{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation","title":"What Gen Z Wants You To Know (with My Son)","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/16707f67\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1805,"description":"👉 Download your free GenZ Survival Kit: https://bit.ly/ZakKoenigsSurvivalKit FREE tips for helping your kid Shift From Isolation to Connection and get moving again.In this raw and vulnerable episode, I sit down with my son, Zak, to hear the truth about growing up Gen Z. He shares what it was like to graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic, why so many boys are isolating behind screens, and how online communities can either heal—or harm—them.Zak opens up about his darkest moments, what he wishes his dad and I had known, and the small steps parents can take to reconnect with their kids. This isn’t theory—it’s lived experience from the anxious generation itself.Key TakeawaysThe hidden struggles of Gen Z—anxiety, addiction, and lonelinessWhy COVID reshaped an entire generation’s mental healthThe dangerous pull of toxic online communities for young menThe surprising boundary Zak appreciated, even though he hated it at the timeThe one piece of advice he has for parents watching their kids struggleTime Stamps[00:02:00] Zak describes his lowest point—days stuck in bed, unable to send a text, challenged by OCD.[00:05:00] Growing up Gen Z: how being a COVID grad shaped his generation’s mental health.[00:08:00] The inner world of young men: what parents don’t see but kids desperately feel.[00:12:00] How online grifters prey on boys’ loneliness and twist it into hate.[00:18:00] Why parents struggle to “speak the language” of their child’s digital communities.[00:23:00] Zak’s blunt take: the need for regulation, phone bans in schools, and systemic change.[00:27:00] Is Gen Z addicted? Zak explains.[00:29:00] The one boundary Zak secretly appreciated, even though he hated it. [00:30:00] His advice to parents: sponsor real-world connection, don’t just lecture.[00:36:00] The one simple, non-invasive routine he says can help kids climb out of the hole.✨ Resources & Next Steps:Subscribe to this podcast for more conversations like this here. Download your FREE Bad Mom Survival Kit. If...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/C56mzW7KPp1bS0tdlhpnvyiBlpKunixPezO26vL62gQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wZGFl/NWE4NmRhZDcyODk1/ZmNlYjhjOTg0NTFi/YzgzMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}