.
Episode: The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar
Recently I had the good fortune of doing film screenings in France, including Screenagers Under The Influence, which deals with dependency on substances and screens. A university student asked me after the film about the idea of sugar being addictive. I said that indeed research has shown it to be addictive. This entertaining episode is perfect for adults and kids.
Episode: A Feast for Baboons
This episode explores the idea of innate aggression. How innate is it?
Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky has studied baboons with this question in mind. From the description: “The key question was how do these guys unlearn their entire childhood culture of aggression, something supposedly built-in? Sapolsky tells us that tale — a moment he describes as one of the best science moments of his life.”
I loved learning about the influence of the female baboons. Go girls!
An added bonus is that our sound editor and engineer for The Screenagers Podcast, Alan Gofinski, also works on Radiolab for Kids."
Episode: The Power of Family Stories
As a person who makes personal story documentaries, this Hidden Brain episode really touched me. It includes research on teenagers, so they might want to tune in if you hit play on a car ride this holiday. Why not take breaks and quiz each other on things like “What was dad’s first job?”
The episode is poignant because it explores how taking time in our families to share stories is a powerful bonding exercise — irrespective of what specifically gets shared. Here is a quote from the show: “The point of family stories is not the stories themselves, but the process of storytelling and the psychology of what happens as we elicit and listen to stories from other people.”
Episode: Befriending your impostor syndrome with Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir
Iceland's president, Halla Tómasdóttir, is such a life force. I just felt incredibly uplifted when I heard this discussion. Her commitment to making time to really listen to others to be the best leader she can be, is worth the whole conversation. And there’s more, such as her honesty about overcoming impostor syndrome.
Episode: Why School Safety Experts Want Phone Bans
In this episode, I explore a question that has sparked debate among educators, parents, and safety experts: Is it safer for students to have their phones during a school lockdown, or could it do more harm than good? To tackle this complex topic, I speak with a school superintendent, two police officers, and Clayton Cranford, a retired school resource officer and founder of Total Safety Solutions.
Episode: Swim Towards The Shark
The story about a shark attack is a WOW of a story! (I am not at all recommending that anyone do what the guy does in it!)
Another great part of this episode is the moving interview with movie maker Sarah Polley about her journey to healing from a life-altering concussion. (In my recent blog with book recommendations, I listed Polley’s brilliant memoir. )
Today i'm sharing some of my favorite recent reads. They're not light reads, but they're really engaging and cover truly important themes. I also have recommendations for children and teens. I love including books in my holiday gifting. My list includes the book I’m giving to my son for Christmas!
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Summer is here, and you may be going on a car trip, so having a list of interesting podcasts to listen to as a family can be helpful. All of these are excellent to listen to as an adult, whether you want to discuss the topic with youth in your life or not. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these episodes and am delighted to share them with you today!
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I have ten podcast recommendations today. These episodes focus on family and tech—surprise, surprise! Similar to past recommendations, I am particularly focused on episodes of shows I think will be wonderful to listen to with youth. You can pre-listen, find a section you like, and ask your kiddo to do a 7-minute post-dinner listening session on the couch.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
