Teenager Therapy

Podcast Summary: 

This is a podcast that is produced by five teenagers that speak about issues that are affecting them, or other teenagers. They cover topics concerning high school, mental health, sexuality, social media, identity, and more.

On the website for the podcast, they recommend two podcasts to listen to as their best episodes. I listened to one of them that was titled "Is Acne Beautiful/Skin Neutrality/Acne Insecurities". I can understand why they would make this one of their most important episodes, because this is a prominent issue for teenagers. The teens spoke about their individual issues with acne, and the podcast was prompted because one person on the group tweeted that acne was not beautiful. The group discussed whether that opinion was correct, because part of the group supported the notion that acne was beautiful because they felt that people could be beautiful despite having acne. 

Critical Evaluation:

This is a podcast of teens discussing issues that affect them. The teens began the podcast as sophomores in high school in September of 2018. Their goal was to connect with other teens that were also affected by some of the same issues, and make them feel like they were not alone. In the podcast episode I listened to, the teens had a topic where they had different opinions about acne and how someone with acne should be perceived. The disagreement led to a back and forth discussion, and the teens discussed their different experiences with acne. These teens are able to provide personal references to discuss the issue, and I think that is critical for relating to teen listeners.

Creative Use for a Library Program:

I think a yoga session to help teens relax, would accompany an app focused on therapy. I would hire an instructor to teach breathing techniques, and a few simple yoga poses to promote relaxation and stress relief.

Bibliographic Information:

Title: Teenager Therapy: Because We Have Problems Too

Creator(s): Gael, Isaac, Thomas, Mark, Kayla (no last names were given on teenagertherapypodcast.com).

Producer: Flighthouse

Copyright: First episode was on September 23, 2018.

Interest level: Grades 9-12

Genre: Podcast

Format: Podcast

Awards or Honors: Features on The New York Times, Wired magazine, and many other news television talk shows.

Producer & Creator Description: 

The teens are from Anaheim, California. Gael Aitor, at 15 years old, heard about a podcast called "Couples Therapy", and thought it would be a good idea to use the same format but for teenagers. He convinced four of his friends to join him, and they recorded their first episode in Gael's bedroom. "Within a few months of releasing their first episode, 'Teenager Therapy' surpassed 100,000 downloads - a number it can take years for independent podcasts to hit" (Lorenz, 2020).

Potential Challenge Issues:

The teens do swear in the podcast, as the episodes are conversational. The teens are sharing opinions, and some listeners may disagree with their takes on some of the issues. I would defend the program by stating that there are five teens on the podcast, which vary their opinions, and they do not always agree on topics. They do not claim to be experts, and sometimes bring in guest hosts to provide better insight on some topics.

Speed-Round Table Talk:

High school is tough, but so is life in general. Meet the Teen Therapy podcast group. They discuss their personal struggles from being teenagers, and they definitely have a topic you can relate to.

Reason for Inclusion:

This is teens discussing teen issues. They have the perspective needed to relate to other teens. Their podcasts have also received recognition from several national television shows.