Parents' Guide to The Genius Generation

Podcast Entertainment TRAX from PRX Average run time: 12 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

Molly Jackel By Molly Jackel , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Inspiring interviews with young inventors, entrepreneurs.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's It About?

Each week on THE GENIUS GENERATION, host Danni Washington, an entrepreneur herself, interviews one young person who's accomplished something impressive before they turned 18. Guests include inventors, entrepreneurs, and coders who've seen a problem in the world and found a way to solve it. One 16-year-old guest got his idea for a cheaper, more effective way to detect forest fires while on a wildfire-ravaged hike in California. Another is a beach lover who developed a robot to find micro plastics in the ocean. The host prompts her guests to detail their inspiration, how they built their invention or business, and the struggles they faced along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Impressive stories of accomplishment abound in this series, as well as good representation from various countries and ethnicities. The Genius Generation is sure to inspire tweens and teens as they listen to stories of innovation and success straight from the kids who lived the experience. The guests' level of enthusiasm and natural storytelling ability dictates how compelling each show will be; though the host is always super engaged and a great active listener.

Although the host probes the guests well, the short episodes don't allow for exploring the ins and outs of starting a business or building a machine. However, the short duration of the show does help to maintain interest. The audio quality of the guests is not great because interviews sound like they're done online, rather than in studio, likely for pandemic purposes. But the music and effects sound professional and enhance the storytelling. Podcast summaries are helpful in choosing where to start listening.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Genius Generation inspired them. What is an issue in the world that's important to you? If you could create a solution or something that could help, what would it be?

  • Being an inventor or entrepreneur sounds exciting, but it requires hard work, problem solving, and determination. What have you succeeded at despite obstacles and hardships?

  • After listening to the podcast, what are you most interested in learning about starting your own business or creating your own product? What's the first step you can take today toward your goals?

Podcast Details

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