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.
Other times to listen with children could be while sitting outside under a tree or lying around in the living room after an active summer day.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of these podcast episodes and am delighted to share them with you today!
The first five are appropriate for kids or teens, and rest below that are ones more appropriate for older teens.
Episode: The birth of the modern consumer movement (May 3, 2024)
Listening to this podcast with kids is crucial for many reasons. One of the most important is the ongoing effort to combat disinformation, hate, and lies online. Unfortunately, those working in this field have become targets of extreme groups. This is deeply troubling because trust, safety, and content moderation are crucial, yet these groups are outraged, feeling their posts have been unfairly "censored." They resort to ruthless tactics, including threatening lives. It's heartbreaking that several universities have shut down their research and work in this vital area due to these threats. I highly recommend reading this article if you're interested in this topic.
Short Synopsis: The birth of the modern consumer movement tells the story of Ralph Nader, who worked hard to make cars safer but was then vilified by some car makers and politicians. Consider listening to this with your child and then discuss how it relates to the attacks on people working for trust and safety on the internet.
Episode: Are you caught in a social media trap? (March 7, 2024)
This episode is rich in fascinating research. In fact, I wrote a blog inspired by this episode.
Short Synopsis: This episode explores research about how much students would need to be paid to stop using TikTok or Instagram for a month. But then, when told the whole university would stop either app for a month, the students say they would PAY money to have this happen!
Episode: How to be real with your kids — about apologies (March 27, 2024)
Short Synopsis: Penn Badgley is an actor. He is, most importantly, a father and stepfather who values being open and vulnerable with his kids. He reads an essay about a father learning to show his emotions to his sons after a tragic loss, reflecting on the importance of emotional honesty in parenting.
Episode: Storage units (April 21, 2024)
How often do we have conversations with our kids about all the stuff in our lives? This podcast episode can spark such a discussion.
Short Synopsis: Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storage companies make billions. It is literally a $45 billion business.
Episode: John Green’s Reluctance (Nov 11, 2022)
I'm a big fan of John Green. His books, like "The Fault in Our Stars," and his Crash Course videos on YouTube, which my kids and I adore, are simply amazing. He truly rocks!
Short Synopsis: John Green discusses challenges like writing under pressure and balancing money and happiness. He also shares personal stories, including the impact of his book “The Fault in Our Stars” and his latest work, “The Anthropocene Reviewed.”
Recent Episodes: Jonathan Haidt Explains the Youth Mental Health Crisis (June 10, 2024)
Screen Time Parenting With Positive Discipline (May 13, 2024)
Acing Screen Time Conflicts with Lisa Damour (Apr 1, 2024)
I've been so pleased to see such a positive response to our podcast over recent months. Many more of you have become regular listeners and I, (along with a small team who helps me) have worked so hard to cover a range of important topics and bring interesting guests to appear on the show.
I'd love for you to try listening to any of the episodes if you haven't already. If you like our podcast then subscribing/following is a great way to show your appreciation and help us reach a wider audience in the podcast apps.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Episode: Unexpected Community (Jan 23, 2024)
Short Synopsis: This episode contains stories about finding community in unexpected places, such as on the basketball court or by painting a mural. Please note that one of the stories discusses suicide.
Episode: Sex scenes (Jan 21, 2024)
There has been an explosion of sexual content in the media, including easily accessible free porn (ERG!). Sex is an uncomfortable topic, and I'm always working to help parents find ways to normalize language around body parts and sexuality. This podcast will be a valuable resource in that effort.
The episode makes an interesting point about the care given to stunt performers compared to those doing sex scenes. By all means, I recommend listening first alone and deciding if it would be appropriate for listening to with your teen. Remember, they have very likely seen more than you know.
Short Synopsis: Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable. Zachary Crockett fast-forwards straight to the good parts.
Episode: Movie Sound Effects (April 14, 2024)
When I teach people about filmmaking, I often ask, what is more important to perfect, the picture or the sound? Sound, of course. We forgive poor image quality much more than we do poor sound quality. Meanwhile, the layers of sound that go into well-crafted movies are really amazing.
I like that this episode can spark discussions about heavy shows like horror movies and Breaking Bad. In fact, it starts out with a clip from that show. Many teens are drawn to scary and violent shows, and whenever we can give them ways to pull back from the intensity and ways to look critically at it all, the better.
Short Synopsis: The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel! With new ones added regularly, you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our latest!
As we’re about to celebrate 10 years of Screenagers, we want to hear what’s been most helpful and what you’d like to see next.
Please click here to share your thoughts with us in our community survey. It only takes 5–10 minutes, and everyone who completes it will be entered to win one of five $50 Amazon vouchers.
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.
Other times to listen with children could be while sitting outside under a tree or lying around in the living room after an active summer day.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of these podcast episodes and am delighted to share them with you today!
The first five are appropriate for kids or teens, and rest below that are ones more appropriate for older teens.
Episode: The birth of the modern consumer movement (May 3, 2024)
Listening to this podcast with kids is crucial for many reasons. One of the most important is the ongoing effort to combat disinformation, hate, and lies online. Unfortunately, those working in this field have become targets of extreme groups. This is deeply troubling because trust, safety, and content moderation are crucial, yet these groups are outraged, feeling their posts have been unfairly "censored." They resort to ruthless tactics, including threatening lives. It's heartbreaking that several universities have shut down their research and work in this vital area due to these threats. I highly recommend reading this article if you're interested in this topic.
Short Synopsis: The birth of the modern consumer movement tells the story of Ralph Nader, who worked hard to make cars safer but was then vilified by some car makers and politicians. Consider listening to this with your child and then discuss how it relates to the attacks on people working for trust and safety on the internet.
Episode: Are you caught in a social media trap? (March 7, 2024)
This episode is rich in fascinating research. In fact, I wrote a blog inspired by this episode.
Short Synopsis: This episode explores research about how much students would need to be paid to stop using TikTok or Instagram for a month. But then, when told the whole university would stop either app for a month, the students say they would PAY money to have this happen!
Episode: How to be real with your kids — about apologies (March 27, 2024)
Short Synopsis: Penn Badgley is an actor. He is, most importantly, a father and stepfather who values being open and vulnerable with his kids. He reads an essay about a father learning to show his emotions to his sons after a tragic loss, reflecting on the importance of emotional honesty in parenting.
Episode: Storage units (April 21, 2024)
How often do we have conversations with our kids about all the stuff in our lives? This podcast episode can spark such a discussion.
Short Synopsis: Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storage companies make billions. It is literally a $45 billion business.
Episode: John Green’s Reluctance (Nov 11, 2022)
I'm a big fan of John Green. His books, like "The Fault in Our Stars," and his Crash Course videos on YouTube, which my kids and I adore, are simply amazing. He truly rocks!
Short Synopsis: John Green discusses challenges like writing under pressure and balancing money and happiness. He also shares personal stories, including the impact of his book “The Fault in Our Stars” and his latest work, “The Anthropocene Reviewed.”
Recent Episodes: Jonathan Haidt Explains the Youth Mental Health Crisis (June 10, 2024)
Screen Time Parenting With Positive Discipline (May 13, 2024)
Acing Screen Time Conflicts with Lisa Damour (Apr 1, 2024)
I've been so pleased to see such a positive response to our podcast over recent months. Many more of you have become regular listeners and I, (along with a small team who helps me) have worked so hard to cover a range of important topics and bring interesting guests to appear on the show.
I'd love for you to try listening to any of the episodes if you haven't already. If you like our podcast then subscribing/following is a great way to show your appreciation and help us reach a wider audience in the podcast apps.
Episode: Unexpected Community (Jan 23, 2024)
Short Synopsis: This episode contains stories about finding community in unexpected places, such as on the basketball court or by painting a mural. Please note that one of the stories discusses suicide.
Episode: Sex scenes (Jan 21, 2024)
There has been an explosion of sexual content in the media, including easily accessible free porn (ERG!). Sex is an uncomfortable topic, and I'm always working to help parents find ways to normalize language around body parts and sexuality. This podcast will be a valuable resource in that effort.
The episode makes an interesting point about the care given to stunt performers compared to those doing sex scenes. By all means, I recommend listening first alone and deciding if it would be appropriate for listening to with your teen. Remember, they have very likely seen more than you know.
Short Synopsis: Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable. Zachary Crockett fast-forwards straight to the good parts.
Episode: Movie Sound Effects (April 14, 2024)
When I teach people about filmmaking, I often ask, what is more important to perfect, the picture or the sound? Sound, of course. We forgive poor image quality much more than we do poor sound quality. Meanwhile, the layers of sound that go into well-crafted movies are really amazing.
I like that this episode can spark discussions about heavy shows like horror movies and Breaking Bad. In fact, it starts out with a clip from that show. Many teens are drawn to scary and violent shows, and whenever we can give them ways to pull back from the intensity and ways to look critically at it all, the better.
Short Synopsis: The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel! With new ones added regularly, you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our latest!
Sign up here to receive the weekly Tech Talk Tuesdays newsletter from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD.
We respect your privacy.
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.
Other times to listen with children could be while sitting outside under a tree or lying around in the living room after an active summer day.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of these podcast episodes and am delighted to share them with you today!
The first five are appropriate for kids or teens, and rest below that are ones more appropriate for older teens.
Episode: The birth of the modern consumer movement (May 3, 2024)
Listening to this podcast with kids is crucial for many reasons. One of the most important is the ongoing effort to combat disinformation, hate, and lies online. Unfortunately, those working in this field have become targets of extreme groups. This is deeply troubling because trust, safety, and content moderation are crucial, yet these groups are outraged, feeling their posts have been unfairly "censored." They resort to ruthless tactics, including threatening lives. It's heartbreaking that several universities have shut down their research and work in this vital area due to these threats. I highly recommend reading this article if you're interested in this topic.
Short Synopsis: The birth of the modern consumer movement tells the story of Ralph Nader, who worked hard to make cars safer but was then vilified by some car makers and politicians. Consider listening to this with your child and then discuss how it relates to the attacks on people working for trust and safety on the internet.
Episode: Are you caught in a social media trap? (March 7, 2024)
This episode is rich in fascinating research. In fact, I wrote a blog inspired by this episode.
Short Synopsis: This episode explores research about how much students would need to be paid to stop using TikTok or Instagram for a month. But then, when told the whole university would stop either app for a month, the students say they would PAY money to have this happen!
Episode: How to be real with your kids — about apologies (March 27, 2024)
Short Synopsis: Penn Badgley is an actor. He is, most importantly, a father and stepfather who values being open and vulnerable with his kids. He reads an essay about a father learning to show his emotions to his sons after a tragic loss, reflecting on the importance of emotional honesty in parenting.
Episode: Storage units (April 21, 2024)
How often do we have conversations with our kids about all the stuff in our lives? This podcast episode can spark such a discussion.
Short Synopsis: Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storage companies make billions. It is literally a $45 billion business.
Episode: John Green’s Reluctance (Nov 11, 2022)
I'm a big fan of John Green. His books, like "The Fault in Our Stars," and his Crash Course videos on YouTube, which my kids and I adore, are simply amazing. He truly rocks!
Short Synopsis: John Green discusses challenges like writing under pressure and balancing money and happiness. He also shares personal stories, including the impact of his book “The Fault in Our Stars” and his latest work, “The Anthropocene Reviewed.”
Recent Episodes: Jonathan Haidt Explains the Youth Mental Health Crisis (June 10, 2024)
Screen Time Parenting With Positive Discipline (May 13, 2024)
Acing Screen Time Conflicts with Lisa Damour (Apr 1, 2024)
I've been so pleased to see such a positive response to our podcast over recent months. Many more of you have become regular listeners and I, (along with a small team who helps me) have worked so hard to cover a range of important topics and bring interesting guests to appear on the show.
I'd love for you to try listening to any of the episodes if you haven't already. If you like our podcast then subscribing/following is a great way to show your appreciation and help us reach a wider audience in the podcast apps.
Today I’m rounding up six of the most-read blogs from 2025 so far. Stories and interviews that struck a chord with readers and offered real tools for parenting in the screen age. Whether you missed a few or want a quick refresher, I hope you’ll find something here that inspires a new conversation in your home, school, or community.
READ MORE >
Reflecting on a year filled with meaningful conversations and valuable insights, we’re excited to share a roundup of our most popular Tech Talk Tuesday Blogs, Screenagers Podcasts, and YouTube bites. This list includes the top 10 blog posts that sparked discussion, the podcast episodes that resonated most with our audience, and the five most-watched YouTube videos of the year.
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.
