I have ten podcast recommendations today. These episodes focus on family and tech—surprise, surprise! I could not resist recommending the first one because it follows up so nicely with our most current Screenagers film, Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age.
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. Or, you can listen to them during Sunday breakfast to spark some cool chit-chat for the rest of the day. Let the recommendations begin!
Episode: Vaping Is It Really That Bad?
I recently showed college students the section of Screenagers Under The Influence that examines issues around vapes. The best part of the class was that at the end, a student raised her hand to tell us she had decided, right during the class, that she was going to try again to quit vaping.
This episode gives more reasons to get teens to think again before vaping. Listen for the cough research study!
Episode: Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)
How much does Google pay Apple to make its search engine the default on their phones? Is Google incentivized to get better when it dominates the world of search? How can the Google Ads system impact what we get when we search for topics? Learn the answers to these and many more questions in this episode.
Episode: Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Who doesn’t love a story where a father changes and starts to spend time doing what the son loves to do? This episode about a down-and-out guy who commits to visiting all the ballparks in the country in one season is a must-listen with your kiddo. I especially liked the part when he visited Seattle!
Episode: Your Weirdest Dates
When we can share real stories of love with our kids, it is a gift. They are flooded with unrealistic relationship tropes via Hollywood, macro-influencers, and micro-influencers (from local social circles).
The story in this episode of a girl booking a cargo trip boat ride with a guy made me smile big time. Other stories in the episode will also get your family talking.
Episode: What’s in the Fridge
I am a big fan of the host of this show, Seth Godin, bestselling author of 19 books, whose work is all about helping people think about the change they want to make to improve the world.
How can tech help fridge owners help the planet? This episode is filled with important facts about what we eat, what we waste, and what can be done about it.
Episode: Who should be in charge of AI?
I very much appreciated the fascinating explanation of how company boards came to be. Then this segued into what happened with Sam Altman – at least what we know up to this point. In addition, the episode centers on who should regulate AI. We are just at the start of large language models as we know them. This episode is a great way to help our kids think deeply about this important topic.
Acing Screen Time Conflicts with Lisa Damour
Parenting kids has always had its challenges, but now, in the tech revolution, conflicts are at a whole new level. The good news is that research shows that conflicts done well have all sorts of benefits for youth. But how do we ensure healthier conflicts? On today’s episode, Lisa Damour, Ph.D. psychologist and author of three New York Times best-selling books about adolescents, including “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers,” shares valuable advice on doing just that. The episode explores teen psychology, common screen time arguments, and several approaches to having healthier conflicts. All this makes for compelling listening not just for parents but for adolescents as well
Listen Here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
Is Social Media Really an Addiction?
In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston dives into the pressing issue of social media addiction through the story of one young person, Lars, and insights from the chief of addiction medicine at Stanford, Ana Lembke, MD, and longtime media researcher Douglas Gentile, PhD. Through Lar’s struggle with social media addiction, listeners gain an intimate look at the impact of social media on mental health and identity. The episode sheds light on the various ways compulsive social media use can impact a young person and delves into the science behind digital addiction. Ultimately, Dr. Ruston and her guests offer valuable tips on how to know when social media use is in the zone of a clinical addiction and, most importantly, how to help teens who are in that zone, or wobbling there, to break free.
Listen Here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
Concerns over Snapchat use by its many young users seem to be discussed much less than concerns over TikTok and Instagram. Yet, issues with Snapchat are plenty — be it social conflicts or the sexually explicit material that can be seen on the app. In today's episode, Dr. Ruston discusses these topics and more with a high school boy and a young woman in college. The guests discuss problems created by the App's Snapscore feature, which is a ranking given to users based on how many snaps they send or receive. In addition, they talk about social conflicts that can happen on the app, issues around sexual content, and suggestions to parents regarding when to allow the app and how to talk about it with kids.
Listen Here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
A Teen Run Instagram Account Shook a School, and the Lessons Learned
In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Delaney Ruston interviews journalist Dashka Slater about her new book, Accountable, where she writes about the true story of a social media account run by a small group of teens who posted racist memes. The account spread quickly and got edgier as it went. The book follows the account’s profound effect on the teens, friends, and high school. Dr. Ruston's interview with Slater dives into issues like what compels teens to do things they know are out of bounds, such as acts of racism, the difference between guilt and shame, and transformative justice. Slater discusses methods of communicating with children about preventing doing such acts, and Dr. Ruston provides strategies for them to use when they encounter friends who do, and shares advice for parents and teens on dealing with the repercussions of online racism and the complexities of forgiveness and empathy.
Listen Here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
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I have ten podcast recommendations today. These episodes focus on family and tech—surprise, surprise! I could not resist recommending the first one because it follows up so nicely with our most current Screenagers film, Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age.
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. Or, you can listen to them during Sunday breakfast to spark some cool chit-chat for the rest of the day. Let the recommendations begin!
Episode: Vaping Is It Really That Bad?
I recently showed college students the section of Screenagers Under The Influence that examines issues around vapes. The best part of the class was that at the end, a student raised her hand to tell us she had decided, right during the class, that she was going to try again to quit vaping.
This episode gives more reasons to get teens to think again before vaping. Listen for the cough research study!
Episode: Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)
How much does Google pay Apple to make its search engine the default on their phones? Is Google incentivized to get better when it dominates the world of search? How can the Google Ads system impact what we get when we search for topics? Learn the answers to these and many more questions in this episode.
Episode: Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Who doesn’t love a story where a father changes and starts to spend time doing what the son loves to do? This episode about a down-and-out guy who commits to visiting all the ballparks in the country in one season is a must-listen with your kiddo. I especially liked the part when he visited Seattle!
Episode: Your Weirdest Dates
When we can share real stories of love with our kids, it is a gift. They are flooded with unrealistic relationship tropes via Hollywood, macro-influencers, and micro-influencers (from local social circles).
The story in this episode of a girl booking a cargo trip boat ride with a guy made me smile big time. Other stories in the episode will also get your family talking.
Episode: What’s in the Fridge
I am a big fan of the host of this show, Seth Godin, bestselling author of 19 books, whose work is all about helping people think about the change they want to make to improve the world.
How can tech help fridge owners help the planet? This episode is filled with important facts about what we eat, what we waste, and what can be done about it.
Episode: Who should be in charge of AI?
I very much appreciated the fascinating explanation of how company boards came to be. Then this segued into what happened with Sam Altman – at least what we know up to this point. In addition, the episode centers on who should regulate AI. We are just at the start of large language models as we know them. This episode is a great way to help our kids think deeply about this important topic.
We put together a list of 7 compelling documentaries perfect for family viewing over the Holidays. The films will help spark meaningful conversations. Check trailers and ratings for appropriateness when selecting documentaries to enjoy with your kids.
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Whether you are headed off on vacation journeys or just spending time at home during the holidays, I have some mind-opening podcast suggestions to listen to with the whole family. It can be fun to listen to only parts of any of these suggestions to allow more time for talking and then finish them at the next drive or sitting.
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With summer in full swing, it's the perfect opportunity to catch up on any of my Screenagers’ Tech Talk Tuesdays you may have missed (I know today is Wednesday, not Tuesday, but I wanted to respect the holiday). During the school year, there are scores of obligations to attend to. Hopefully, things have slowed a bit, and you can grab a glass of iced tea and read from this curated list of my most-read blog posts from the last 12 months.
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.
