Hold Me Back: Son and Father Change the Conversation

The college admissions process has become increasingly filled with uncertainty and stress for millions of families. In this multi-part series, Aidan and Ash interview the admission leaders of several renowned universities in an effort to demystify the adm issions process so families can navigate through it in a healthy and rewarding manner. This episode reveals eye-opening data and sets the contex...

Social Media is no longer just a "thing teens are into" - it's become the primary portal into Gen Z's lives, and the metaverse in which they experience every aspect of their world. Aidan and Ash explore the dangers and wonders of these social network s, including how parents and teens should approach them differently, in a candid interview with Carrie Kerpen, a bestselling author and CEO of the mo...

In this immensely emotional and raw episode, Ash and Aidan openly and honestly tackle a topic that's caused turmoil in their own household, and is a daily dinner table topic for millions of families - Grades. Ash and Aidan candidly share their struggles  and failures in hopes that other families can benefit from their experiences. In doing so, they openly skewer the sensibility of nearly every com...

Join Aidan and Ash as they take a break from debating the heady issues facing our generations, and tackle an even more important question - is Tom Brady the undisputed GOAT? During this extensive interview with his father, who's been studying Brady and t he Patriots for decades, Aidan discovers that perhaps we've been looking at the Brady debate all wrong. How should we be looking at it? The answe...

Is there anything harder than raising a teenager in today's world? Ash and Aidan welcome the two co-founders of Your Teen Media, a leading platform for information and advice on raising teenagers. Stephanie Silverman and Susan Borison, who've raised sev eral teens themselves, are as insightful as they are candid and fun, which made for a lively and provocative discussion. This interview will surel...

In Part 1, Aidan and Ash explored the rampant spread of misinformation causing divisiveness and an erosion of trust in the world. In Part 2, they propose a way to reverse this trend, and explore how we might overcome the cause of the divisiveness - our bi ases and motivated reasoning - by bringing back rational dialogue and critical thinking. How? Ash and Aidan debate the nine key lessons Gen Z ne...

In this two-part episode, Ash and Aidan discuss the biggest threat to Gen-Z: the erosion of critical thinking due to the digital world. They debate what's been called an "epidemic of cognitive contagion" with no end in sight. The boys explore the three  biggest culprits to this epidemic: Motivated Reasoning, Tribalism, and the rampant spread of Misinformation. In Part 1 they welcome Alex Lickerman...

With practically unlimited access to a world of unfiltered content, real or fiction, do parents need to fundamentally rethink how they monitor and control their children's access to content? Do they have to start over with well-established content rating  systems to account for this new reality? Join Aidan and Ash as they unravel this thorny topic, share some controversial research, and discover h...

Should I be reading my teenager's texts? Why are so many children opposed to apps that monitor their location? Aidan and Ash explore a topic that's becoming increasingly challenging to navigate in the new digital age - setting appropriate boundaries whe n it comes to adolescent privacy "invasion." In addition to sharing some eye-opening research, the boys propose a fundamentally new way for parent...

The boys welcome their first expert guest, Mark Lush, as they tackle the topic that makes the world go round - money. Aidan and Ash explore what it means to have a healthy relationship with money and whether their generations share a common perspective. S hould Gen X tell their children to follow their passion or that money will buy them happiness? Is that even the right question? The research mig...

Put that phone away! Or don't? Device usage and screen time often becomes the most contested topic between kids and parents. Aidan and Ash dive into the research and compare the findings with the realities in their own household. Hear them debate the bes t age to give your child a smartphone, the appropriate amount of daily screen time, the potential long-term psychological impacts, and the many f...

Is Gen X ruining youth sports for Gen Z? Aidan and Ash discuss how youth sports might be the topic that most exemplifies the growing generational divide. In this emotional and extensive episode, father and son open up to each other on a topic in which the y both have many regrets and unresolved conflict. Aidan shares how the pressure he felt to perform impacted his self-esteem and mindset, while A...

It's the topic that's near and dear to Aidan's heart: Swearing. Is swearing that big a deal? Find out what the research says, what his dad and other parents think, and what Aidan's friends tell him. Hear the surprising psychological benefits of sweari ng and when it might actually be a good thing, why it's still considered taboo, and how swearing can affect your reputation and personal brand. Who...

Welcome to Hold Me Back. It's Gen Z's time, but are previous generations holding them back? In this pilot episode, meet Aidan (son) and Ash (dad) as they hammer out a new social contract between their generations, and uncover a path toward greater harmo ny and a more hopeful future. Hear why a divide exists between Gen Z and previous generations as they discuss eye-opening research as well as thei...