Hold Me Back: Son and Father Change the Conversation

Join Aidan and Ash in a lively and information-packed interview with Rick Clark, Georgia Tech's Director of Admission. Under his leadership, the Institute has exceeded every goal including advancing the academic class profile while driving geographic, gender, and ethnic diversity. Mr. Clark is also the co-author of the book, The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together. Mr. Clark brings a balanced perspective to the CAS series by sharing the admission process at public universities, while dispelling several myths that have been propagated by “clickbait” headlines. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

In this extensive and candid interview, Aidan and Ash spend time with the brilliant and dynamic leader of Duke's undergraduate admissions, Christoph Guttentag. Mr. Guttentag has been with Duke for 29 years, and served as the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions since 2006. During his tenure, the Duke student body has seen significant increases in diversity, creativity, and inclusiveness while maintaining its standards of excellence. Join Aidan and Ash in a fun, lively, and incredibly illuminating interview with one of the most respected leaders in the global admissions community. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

Aidan and Ash interview Lauren Lieberman, currently the Director of College Counseling at Shady Side Academy and former Assistant Director of Admissions at The University of Chicago. Lauren has spent two decades deep in the trenches, helping thousands of families navigate the college admissions process. As a result, Lauren is a highly respected figure in the national landscape of college admissions. Having been on both sides of the fence, Lauren shares a unique perspective that’s both compassionate and pragmatic in this extensive and informative interview. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 admissions process so families can navigate through it in a healthy and rewarding manner. This episode reveals eye-opening data and sets the context for upcoming interviews with admission leaders from Cornell, Duke, Georgia Tech, TCU, and a nationally respected college counselor. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 networks, including how parents and teens should approach them differently, in a candid interview with Carrie Kerpen, a bestselling author and CEO of the most prominent social media consultancy in the country. They also welcome a member of their own family, who’ll share an eye-opening story that reveals the perils of one particular aspect of social media. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 commonly held convention on grades, and propose a robust set of nine principles they believe can be a framework from which parents and kids can find harmony when it comes to navigating grades. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.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 the 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 answer might surprise you, because you’ve never heard a sports topic broken down like this before. This one will have you talking. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 several teens themselves, are as insightful as they are candid and fun, which made for a lively and provocative discussion. This interview will surely raise some eyebrows because Sue and Stephanie openly and thoughtfully challenge many widely held - and likely outdated - common conventions on raising teens. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 biases and motivated reasoning - by bringing back rational dialogue and critical thinking. How? Ash and Aidan debate the nine key lessons Gen Z needs to learn in order to bring back greater harmony between and within our generations. This one is a little heady, but well worth the trip! Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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, M.D., a renowned physician and author, to discuss why healthcare is particularly vulnerable to misinformation and what Gen Z can do to separate fact from fiction in a world of unlimited and unfiltered content. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 how parents might need to reconsider their views on managing their children’s access to content to prepare them for a new reality. Things get tense in this controversial episode. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 when it comes to adolescent privacy “invasion.” In addition to sharing some eye-opening research, the boys propose a fundamentally new way for parents and teens to negotiate this topic. You might be surprised what developmental and family psychologists have to say about what’s at stake if parents get this wrong. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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. Should Gen X tell their children to follow their passion or that money will buy them happiness? Is that even the right question? The research might shock you. Is there truly a “price of privilege?” And how transparent should parents be with their kids about their finances? You’ll be surprised what’s revealed in this in-depth episode. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 best age to give your child a smartphone, the appropriate amount of daily screen time, the potential long-term psychological impacts, and the many false beliefs held by parents and kids alike. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 they both have many regrets and unresolved conflict. Aidan shares how the pressure he felt to perform impacted his self-esteem and mindset, while Ash reveals what was driving the expectations he was placing on Aidan. Rather than taking sides, father and son find common ground in this unique episode. Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 swearing 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 was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at HoldMeBack.com

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 harmony 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 their own experiences. Also learn about what to expect on the podcast going forward