Being at home all day in quarantine took its toll on everyone in a different way. I don’t know about everyone else, but sitting at home made me overcomplicate things that were really quite simple. I spent hours wondering “why hasn’t he texted me back?” or “is she mad at me?” or “am I ever gonna see my friends again?” My only distraction being my mom asking me to go for a walk for the third time that day. In an effort to quite literally tune out my family and the chaos of the world, I turned to something that I had never really thought about before: podcasts. When I used to think of podcasts, I thought of documentaries, non-fiction and long, tiring speeches. I never realized the number and variety of podcasts that there were until I discovered Teenager Therapy. 

One day I opened my Spotify to play some music, and a bright yellow cover with a coffee cup and the words “Teenager Therapy” caught my attention. I thought to myself “well, that’s exactly what I need,” and played the first episode. Their website describes the teenagers as, “five stressed, sleep deprived, yet energetic teens [who] sit down and talk about the struggles that come with being a teenager.” That’s pretty much what I got when I listened. Gael, Isaac, Thomas, Mark and Kayla, the podcasters, cover topics from social issues to anxiety to self confidence. I found that not only was I entertained, but I related to almost everything that they were saying. Who better to offer their experiences and provide guidance than people your own age going through the same things that you are. 

The podcast works as a casual conversation between all five participants in response to a specific prompt or question. As they gained popularity and a higher following, the teenagers began to introduce interviewees like Youtubers, actress Andrea Russet and social media influencer Loren Grey to their episodes. As I listened, I found that the reasons that I connected so much was because they weren’t afraid to put themselves in a vulnerable position. The topics that were featured were not always the most light and fun, but that’s what made it interesting. The episodes that featured lighter topics made me laugh and learn something new. I found that the balance between the difficult topics and fun material was good because I wouldn’t get tired out of listening to either one. 

While they have absolutely no training except their own experiences and a desire to help other teenagers, the five high schoolers have created a space where listeners can relate to their problems and not feel so alone. Isn’t that all we need sometimes?