Hold Me Back: Son and Father Change the Conversation

“Never take a class before 9:30…always have peanut butter and pretzels in your room…get your flu shot…you’ll need more ramen than condoms…you fail in silence…call your parents…90% of bad decisions will happen during O-week…anchor your day in routines...don’t piss off your roommate.” These are just a few of the observations Aidan shares with his dad, Ash, from his first year in college in order to separate “myth” from “...

A growing part of the generational divide is an emerging and unexpected language barrier. This phenomenon is a byproduct of the explosion in social media platforms, which seem to have created a new Gen Z dialect - particularly on TikTok. To help bridge this gap, Aidan recruited his sister Allison to take Ash through basic training on social media terminology in hopes he wouldn’t embarrass himself at work and with friends. The jury ...

Over the last decade, the concept of resilience has been synonymous with raising healthy kids. But what if we're wrong? What if one person's life journey shined a bright light on how resilience can function in society in a way that is far from healthy? Ash and Aidan welcome onto the show Emi Nietfeld - journalist, mental health advocate, and author of the highly acclaimed book, “Acceptance: A Memoir.” From homeless to Harvard, psyc...

Ash and Aidan tackle the topic every teenager can't wait to discuss with their parents: sex. In the spirit of not holding back, the boys openly and honestly discuss why, how, what, and when parents should discuss the topic of sex with their children. Aidan and Ash also share research most will find surprising, particularly when it comes to teens’ sexual activity and the pros and cons of dating in high school. They also supply 10 us...

Season 4 kicks off with the topic Aidan has successfully avoided for 3 seasons: dating, relationships, and sex. The first of this 2-part series focuses on how hypersexualized media and the ease of access to explicit pornography is affecting tween and teen psychological development, as well as Gen Z’s attitude towards sex and intimacy. The episode features an exte...

Aidan and Ash end the year - and Season 3 - with a topic that lies at the center of changing the conversation: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). After discussing the role Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action play within DE&I, Ash and Aidan welcome to the show one of the country's leading minds in DE&I, Lareina Yee. Lareina is a senior partner for the most prestigious consu...

How do you change the world? One conversation at a time, according to the CEO of StoryCorps, Sandra Clark. Clark joins Aidan and Ash for an illuminating discussion on how StoryCorps' program, One Small Step (OSS), is trying to bridge the nation's growing divide in an effort to fend off a growing “culture of contempt” in the United States. Clark shares how the program works, the science behind it, whe...

What started as an episode on teen gambling took a turn into a fascinating conversation with the polymathic Dan Singer, one of the world's leading experts on the businesses of online gaming, casinos, sportsbooks, daily fantasy sports, poker, and eSports. In addition to teaching Game Theory in Negotiations at Yale, Dan leads the Global Sports and Gaming Practice for the largest and most well-known str...

Aidan and Ash tackle the topic of diversity in an interview with Eboo Patel. Eboo is the Founder and President of Interfaith America - the leading interfaith organization in the United States - and was named "one of America's best leaders" by U.S. News and World Report. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council and has written five books, including his recently published “We Need to Bui...

What are adults missing about teens and their technology? Apparently, a lot! Aidan and Ash kick off their mental health series by welcoming Harvard Project Zero researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James to discuss their book, Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing). Drawing on perspectives from 3,500 teens, Weinstein and James bring stories and data together for a powe...

Just when Aidan and Ash thought they had shared everything there is to know about the college admissions process, they found out they had an opportunity to interview one of the brightest minds in the field. In this episode, they welcome on Jeff Selingo, a New York Times bestselling author of three books who has written about higher education for more than two decades. His latest book, Who Gets In and...

Ash has spent so much time in Gen Z's world, Aidan felt it was time to return the favor. Over the summer, Aidan infiltrated several work environments during his internships and exploratory visits - and he had some things to say! In fact, he made a Top 10 list of observations to share. From work culture to snacks to meetings to commutes to clean bathrooms, Aidan tells all. Who was more convincing: Aid...

Aidan and Ash continue the College Admission Series (CAS) as they welcome Lee Coffin, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth College. Prior to joining the Dartmouth administration in 2016, he served as Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Tufts University from 2003-2016 and Dean of Admission at Connecticut College from 1995-2001. He also hosts two podcasts: A...

Aidan and Ash talk all things college essays with one of the most enigmatic thought leaders in Silicon Valley, Umair Khan. Khan is a successful entrepreneur, tech investor, restaurateur, and the author of the book College Application Hacked - which focuses on writing killer personal statements and why college applications should be stress-free. He’s also a visiting professor at UC Berkeley where he t...

Aidan and Ash take on the charged topic of drinking and propose a new model for how adults and teens should navigate discussions on alcohol consumption. In addition to revealing eye-opening research, they share their findings from a focus group with several Gen Z “drinkers'' and their parents. Aidan and Ash debate a wide range of topics including why the current parent-child dialogue and preventive ...

In the final part of the series, Aidan and Ash break down the 5 problems that plague political correctness in America. They explore the fascinating findings from the Hidden Tribes research, discuss the role of social media in exacerbating the tension, assess the critical role the laws of psychology and sociology play in the divide, and deduce why the country continues to politicize and weaponize the ...

Can movies help bridge the generational divide? Absolutely! In this Father's Day special episode, the guys debate which movies bridge the generational divide. Their search went beyond just feel good stories or inspirational biopics, but movies that help generations connect in important and meaningful ways. Aidan and Ash each propose their movie picks one by one, and openly debate which movies make th...

In the first of this two-part series, Aidan and Ash navigate the most controversial topic in America: Political Correctness. In part one, they argue there are five problems that underpin the growing divisiveness in America resulting from political correctness. After defining each problem, Ash and Aidan draw straws and debate the pros and cons of political correctness in society today. Even with the f...