Podcasts about Generation Alpha

Send us a textA substitute teacher reflects on how Generation Alpha differs from Gen Z and how teachers can adapt their methods accordingly. This light-hearted exploration of generational differences reveals that Alpha students are the first fully digital generation, with distinct learning preferences and world perspectives.• Fourth graders are split between Gen Z and Generation Alpha based on their birth years• Generation Alpha grew up entirely in the digital age, making them extremely tech-savvy by nature• Early childhood disruptions like COVID-19 have impacted social development and maturity• Alpha students show increased global awareness and environmental consciousness• They learn best in "gamified" environments that leverage digital engagement• Every generation faces criticism from those who came before—60s had "groovy," Gen Z has "slay"• Teachers must adapt to students rather than expecting students to conform to outdated methods• Despite concerns about entitlement or anxiety, Generation Alpha brings positive qualities to educationCheck out my Instagram where I break down Gen Z slang—I'll even play it for you at the end of this episode!

Moya and Ash wonder what's up with kids these days, thinking about parenting, advertising, social media and anxiety. Plus, advice for a bereaved listener who's furious with her stepmum. Send your dilemmas to ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

In this episode of On The Clock, host Todd Dallas Lamb sits down with Jeff McCoy, the Associate Superintendent of Greenville County Schools and a nationally recognized education leader, at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. As a second-time guest—and now a proud member of the show's “two-timers club”—McCoy opens up about his career journey, his passion for public education, and the transformative power of AI in schools.McCoy shares insights from his extensive work leading one of South Carolina's largest school districts, overseeing everything from academic innovation to special education and career readiness. He reflects on the pivotal shift in K–12 education that values career and technical education (CTE) alongside college pathways, highlighting Greenville's "Graduation Plus" initiative—where over 75% of students graduate with college credits or industry certifications.The conversation dives deep into the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, where McCoy emphasizes the need for "ethical AI" in the classroom. He challenges schools to teach responsible use of emerging tools while avoiding further exacerbation of opportunity gaps for underserved students.Looking ahead, McCoy discusses his new role as Chief Education Officer at ERDI, a national organization connecting edtech innovators with education leaders. He reflects on what's next in instructional design for Generation Alpha and the pressing need to reimagine engagement in an era of distraction.Key Moments00:00 Embracing Public School Education05:42 Closing Education Achievement Gaps07:31 Impact of Mobility on Education12:39 Navigating Market Saturation for Startups15:07 Innovative Instructional Leadership for Gen Alpha16:44 Phone Etiquette for Young InternsConnect with Jeff McCoyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmccoygcsWebsite: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/

Dr. Wendy Rote is joining me to unpack some surprising and even counterintuitive findings about kids, smartphones, and social media. She and her team are in the middle of a groundbreaking longitudinal study following tweens over time, giving us rare insight into how technology is shaping the mental health and identity development of Generation Alpha.   Together we explore:   Why the question “Is social media making kids depressed?” might be the wrong one to ask and what we should be asking instead. A finding that might shock you: Kids with smartphones actually show better physical and mental health outcomes in some key areas. What kind of social media behaviors are linked to more depressive symptoms and why it's not as simple as “time spent online.” How compulsive checking could be a major mental health red flag that parents often miss. New, not-yet-published finding on the real impact school cell phone bans have been shown to have on kids. Why do some kids without phones actually report more cyberbullying and what that might reveal about exclusion and social dynamics? The one tech rule that makes the biggest difference in kids' well-being that has a greater impact that time limits and parental control setting.   If you've ever worried about screen time, debated a phone ban, or felt unsure how to support your child's relationship with tech, this conversation will give you fresh perspective, surprising data, and tangible guidance rooted in real research.   LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:

Cassandra Napoli, Create Tomorrow's host, welcomes Rajni Jacques, Snapchat's Global Head of Fashion and Beauty, to share about the rise of digital fashion. They discuss how brands are leveraging AR to engage younger audiences amid shifts in values and expectations, especially among Generation Alpha. Rajni emphasises the importance of self-expression online, focusing on authenticity and engagement in content creation. She uncovers how brands are increasingly valuing versatile creators who can connect with audiences across various domains in Snapchat's evolving creator economy. Find out how to overcome digital fatigue and foster phygital experiences to connect with consumers.

Breaking the Silence with host Dr. Gregory Williams Guest, Katherine Davis-Gibbon, a publisher, certified yoga and Pilates teacher and author of Words Katherine is an award-winning children's book author, publisher, certified yoga and Pilates teacher, and mother of two Generation Alpha kids. She founded Riverlet Press in 2021. as a platform for books that illuminate and enrich the child's inner life. Her debut book, "My Old Friend, Then" received praise from critics, teachers, therapists and parents, as well as receiving many awards. Her latest book, "Words" help children learn the power of words and how to communicate better. Don't forget to check out Katherine's book: "Words" Short description of "Words" from Amazon: A multicultural group of children discovers a park where everyone's words come to life―and look and behave a lot like kids. Some words are kinder and more inviting, while others are pushy or prickly or odd. Not every word makes the best first impression, but as they play and share adventures, the children connect more deeply with language. They learn that words have superpowers and grow to love them for their quirks. They see that words make excellent friends, who magically appear when they're needed and perfectly mirror how kids feel. The more these children bond with language, the more they tap into their inner voice―and as they dare to give it expression, they gain more respect for the power of words. This book, which was named a Distinguished Favorite in the 2025 Independent Press Awards, is ideal for developing readers, who will relish the process of sounding out words and spotting those they already know―who will see themselves in this cast of characters, thus developing greater self-awareness and empathy for their peers, as well. Parents, teachers, librarians, and therapists can use this book for social-emotional learning, as it playfully nurtures a love of language while reminding children to treat words with care.

David Gornoski sits down with James Kourtides to discuss how we can break out of tribal echo chambers, media without the crowd, Generation Alpha's fascination with wholesome things, the market as the resting place of Nietzschean values, the striking thing that connects Bitcoin to Christianity, and more. Follow David Gornoski on X here. Visit aneighborschoice.com for more

Parenting today can feel more challenging than ever before. Research shows that anxiety is increasing at an alarming rate, and there seems to be a decrease in kindness happening at the same time. That's where some Biblical truth can help us as parents. In this episode, Sara and Amy sit down with Ammie Akin — a wife, mom of three boys, and career educator with a background spanning all levels of administration, from elementary to high school and college. Ammie shares about being authentic as a parent, utilizing the Bible to help guide you, finding joy in whatever stage of parenting you're in, and being intentional in everyday moments.Book: The Anxious Generation--Question of the Week: Who is the kindest person you encounter at school (or you can pick a different location)? What specific things do they do that made you think of them as kind?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuests: Ammie AkinProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Today on the podcast we have Barry & Jess Saylor from One Hope. They serve on the research team at One Hope and have led projects to help parents and ministry leaders better understand the generations, discipleship, and struggles of parenting. In this episode, we deep dive their research on Generation Alpha. This research is important and impactful. Don't miss this conversation and download the entire research for yourself! Resources Mentioned:Summer IntensiveOne Hope Research: Gen A

All Gas No Brakes and Channel 5 documentarian Andrew Callaghan decodes the variables that have transformed American minds from rational to radical.Jordan's must reads (including books from this episode): AcceleratEdFull show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1156What We Discuss with Andrew Callaghan:Conspiracy theories serve as collective self-soothing mechanisms in chaotic times. They provide the comforting illusion that someone has a plan when life feels out of control, offering simple answers to complex questions.Political radicalization often stems from unprocessed trauma. January 6th Capitol rioters weren't random — 60% had filed for bankruptcy, 20% lost homes, and 50% were in severe debt, channeling personal grievances into a spiritual war.Modern media thrives on micro-traumatic digital content that triggers cortisol through outrage. Both mainstream and alternative outlets deploy this tactic, explaining why casual podcasts now frequently outperform traditional news.Social media and technology addiction are creating profound disconnection. Andrew predicts Generation Alpha's children will likely rebel against technology, viewing phone use the way we now view cigarettes — as an obviously harmful habit.Community connection matters more than material success. The most resilient people aren't those with wealth or status but those with strong human bonds. Building genuine relationships with neighbors and friends creates a safety net for life's inevitable challenges.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:Wayfair: Start renovating: wayfair.comHammer Made: $50 off first purchase, $199+: hammermade.com/jordan, code JORDANNotion: Try it free: notion.com/jordanOura Ring: 10% off: ouraring.com/jordanQuince: Free shipping & 365-day returns: quince.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is your business ready for the age of AI, hyper-personalized content, and digital transformation?Matt Britton is the CEO of Suzy, a real-time consumer insights platform trusted by global giants like Netflix and P&G. He's also the author of Generation AI, a powerful new book exploring how Generation Alpha is the first truly AI-native generation—and what that means for brands, leaders, and innovators.In this episode, Matt unpacks how AI is transforming marketing, content creation, SEO, and influence. He shares real strategies businesses can use to train custom GPTs, build first-party data systems, and use automation to reclaim time and increase impact.You'll also learn how the influencer economy is evolving with AI-generated personas, what the future of search looks like, and how companies can futureproof their people and processes in a world changing at exponential speed.In this conversation, you'll learn:Why the future of marketing belongs to AI-native generations.How first-party data and automation are redefining business operations.Why companies must embrace AI now or risk extinction.How AI influencers and digital twins are reshaping culture and media.How to build search-optimized, relevant content that AI models rank.The role of internal training and curiosity in adapting to AI.What Google's search drop signals for your brand strategy.Why building authority, relevance, and video content is key in the LLM era.Takeaways:Why businesses must move now to integrate AI or risk falling behind.How to train custom GPTs using first-party and third-party data.What the future of content, SEO, and influencer marketing looks like in an AI-dominated world.Connect with Matt Britton:Website: https://mattbritton.com/Book: https://a.co/d/0UEMYxRTimestamps:00:00 - Intro: AI's rapid disruption01:00 - Why companies aren't adapting fast enough03:00 - Small vs. large business AI adoption06:00 - Training GPTs with your own data08:30 - Automating your operations with AI10:00 - Building custom frameworks in ChatGPT12:00 - AI's impact on SEO and the fall of Google15:00 - Content strategy for AI-powered search18:00 - The rise of AI influencers and virtual IP22:00 - The future of jobs and creativity in AI23:00 - About Generation AI__________________________________________________________________________________________

Culture is an ever-evolving intangible that moves so quickly it often feels impossible to keep up! And just when we're beginning to feel like we're starting to get our heads around Gen Z, a new generation emerges…. meet Generation Alpha. So, who are Generation Alpha, what are the hallmarks of this coming generation, and how might understanding them shape how we lead and minister in the years ahead?National Director of Limitless and specialist lecturer at Regents Theological College, Tim is devoted to equipping leaders and communicating the gospel. He is the author of ‘Leadership 101'

Culture is an ever-evolving intangible that moves so quickly it often feels impossible to keep up! And just when we're beginning to feel like we're starting to get our heads around Gen Z, a new generation emerges…. meet Generation Alpha. So, who are Generation Alpha, what are the hallmarks of this coming generation, and how might understanding them shape how we lead and minister in the years ahead?National Director of Limitless and specialist lecturer at Regents Theological College, Tim is devoted to equipping leaders and communicating the gospel. He is the author of ‘Leadership 101'

So even the people that follow the topic closely are stunned by the digital landscape that engulfs our children, how quickly it evolves, and the potential social cost. Two people in a unique position to explain all this are our guest today, Jeffrey Chester and Kathryn Montgomery, both from the Center for Digital Democracy. Jeff is executive director of the Center, and Kathryn is its research director and senior strategist, as well as professor emerita of communication at American University. Jeff and Kathryn have been pioneers in this work and have been uniquely strong voices for protecting children. Interview Summary Let me congratulate the two of you for being way ahead of your time. I mean the two of you through your research and your advocacy and your organizational work, you were onto these things way before most people were. I'm really happy that you're joining us today, and welcome to our podcast. Kathryn, let me begin with you. So why be concerned about this digital landscape? Kathryn - Well, certainly if we're talking about children and youth, we have to pay attention to the world they live in. And it's a digital world as I think any parent knows, and everybody knows. In fact, for all of us, we're living in a digital world. So young people are living their lives online. They're using mobile phones and mobile devices all the time. They're doing online video streaming. They form their communications with their peers online. Their entire lives are completely integrated into this digital media landscape, and we must understand it. Certainly, the food and beverage industry understand it very well. And they have figured out enormously powerful ways to reach and engage young people through these digital media. You know, the extent of the kids' connection to this is really remarkable. I just finished a few minutes ago recording a podcast with two people involved with the Children and Screens organization. And, Chris Perry, who's the executive director of that organization and Dmitri Christakis who was with us as well, were saying that kids sometimes check their digital media 300 times a day. I mean, just unbelievable how much of this there is. There's a lot of reasons to be concerned. Let's turn our attention to how bad it is, what companies are doing, and what might be done about it. So, Jeff, tell us if you would, about the work of the Center for Digital Democracy. Jeff - Well, for more than a quarter of a century, we have tracked the digital marketplace. As you said at the top, we understood in the early 1990s that the internet, broadband what's become today's digital environment, was going to be the dominant communications system. And it required public interest rules and policies and safeguards. So as a result, one of the things that our Center does is we look at the entire digital landscape as best as we can, especially what the ultra-processed food companies are doing, but including Google and Meta and Amazon and GenAI companies. We are tracking what they're doing, how they're creating the advertising, what their data strategies are, what their political activities are in the United States and in many other places in the world. Because the only way we're going to hold them accountable is if we know what they're doing and what they intend to do. And just to quickly follow up, Kelly, the marketers call today's global generation of young people Generation Alpha. Meaning that they are the first generation to be born into this complete digital landscape environment that we have created. And they have developed a host of strategies to target children at the earliest ages to take advantage of the fact that they're growing up digitally. Boy, pretty amazing - Generation Alpha. Kathryn, I have kind of a niche question I'd like to ask you because it pertains to my own career as well. So, you spent many years as an academic studying and writing about these issues, but also you were a strong advocacy voice. How did you go about balancing the research and the objectivity of an academic with advocacy you were doing? Kathryn - I think it really is rooted in my fundamental set of values about what it means to be an academic. And I feel very strongly and believe very strongly that all of us have a moral and ethical responsibility to the public. That the work we do should really, as I always have told my students, try to make the world a better place. It may seem idealistic, but I think it is what our responsibility is. And I've certainly been influenced in my own education by public scholars over the years who have played that very, very important role. It couldn't be more important today than it has been over the years. And I think particularly if you're talking about public health, I don't think you can be neutral. You can have systematic ways of assessing the impact of food marketing, in this case on young people. But I don't think you can be totally objective and neutral about the need to improve the public health of our citizens. And particularly the public health of our young people. I agree totally with that. Jeff let's talk about the concept of targeted marketing. We hear that term a lot. And in the context of food, people talk about marketing aimed at children as one form of targeting. Or, toward children of color or people of color in general. But that's in a way technological child's play. I understand from you that there's much more precise targeting than a big demographic group like that. Tell us more. Jeff - Well, I mean certainly the ultra-processed food companies are on the cutting edge of using all the latest tools to target individuals in highly personalized way. And I think if I have one message to share with your listeners and viewers is that if we don't act soon, we're going to make an already vulnerable group even more exposed to this kind of direct targeted and personalized marketing. Because what artificial intelligence allows the food and beverage companies and their advertising agencies and platform partners to do is to really understand who we are, what we do, where we are, how we react, behave, think, and then target us accordingly using all those elements in a system that can create this kind of advertising and marketing in minutes, if not eventually milliseconds. So, all of marketing, in essence, will be targeted because they know so much about us. You have an endless chain of relationships between companies like Meta, companies like Kellogg's, the advertising agencies, the data brokers, the marketing clouds, et cetera. Young people especially, and communities of color and other vulnerable groups, have never been more exposed to this kind of invasive, pervasive advertising. Tell us how targeted it can be. I mean, let's take a 11-year-old girl who lives in Wichita and a 13-year-old boy who lives in Denver. How much do the companies know about those two people as individuals? And how does a targeting get market to them? Not because they belong to a big demographic group, but because of them as individuals. Jeff - Well, they certainly are identified in various ways. The marketers know that there are young people in the household. They know that there are young people, parts of families who have various media behaviors. They're watching these kinds of television shows, especially through streaming or listening to music or on social media. Those profiles are put together. And even when the companies say they don't exactly know who the child is or not collecting information from someone under 13 because of the privacy law that we helped get enacted, they know where they are and how to reach them. So, what you've had is an unlimited amassing of data power developed by the food and beverage companies in the United States over the last 25 years. Because really very little has been put in their way to stop them from what they do and plan to do. So presumably you could get some act of Congress put in to forbid the companies from targeting African American children or something like that. But it doesn't sound like that would matter because they're so much more precise in the market. Yes. I mean, in the first place you couldn't get congress to pass that. And I think this is the other thing to think about when you think about the food and beverage companies deploying Generative AI and the latest tools. They've already established vast, what they call insights divisions, market research divisions, to understand our behavior. But now they're able to put all that on a fast, fast, forward basis because of data processing, because of data clouds, let's say, provided by Amazon, and other kinds of tools. They're able to really generate how to sell to us individually, what new products will appeal to us individually and even create the packaging and the promotion to be personalized. So, what you're talking about is the need for a whole set of policy safeguards. But I certainly think that people concerned about public health need to think about regulating the role of Generative AI, especially when it comes to young people to ensure that they're not marketed to in the ways that it fact is and will continue to do. Kathryn, what about the argument that it's a parent's responsibility to protect their children and that government doesn't need to be involved in this space? Kathryn - Well, as a parent, I have to say is extremely challenging. We all do our best to try to protect our children from unhealthy influences, whether it's food or something that affects their mental health. That's a parent's obligation. That's what a parent spends a lot of time thinking about and trying to do. But this is an environment that is overwhelming. It is intrusive. It reaches into young people's lives in ways that make it virtually impossible for parents to intervene. These are powerful companies, and I'm including the tech companies. I'm including the retailers. I'm including the ad agencies as well as these global food and beverage companies. They're extremely powerful. As Jeff has been saying, they have engaged and continue to engage in enormous amounts of technological innovation and research to figure out precisely how to reach and engage our children. And it's too much for parents. And I've been saying this for years. I've been telling legislators this. I've been telling the companies this. It's not fair. It's a very unfair situation for parents. That makes perfect sense. Well, Jeff, your Center produces some very helpful and impressive reports. And an example of that is work you've done on the vast surveillance of television viewers. Tell us more about that, if you would. Jeff - Well, you know, you have to keep up with this, Kelly. The advocates in the United States and the academics with some exceptions have largely failed to address the contemporary business practices of the food and beverage companies. This is not a secret what's going on now. I mean the Generative AI stuff and the advanced data use, you know, is recent. But it is a continuum. And the fact is that we've been one of the few groups following it because we care about our society, our democracy, our media system, et cetera. But so much more could be done here to track what the companies are doing to identify the problematic practices, to think about counter strategies to try to bring change. So yes, we did this report on video streaming because in fact, it's the way television has now changed. It's now part of the commercial surveillance advertising and marketing complex food and beverage companies are using the interactivity and the data collection of streaming television. And we're sounding the alarm as we've been sounding now for too long. But hopefully your listeners will, in fact, start looking more closely at this digital environment because if we don't intervene in the next few years, it'll be impossible to go back and protect young people. So, when people watch television, they don't generally realize or appreciate the fact that information is being collected on them. Jeff - The television watches you now. The television is watching you now. The streaming companies are watching you now. The device that brings you streaming television is watching you now is collecting all kinds of data. The streaming device can deliver personalized ads to you. They'll be soon selling you products in real time. And they're sharing that data with companies like Meta Facebook, your local retailers like Albertsons, Kroger, et cetera. It's one big, huge digital data marketing machine that has been created. And the industry has been successful in blocking legislation except for the one law we were able to get through in 1998. And now under the Trump administration, they have free reign to do whatever they want. It's going to be an uphill battle. But I do think the companies are in a precarious position politically if we could get more people focused on what they're doing. Alright, we'll come back to that. My guess is that very few people realize the kind of thing that you just talked about. That so much information is being collected on them while they're watching television. The fact that you and your center are out there making people more aware, I think, is likely to be very helpful. Jeff - Well, I appreciate that, Kelly, but I have to say, and I don't want to denigrate our work, but you know, I just follow the trades. There's so much evidence if you care about the media and if you care about advertising and marketing or if you care, just let's say about Coca-Cola or Pepsi or Mondalez. Pick one you can't miss all this stuff. It's all there every day. And the problem is that there has not been the focus, I blame the funders in part. There's not been the focus on this marketplace in its contemporary dimensions. I'd like to ask you both about the legislative landscape and whether there are laws protecting people, especially children from this marketing. And Kathy, both you and Jeff were heavily involved in advocacy for a landmark piece of legislation that Jeff referred to from 1998, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. What did this act involve? And now that we're some years in, how has it worked? Kathryn - Well, I always say I've been studying advertising in the digital media before people even knew there was going to be advertising in digital media. Because we're really talking about the earliest days of the internet when it was being commercialized. But there was a public perception promoted by the government and the industry and a lot of other institutions and individuals that this was going to be a whole new democratic system of technology. And that basically it would solve all of our problems in terms of access to information. In terms of education. It would open up worlds to young people. In many ways it has, but they didn't talk really that much about advertising. Jeff and I working together at the Center for Media Education, were already tracking what was going on in that marketplace in the mid-1990s when it was very, very new. At which point children were already a prime target. They were digital kids. They were considered highly lucrative. Cyber Tots was one of the words that was used by the industry. What we believed was that we needed to get some public debate and some legislation in place, some kinds of rules, to guide the development of this new commercialized media system. And so, we launched a campaign that ultimately resulted in the passage of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Now it only governs commercial media, online, digital media that targets children under the age of 13, which was the most vulnerable demographic group of young people. We believe protections are really, really very important for teenagers. There's a lot of evidence for that now, much more research actually, that's showing their vulnerable abilities. And it has required companies to take young people into account when developing their operations. It's had an impact internationally in a lot of other countries. It is just the barest minimum of what we need in terms of protections for young people. And we've worked with the Federal Trade Commission over the years to ensure that those rules were updated and strengthened so that they would apply to this evolving digital media system. But now, I believe, that what we need is a more global advocacy strategy. And we are already doing that with advocates in other countries to develop a strategy to address the practices of this global industry. And there are some areas where we see some promising movement. The UK, for example, passed a law that bans advertising on digital media online. It has not yet taken effect, but now it will after some delays. And there are also other things going on for ultra processed foods, for unhealthy foods and beverages. So, Kathryn has partly answered this already, Jeff, but let me ask you. That act that we've talked about goes back a number of years now, what's being done more recently on the legislative front? Perhaps more important than that, what needs to be done? Well, I have to say, Kelly, that when Joe Biden came in and we had a public interest chair at the Federal Trade Commission, Lena Khan, I urged advocates in the United States who are concerned about unhealthy eating to approach the Federal Trade Commission and begin a campaign to see what we could do. Because this was going to be the most progressive Federal Trade Commission we've had in decades. And groups failed to do so for a variety of reasons. So that window has ended where we might be able to get the Federal Trade Commission to do something. There are people in the United States Congress, most notably Ed Markey, who sponsored our Children's Privacy Law 25 years ago, to get legislation. But I think we have to look outside of the United States, as Kathryn said. Beyond the law in the United Kingdom. In the European Union there are rules governing digital platforms called the Digital Services Act. There's a new European Union-wide policy safeguards on Generative AI. Brazil has something similar. There are design codes like the UK design code for young people. What we need to do is to put together a package of strategies at the federal and perhaps even state level. And there's been some activity at the state level. You know, the industry has been opposed to that and gone to court to fight any rules protecting young people online. But create a kind of a cutting-edge set of practices that then could be implemented here in the United States as part of a campaign. But there are models. And how do the political parties break down on this, these issues? Kathryn - I was going to say they break down. Jeff - The industry is so powerful still. You have bipartisan support for regulating social media when it comes to young people because there have been so many incidences of suicide and stalking and other kinds of emotional and psychological harms to young people. You have a lot of Republicans who have joined with Democrats and Congress wanting to pass legislation. And there's some bipartisan support to expand the privacy rules and even to regulate online advertising for teens in our Congress. But it's been stymied in part because the industry has such an effective lobbying operation. And I have to say that in the United States, the community of advocates and their supporters who would want to see such legislation are marginalized. They're under underfunded. They're not organized. They don't have the research. It's a problem. Now all these things can be addressed, and we should try to address them. But right now it's unlikely anything will pass in the next few months certainly. Kathryn - Can I just add something? Because I think what's important now in this really difficult period is to begin building a broader set of stakeholders in a coalition. And as I said, I think it does need to be global. But I want to talk about also on the research front, there's been a lot of really important research on digital food marketing. On marketing among healthy foods and beverages to young people, in a number of different countries. In the UK, in Australia, and other places around the world. And these scholars have been working together and a lot of them are working with scholars here in the US where we've seen an increase in that kind of research. And then advocates need to work together as well to build a movement. It could be a resurgence that begins outside of our country but comes back in at the appropriate time when we're able to garner the kind of support from our policymakers that we need to make something happen. That makes good sense, especially a global approach when it's hard to get things done here. Jeff, you alluded to the fact that you've done work specifically on ultra processed foods. Tell us what you're up to on that front. Jeff - As part of our industry analysis we have been tracking what all the leading food and beverage companies are doing in terms of what they would call their digital transformation. I mean, Coca-Cola and Pepsi on Mondelez and Hershey and all the leading transnational processed food companies are really now at the end of an intense period of restructuring to take advantage of the capabilities provided by digital data and analytics for the further data collection, machine learning, and Generative AI. And they are much more powerful, much more effective, much more adept. In addition, the industry structure has changed in the last few years also because of digital data that new collaborations have been created between the platforms, let's say like Facebook and YouTube, the food advertisers, their marketing agencies, which are now also data companies, but most notably the retailers and the grocery stores and the supermarkets. They're all working together to share data to collaborate on marketing and advertising strategies. So as part of our work we've kept abreast of all these things and we're tracking them. And now we are sharing them with a group of advocates outside of the United States supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies to support their efforts. And they've already made tremendous progress in a lot of areas around healthy eating in countries like Mexico and Argentina and Brazil, et cetera. And I'm assuming all these technological advances and the marketing muscle, the companies have is not being used to market broccoli and carrots and Brussels sprouts. Is that right? Jeff - The large companies are aware of changing attitudes and the need for healthy foods. One quick takeaway I have is this. That because the large ultra processed food companies understand that there are political pressures promoting healthier eating in North America and in Europe. They are focused on expanding their unhealthy eating portfolio, in new regions specifically Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. And China is a big market for all this. This is why it has to be a global approach here, Kelly. First place, these are transnational corporations. They are creating the, our marketing strategies at the global level and then transmitting them down to be tailored at the national or regional level. They're coming up with a single set of strategies that will affect every country and every child in those countries. We need to keep track of that and figure out ways to go after that. And there are global tools we might be able to use to try to protect young people. Because if you could protect young, a young person in China, you might also be able to protect them here in North Carolina. This all sounds potentially pretty scary, but is there reason to be optimistic? Let's see if we can end on a positive note. What do you think. Do you have reason to be optimistic? Kathryn - I've always been an optimist. I've always tried to be an optimist, and again, what I would say is if we look at this globally and if we identify partners and allies all around the world who are doing good work, and there are many, many, many of them. And if we work together and continue to develop strategies for holding this powerful industry and these powerful industries accountable. I think we will have success. And I think we should also shine the spotlight on areas where important work has already taken place. Where laws have been enacted. Where companies have been made to change their practices and highlight those and build on those successes from around the world. Thanks. Jeff, what about you? Is there reason to be optimistic? Well, I don't think we can stop trying, although we're at a particularly difficult moment here in our country and worldwide. Because unless we try to intervene the largest corporations, who are working and will work closely with our government and other government, will be able to impact our lives in so many ways through their ability to collect data. And to use that data to target us and to change our behaviors. You can change our health behaviors. You can try to change our political behaviors. What the ultra-processed food companies are now able to do every company is able to do and governments are able to do. We have to expose what they're doing, and we have to challenge what they're doing so we can try to leave our kids a better world. It makes sense. Do you see that the general public is more aware of these issues and is there reason to be optimistic on that front? That awareness might lead to pressure on politicians to change things? Jeff - You know, under the Biden administration, the Federal Trade Commission identified how digital advertising and marketing works and it made it popular among many, many more people than previously. And that's called commercial surveillance advertising. The idea that data is collected about you is used to advertise and market to you. And today there are thousands of people and certainly many more advocacy groups concerned about commercial surveillance advertising than there were prior to 2020. And all over the world, as Kathryn said, in countries like in Brazil and South Africa and Mexico, advocates are calling attention to all these techniques and practices. More and more people are being aware and then, you know, we need obviously leaders like you, Kelly, who can reach out to other scholars and get us together working together in some kind of larger collaborative to ensure that these techniques and capabilities are exposed to the public and we hold them accountable. Bios Kathryn Montgomery, PhD. is Research Director and Senior Strategist for the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD). In the early 90s, she and Jeff Chester co-founded the Center for Media Education (CME), where she served as President until 2003, and which was the predecessor organization to CDD. CME spearheaded the national campaign that led to passage of the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) the first federal legislation to protect children's privacy on the Internet. From 2003 until 2018, Dr. Montgomery was Professor of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C., where she founded and directed the 3-year interdisciplinary PhD program in Communication. She has served as a consultant to CDD for a number of years and joined the full-time staff in July 2018. Throughout her career, Dr. Montgomery has written and published extensively about the role of media in society, addressing a variety of topics, including: the politics of entertainment television; youth engagement with digital media; and contemporary advertising and marketing practices. Montgomery's research, writing, and testimony have helped frame the national public policy debate on a range of critical media issues. In addition to numerous journal articles, chapters, and reports, she is author of two books: Target: Prime Time – Advocacy Groups and the Struggle over Entertainment Television (Oxford University Press, 1989); and Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce, and Childhood in the Age of the Internet (MIT Press, 2007). Montgomery's current research focuses on the major technology, economic, and policy trends shaping the future of digital media in the Big Data era. She earned her doctorate in Film and Television from the University of California, Los Angeles. Jeff Chester is Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), a Washington, DC non-profit organization. CDD is one of the leading U.S. NGOs advocating for citizens, consumers and other stakeholders on digital privacy and consumer protections online. Founded in 1991, CDD (then known as the Center for Media Education) led the campaign for the enactment of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 1998). During the 1990s it also played a prominent role in such issues as open access/network neutrality, diversity of media ownership, public interest policies for children and television, as well the development of the FCC's “E-Rate” funding to ensure that schools and libraries had the resources to offer Internet services. Since 2003, CDD has been spearheading initiatives designed to ensure that digital media in the broadband era fulfill their democratic potential. A former investigative reporter, filmmaker and Jungian-oriented psychotherapist, Jeff Chester received his M.S.W. in Community Mental Health from U.C. Berkeley. He is the author of Digital Destiny: New Media and the Future of Democracy (The New Press, 2007), as well as articles in both the scholarly and popular press. During the 1980s, Jeff co-directed the campaign that led to the Congressional creation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS) for public TV. He also co-founded the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, the artist advocacy group that supported federal funding for artists. In 1996, Newsweek magazine named Jeff Chester one of the Internet's fifty most influential people. He was named a Stern Foundation “Public Interest Pioneer” in 2001, and a “Domestic Privacy Champion” by the Electronic Privacy Information Center in 2011. CDD is a member of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD). Until January 2019, Jeff was the U.S. co-chair of TACD's Information Society (Infosoc) group, helping direct the organization's Transatlantic work on data protection, privacy and digital rights.

This is your youth ministry summer social media game-changer. With 3 months of ready-to-go posts, training videos, and templates, you'll never stress about what to post again. Designed for youth pastors by a youth pastor using a proven hybrid ministry model. ☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utmmedium=clipboardcopy&utmsource=copyLink&utmcampaign=productsharecreator&utmcontent=join_link *

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode of The Covenant Eyes Podcast, Karen Potter sits down with Pete Kirchhoff, Director of Campus Ministry at Youth for Christ USA, to explore the incredible movement of faith rising among Generation Z and Generation Alpha.Despite the narrative that younger generations are turning away from faith, Pete shares eye-opening research, real-world ministry stories, and powerful insights about how today's youth are more spiritually open than ever before. From the impact of campus ministries to the innovative ways Youth for Christ is reaching teens, you'll discover why there's so much hope for the next generation—and how YOU can be a part of it.Whether you're a parent, youth leader, or simply passionate about impacting young lives, this conversation will inspire and equip you to engage with today's youth authentically and powerfully.

There are currently 7 living generations. That makes for plenty of crossed-wires, misunderstandings and confusion about each other, and the future.In this episode of Life & Faith, we speak to futurist, speaker and author Ashley Fell from McCrindle, a social research and advisory firm that uses cutting edge research and data analysis to decode the generations and make sense of each other and even predict the future.It turns out that there's much more to each generation than our slang, cultural references or relationship with technology. Join us as we explore how a better understanding of the generations can foster empathy, strengthen social trust and even offer us a window into the future.Explore: McCrindle Research website: https://mccrindle.com.au/ What defines a Generation? (video clip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMB2_aNINdM Inside the mind of Generation Alpha: https://mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/generation-alpha/inside-the-mind-of-generation-alpha/ Welcome Gen Beta (Article): https://mccrindle.com.au/article/generation-beta-defined/

Ich glaube, dass wir in der nächsten Zeit eine Erweckung erleben werden unter einer ganz bestimmten Personengruppe. Vieles deutet darauf hin, erste Anzeichen sind zu sehen und sogar eine Studie belegt es. Die Frage ist: Willst du dabei sein? Das Problem vieler Frommen und frommen Gemeinden ist, dass sie sich (lieber) um sich selbst und Pseudo-Probleme drehen, als dem Auftrag Jesu nachzukommen. Was ist Erweckung? Welche Personengruppe ist gemeint? Wie kannst du dabei sein? Darum geht es in dieser Folge.

You need to train your volunteer youth leaders, but how do you produce a podcast, which gives you the outlet to offer more trainings than you even know what to do with? And how do you not lose your life to it? Here's how I produce a weekly leader podcast with only one hour per month of a time committment! Yes, I'll show you everything I do from getting started, the gear, and maintaining it! Welcome to the Hybrid Ministry Show! We discuss all of this, and MORE on my weekly [BONUS] podcast, check it out here:

Adam Hurrey is joined on the Adjudication Panel by Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker. On the agenda: Mark Clattenburg's Generation Alpha breakthrough, the search continues for the origin of "pre-assist", the dubious footballing memory of Paul Scholes, the fascinating name of the Malaysia national team captain, interim popes with Premier League interim managers' names and Richard Keys in top wind-up form over on BeIN Sports. Meanwhile, the panel decide if a 5-1 aggregate win can ever be a "thrashing" and if a supermarket can have its own "DNA". Adam's book, Extra Time Beckons, Penalties Loom: How to Use (and Abuse) The Language of Football, is OUT NOW: https://geni.us/ExtraTimeBeckons Visit nordvpn.com/cliches to get four extra months on a two-year plan with NordVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harvard will not comply with sweeping demands from the Trump administration targeting pro-Palestinian organizing. Can other universities afford to join them?  Mohsen Mahdawi’s detention exposes the rising risks faced by pro-Palestinian students during the Trump administration’s crackdown on campuses. Netflix’s “Adolescence” explores the issue of growing up online and what social media pressures can do to lonely, angry young men. It also looks at generational male violence. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank more than 100 years ago, but the disaster has captured the imagination of Generation Alpha.

One of the best things you can do for your life and leadership today is listen to or watch this podcast. If you do not or choose to ignore it due to its content, you will be making a huge mistake. Understanding this episode today will lead you to have a very healthy understanding of our times, and also help you flourish personally, as well lead you to lead yourself, your family, your business, your church, or your organization in a much more productive way now and the future. So stay tuned, buckle up, and get ready…this is Ronnie Floyd, and welcome to the 48th episode of our podcast.In just a moment, I will discuss a subject I have never addressed and share some information with you that you may not have heard or read about before. I promise you that today's podcast will be one of the most helpful podcasts I have done with you. Just a quick note from our past week: Jeana and I spent three days in Orlando, Florida, for an annual conference we attend called The Mega-Metro Conference for Pastors and Wives. I have now participated in this conference for thirty-seven consecutive years. We prioritize it because God always blesses and encourages us when we gather for this event. We provided leadership for this conference in three different years during my Cross Church tenure. We are thankful to Pastor Chris Bell and his wife, Nan, who served this year by leading and designing the program for these various gatherings at the conference. Pastor Chris Bell is the Lead Pastor of the multi-campus 3 CIRCLE CHURCH based in Fairhope, Alabama. Now, let's get right into my podcast for this week. While conversations about the various generations occur daily, they are usually about the younger generations, such as Generation Alpha, Born 2013-2025; Generation Z, Born 1997-2012; and, of course, the Millenials, born 1981-1996. While we must always be aware and committed to the next generations, we can never forget the others. For example, where would we be today without Generation X, Born 1965-1980 and now in their forties to late fifties? Then, we have the Baby Boomers Generation, Born 1946-1964, now in their sixties to eighties. Furthermore, what about the Silent Generation, Born in 1928-1945, now in their eighties and nineties? Finally, we cannot forget The Centenarians, people born in 1925 or earlier, and some 100,000+ of these people live in the United States.

Dr. Pedro Roman joined the Hyde Park Central School District as the Superintendent of Schools in July 2023. In his role as Superintendent, Dr. Roman is responsible for working with the Hyde Park Board of Trustees and school community to promote the district's vision and mission, manage finances, personnel, and resources, and ensure students and staff have optimal teaching and learning conditions to empower them to strive for excellence and embrace the opportunities of our globally connected world.

SummaryIn this episode of the Right Side Up podcast, host Danielle Strickland and co-host James Sholl engage with James Stinson, who shares his journey from Australia to the UK and his involvement with Alpha International, focusing on youth ministry. The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities in reaching today's youth, particularly through the lens of recent research on the 'open generation.' Stinson discusses the importance of authenticity, empowerment, and connection in engaging young people, as well as the role of the church in addressing their needs and questions. In this conversation, Danielle Strickland and James Stinson discuss the nature of Jesus, the importance of social justice, and how to effectively communicate the gospel in today's context. They emphasize the need to empower the next generation, innovate church leadership, and the critical role of food in ministry. The dialogue highlights the challenges faced by the church and the ongoing relevance of Jesus's message in a world seeking good news.TakeawaysJames Stinson moved to the UK to pursue football and ended up in youth ministry.Stinson emphasizes the importance of local church involvement for newcomers.Alpha International aims to reach marginalized youth through innovative approaches.The new Alpha Youth series focuses on engaging Generation Z and Generation Alpha.Research shows that young people are spiritually open and curious about Jesus.Authenticity is a key value for today's youth, who can see through inauthenticity.Young people desire empowerment and autonomy in their faith journeys.The church must listen to young people's needs and perspectives.Connection without control is essential for engaging youth today.The research on the open generation reveals a longing for safe spaces to explore faith. The character of Jesus is central to understanding his message.Contextualizing the gospel is essential for reaching today's generation.Empowerment over control is key for engaging young people in the church.Innovative approaches are necessary for effective church leadership.Food plays a significant role in building community and sharing faith.The next generation is focused on social justice and helping others.Church leaders should be willing to take risks and innovate.Building relationships through meals can facilitate deeper conversations about faith.The gospel remains relevant even amidst challenges in the church.Good news must be communicated in a way that resonates with people's experiences.Sound Bites"We're a church for the city.""They want to own things.""Is God good?""Blow the roof off.""Jesus responds to their faith.""Food is central to the gospel.""Good news in a good way.""Share more meals together."Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background of James Stinson03:32 Journey into Youth Ministry and Alpha International08:30 The Role of Alpha in Reaching Youth12:39 Research Insights on the Open Generation19:22 Empowerment and Connection in Youth Engagement20:10 Exploring the Nature of Jesus23:02 The Importance of Contextualizing the Gospel24:31 Empowering the Next Generation30:00 Innovative Approaches to Church Leadership37:11 The Role of Food in Ministry39:03 The Good News Amidst Challenges Get full access to Right Side Up: Danielle Strickland at daniellestrickland.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dana Rodio, director of marketing and branding for Nassau Candy, offers her insights into the up-and-coming consumer group, Generation Alpha. Rodio talks about the consumption and media trends driving the habits of Gen Alpha kids, who have been bombarded with messaging and media from an early age. She also discusses how Nassau approaches appealing to them, and what any food and beverage company should pay attention to when it comes to drawing them to their brands.

Welcome to this week's episode of the podcast where Brent sits down with Ryan McDermott, the Executive Director of Family Ministry at Christ Fellowship Church in South Florida, to talk about recent research and studies done over the spiritual formation of Generation Alpha and how parents and youth pastors can be impactful in their acceptance and development of faith in Christ.Whether you are a young or old youth pastor, we would love for you to listen in and see what is talked about in today's episode and we would also love to hear from you! What is your tidbit of advice that you would add to the conversation?You can listen to this episode on all your preferred podcast providers. We would also love to have you join the conversation if you would like to be on the show!Shoot us a message on social media (@talkstudentmin) or an email (podcast@studentministryconversations.org) to get a time set for you to be on the show.Show notes can be found on our website: www.studentministryconversations.orgConnect With SMCInstagram – @talkstudentminTwitter – @talkstudentminFacebook – @talkstudentminYoutube - "Student Ministry Conversations"Connect With The HostsBrent Aiken – @heybrentaikenRussell Martin – @rgmmusicDavid Pruitt - @pruacousticMelissa Stevenson - @melissa_stevenson81You can also email all the hosts individually by: firstname@studentministryconversations.orgSupport the Podcast!Buy Our Merch! - www.studentministryconversations.org/shop

Gaming startup funding struggles as 2025 begins. Approximately 61% of Americans engage with digital games each week, with Generation Alpha averaging over five hours. However, funding in 2024 fell to around $2.4 billion, a 12% decrease from the previous year, continuing a decline that started after a peak in 2021. While overall startup funding has increased, sectors like gaming experience contractions. Mass layoffs affected about 10% of developers, with companies like Embracer Group, Microsoft, Sony, and Electronic Arts reducing their workforces and canceling projects. Some startups, however, secured significant funding, including Build A Rocket Boy, which raised over $110 million, and Second Dinner Studios, which raised $100 million. The high valuations of major gaming companies underscore the limited funding available to startups, despite growing consumer interest in new gaming experiences. The slowdown in funding reflects broader trends in the consumer sector, highlighting the need for evolving strategies among emerging companies.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 5th March 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakmensah/Zak Mensah is the co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust. He is passionate about helping their service make an impact by focusing on the needs of over 1 million visitors. He is encouraging the organization to adopt a "digital by default" approach. Zak's mission is to ensure that their people, skills, and services remain adaptable to the rapidly changing landscape of the cultural sector. He is exploring new ways of doing things, including innovative business models, partnerships, and arts-related KPIs, while sharing as much as possible publicly.With a background in staff development and digital, Zak has been involved with the web since the late 90s and has seen its influence grow in all aspects of life. Prior to joining the arts sector in 2013, he helped small businesses, charities, Jisc, universities, and the Heritage Lottery Fund "do" digital well.Zak also runs his own consultancy to promote positive change and keep his skills sharp. His goal is to make a ruckus. https://www.vam.ac.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyakino-wittering/Amy Akino-Wittering is Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A, which opened July 2023 and recently won Art Fund Museum of the Year and Kids in Museums, Family Friendly Museum of the Year awardsResponsible for the general management of Young V&A she directly manages the visitor experience and teams, catering contract, volunteering and back of house operations, collaborating closely with central V&A colleagues to deliver operations and income for Young V&A. Previously Amy worked at V&A South Kensington as Senior Visitor Experience Manager-Sales and was on the opening project team leading on visitor experience and retail at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.She started her career at Imperial War Museums working across sites from assistant to management roles in Retail and Admissions and systems management.  https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-sapwell-b3b2a281/Paul Sapwell has been Chief Executive at independent arts and culture charity Hampshire Cultural Trust since 2018, having joined the trust in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer following an early career primarily in hospitality and leisure. Paul is a passionate believer in the transformative power that cultural experiences can have on the wellbeing of individuals and communities, and a prominent advocate for the role of commercial growth, underpinned by a flexible, entrepreneurial team culture, in sustaining museum and arts organisations. Transcription: Paul Marden: The museums and culture sector are facing unprecedented headwinds. Static or reducing funding from local government, fewer grants from trusts and foundations, all while dealing with increased people costs. The continued headwinds from cost of living crisis. But this sector continues to deliver more with less and support the cultural life of our country. Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue. I'm your host, Paul Marden and in today's episode recorded the Science Museum at the Association of Cultural Enterprises View from the Top event. I'm joined by Amy Akino-Wittering, Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A. Zak Mensah, Co CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust, and Paul Sapwell, CEO of Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul Marden: And we're going to talk about how the cultural sector can innovate in order to thrive. Anyone that's listened to the podcast before will know. And this is the nervous bit. Paul Marden: We always start with an icebreaker question which my lovely guests victims have not been prepared for. So, Zak, I'm afraid you go first, my friends. So if you were a cartoon character, which cartoon character would you be? Zak Mensah: That's easy. I think I would be the thing that gets chased by the. Is it the wild Cody who runs around all his home? But I'd be the. What's the little, the stupid Roadrunner. Yeah, so I would be Roadrunner because you constantly are literally running 100 miles an hour and then a giant piano lands on you at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon, but you respawn on the Monday and you start all over again. Pretty much feels like me. Paul Marden: I love that. I love that. Amy, you're next. Let's think of all of the inventions over the last hundred years that were offered. Flying cars, those sorts of things. What is the one thing were promised that you really miss and think we really need in our lives? Amy Akino-Wittering: I think a Time Turner, which is basically from Harry Potter. Basically you can just go and do things like six. They do six days all at once. Paul Marden: You can be Hermione if you've got a Time Turner. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, great. Paul Marden: Excellent. I love that, Amy. Thank you. Paul. Paul Sapwell: You said these were going to be under no pressure. I wouldn't have liked. I wouldn't have liked either of those. Paul Marden: Oh, well, you're not going to like this one then. I'm sorry, mate, I'm, I, I live in Hampshire. Paul runs Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul. Paul Sapwell:  Oh, even better. Paul Marden: Saints or Pompey? Paul Sapwell:  Oh, blimey. Okay, well that's, I'm an Arsenal fan. Paul Marden: So there we go. Paul Sapwell: I couldn't possibly answer Saints or Pompey? I mean, we border both. So I would just be in so much trouble if I pick one or the other. So I can. I've got to get out. Paul Marden: Are you dodging that one? Paul Sapwell: Yeah. I thought you might watch Arsenal regularly. Paul Marden: I thought you might. So we are going to start with a question from somebody from the audience, a young man named Gordon. Apparently he might be a millennial. And he says, After 15 years of turmoil, financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid, we face continuing cost of living issues, rising national insurance and a Trump presidency. Are we doomed in 2025? Or to put it slightly better, what are the biggest risks for your organisation and the wider sector, and what are you each doing to thrive in the year ahead? And I'm going to start with you, Paul. Paul Sapwell: That's an easy question, isn't it? Paul Marden: You can thank young Gordon. Paul Sapwell: Brilliant Gordon, Yeah. I mean, I think 2025 is going to be an incredibly tricky year, but to sort of look further than that. I'm certainly an optimist, but I think we're in a time of transition, particularly in terms of our sector, in the cultural sector, in terms of what's going to fund us and what's going to sustain us going forward. You know, I think the years of the level. I think a lot of the speakers have touched on it, but the years of the level of public sector funding is, whatever happens with this government and next is going to be going down and we just have to face that. I run an organisation which we started out in 2019. We're about 85% publicly funded. Now we're 34% publicly funded with the same turnover, I hasten to add. Paul Sapwell: And so we've made a good go of it, but I think the headwinds this year are really difficult. That said, I think that we have to be confident investing for the longer term and particularly, obviously, in this conference in areas of commercial growth. I think that, okay, the growth projections have been downgraded. I am confident that we will, as the decade continues, move into a period of growth. And we've got to be looking at the long term rather than the short term. The trick is, of course, not running out of money in the short term. And that's a really difficult place to be. Paul Marden: In the water, just here. Paul Sapwell: I don't have an easy answer to that, but I think fundamentally, you've got to give the customer what they want and the customer is still there. Paul Sapwell: And we have a fantastic product. But we've got to certainly pivot much further towards what customers want commercially, in my view, than putting as much emphasis as probably we did 10 years ago on trying to find more and more public funding, because I think that's going down. Paul Marden: Zak, have you got any thoughts on that? Zak Mensah: Yeah, I mean, in terms of money, just generally people want to back winners. So I think one of the difficult things that internally we can all say it's doom and gloom, because it does feel that doom and gloom. There are definitely days, weeks and months. I think it's right to say that it's doom and gloom. Like you can be optimist but still understand it's difficult time. And I think a lot of our, you know, a lot of our workforces certainly feel that, it can feel very difficult because every year they ask, will they have their job? Right. And that's a really fair question to ask. And we sometimes as leaders kind of say, “Oh, if we can get through the next two years, but two years for normal staff are sometimes a very long time to try and say, “You or may have not have a job to make life through.”Zak Mensah: So I think that's something I always think back in back of my mind. I think a lot of the difficulties, whichever flavour of government is about understanding how to be more savvy, about understanding the trends, about things that are fundable. Because there are lots of things that were funded 10, 20 years ago, that money has dried up. And so we've all got to think about, for example, a lot of people now looking at, well, being a speaker this afternoon was talking about more on EDI, for example, and how younger people certainly are interested in having more of a purpose driven business. Is how for us, we can make sure we're focused on the, what I was called, the user need. So the needs that people use us. Zak Mensah: Because if you can concentrate and focus on what they want, whether it be money, otherwise that ultimately does lead to a business model. Because there's no point saying just because museums and galleries have been around for 100 to 200 years, they have an absolute right to exist. The only way they exist is because every decade or whatever there's another crisis comes along and a group of people, including ourselves here, live in this room, but also listening to this make it happen. Like, we've got to convince councillors, government, businesses to be part of that journey. Because the funny thing I will say is that, you know, at Birmingham Museums, the art gallery was founded in 1885 by industry people. It was industry people that founded it. It was industry people who wanted the city to have great arts. Zak Mensah: And so now we're turning back to those same people and saying, "We need you to now step up and contribute." It doesn't always have to be money. It could be in kind support, could be advocacy. That's the kind of thing that we need to do as leaders right now, in addition to the normal making the money work and stretch as far as we can. Paul Marden: Absolutely. Amy, what are you doing at Young V&A to thrive in the year ahead and face some of these challenges? Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, absolutely. So we've now been open for just over two years, so I feel kind of, well, coming up to two years. And so I feel we're kind of in that stage where we kind of opened and sort of just try to make sure that we are operationally savvy. And last year was very much about refining that. And I think this year is very much about what's next and how can we build upon kind of success of opening, looking at ways in which we can innovate through doing new kind of commercial opportunities, but also how can we develop our audiences. And as well as part of kind of the wider V&A, we've got two more sites opening as well. Amy Akino-Wittering: So how as an organisation are we going to work together to kind of be in this new family of sites and work together through there? So I think for us in the kind of coming year is all about, what's next? We've opened the door. We started with a really strong foundation and a really strong vision, but then how can we keep on innovating and keep iterating that to improve? Paul Marden: Excellent. I'm going touch on stuff that Lewis talked about a minute ago. One of his reflections I really liked was thinking about how do we create a space for colleagues to engage with some of these really important issues that have been on the PowerPoints. Zak, maybe you could start. What do you think your organisation can do to act as bottom up catalyst for change as opposed to trying to drive these changes from the top down? Zak Mensah: I think the first thing is about understanding that there are a lot of people who do want to be able to voice their hopes and fears around a whole host of subjects, whether it be specifically around, if you're ethnic minority, about your fear of living in the UK, if you have climate, lots of important subjects people want to talk about. You know, I think certainly internally, and I'll be very clear about this, I think there's a very different view sometimes about the difference between internal and the external voice of the organisation. So what we see a lot of is staff individually believe that as a service there are lots of things we could and should be talking about publicly that may or may not directly align with how as a leader we see it. Zak Mensah: So, you know, there are lots of fights we do get into. We can't get into every single fight. And sometimes there's a real fine balance around what we decide to go for. So if you take during Black Lives Matter example, me and Sarah Shropshire started in November 2020, there was an expectation that immediately we would be like the spokesperson for the whole museum sector about black and brown issues. And like, it's really hard to say, actually. I am not speaking on behalf of every single person in the whole country. I do take it seriously and we set up internally ways people to talk about it, but didn't always feel appropriate. Zak Mensah: And I'll give another example is around, for example, war. Any one time there's something like 15 global conflicts happening and, you know, we talk and go backwards and forwards internally sometimes about, you know, do we talk about them publicly? If we talk about them internally, how we talk about them, do we single one out or do we talk about them all? Are they equal? How do you equally talk about things are very horrific for a number of people?Zak Mensah: And knowing that we've got staff from dozens of countries who all have different views on how their homeland or area they're interested in is impacted. Things are very horrific for a number of people. But I do think that there's always. It's always really tricky because the best conversations and the best conversations need care and a lot of the conversations happen in like, pockets that we have no control over. Zak Mensah: And so it's again, how do you set an environment as a leader that is allowing the bottom up to do their own thing, but in a way that isn't going to be detrimental to the whole workforce? Because I think it is. Again, I mentioned it's been. It's really tricky and that's the simple truth. It is no easy answer to these things because if it was easy, we'd all solved it. Yeah. But acknowledging it there, it's the elephant in the room, I think is really important and growing to be more and more important for us as leaders. Paul Marden: I think Lewis was saying it's really important to know where you stand on issues and it is okay for you to have a stance on issues that says, I'm not going to make a stand on this one issue. I thought that was a really interesting perspective. Imy's talk. I think were talking a lot about the journey of Titanic Belfast, which I love as a museum, to go to a museum that emotionally moved me as much with so very few actual artefacts. I just think it's an amazing storytelling experience. But you talked a little bit about the team and what you do to be able to nurture that team. And one of the things that we're talking about is trying to get 110% out of everybody getting to more with less, getting them to innovate. Paul Marden: How do you balance all of those challenges and not break the people and maintain a 98% retention rate like Titanic does? Paul? Paul Sapwell: Well, maintaining a 98 retention rate, I think fairly unprecedented and huge congratulations. I mean, I think it follows on a bit from what Zak was saying, actually. You know, it's tough, isn't it, being leaders in terms of whether you're making that kind of external message or whether you've got a tough internal message. I mean, I've always taken a stance that you've got to be as transparent as you possibly can be and people will go a long way with you if it doesn't appear that things are being taken in a dark room somewhere. And I think for us, what we've tried to do is to put in the mechanisms for that to happen. I've been really fortunate to work with a fantastic people director, Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul Sapwell: One of the first things, I think you've also got to make a stance, by the way, on people being important. One of the first things I did as CEO was say we need a people director. It's quite rare in the heritage sector. I came from hospitality, it was the norm. It's an odd thing that people and HR doesn't always sit at the top table. Sometimes it's sort of delegated down in operations or even finance. So I think that's really important and we needed a strategy and part of that is putting in place a lot of the stuff that you talked about of the Titanic, which I think is really impressive. And we're somewhere on that journey, but not quite as far along, but proper employee forums where you listen. Paul Sapwell: I meet with an employee elected employee forum quarterly and talk to them about all issues with nothing off the table. We also have an EDI group with a mix, again, senior leadership on there talking about these issues. And I think that, you know, if there was one thing I would say it's, you're not always going to be able to give easy answers, are you? This year we're being hit with an enormous national insurance hit to the staff costs and that is going to affect pay. I can't pretend that it isn't. And if we're going to not run out of money in the next few years, we're going to have to give less of a pay increase this year than we would like to. Paul Sapwell: But we've been talking about that openly since it hit and I hope that our team will go, will understand, but obviously that doesn't make it, make it easy. And I think the same is true with the issues that you're talking about. You can't take a stance on every single issue that comes through each of these forums every quarter, but you have a conversation about it. And I think that's the most important bit for me. Paul Marden: Amy, I'm going to segue wide away from today's talks. Regular listeners will know that I'm a Trustee of Kids in Museums and I was chatting with my fellow trustees about today's event and we wondered, given the impact of the cultural sector, on the impact that it has on the lives of young people and how there are so many challenges at the moment for disadvantaged young people to engage in the sector. You know, we all know that post Covid, many schools have cut their school visits into museums and galleries. I pick you because Young V&A was the winner of Kids in Museums Family Friendly Awards last year. So let's just start with you and talk about what are the innovative things that you've done to break down barriers to encourage children and families to engage in the museum. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yes, of course. So Young V&A when we kind of opened its entire purpose is about engaging children. It's all about kind of that creative confidence in Generation Alpha. And so the whole museum has been designed with and for young people. So its target audience is between naught to 14 year olds. We spoke with over 22,000 young people in the development of the museum to hear what do they want from it. I think there's a survey which said that 40% of children thought that museums were boring and it weren't places for them. So, well, what can we do as we've got this opportunity to redevelop, to make sure that it is a place that people want to go and enjoy and be themselves. Amy Akino-Wittering: And so that was kind of like the North Star in terms of what every kind of decision in the kind of opening and making and running of Young V&A is really centred around this as well. And so it goes from the aesthetic in terms of the height of things, the bright colours from this swirling staircase that we have at Young V&A, which came from an idea that someone wanted to helter skelter in the space to the tone of voice in our interpretation and also how the objects are displayed. We've got objects from across the V&A, we've got over 2,000 objects. But it's not just the museum as was the Museum of Childhood collection, it's from across all of the different departments of the V&A. And it's been curated with that kind of child centred and child focused way. Amy Akino-Wittering: Co design is also a really kind of core part of it as well. So we kind of co designed with local audiences and children for various design displays and also co curation. So each gallery was co curated between the learning team and the curatorial team as well. And then obviously we've kind of got to actually open the building and have a team to deliver that visitor experience. And again, that is all very much fed through that audience lens. And so we looked at our structures of, you know, what types of people do we want in the space? You know, our core audience are children. We need people who want to engage with that audience. It's a very specific kind of audience, but also we are a hyper local organisation as well and so how can we encourage applicants from the local boroughs? Amy Akino-Wittering: So we drove a very inclusive recruitment process where we basically did a behaviour led process for recruitment, we redid all the job descriptions, went out into our local community, did workshops and CV surgeries and basically just made it as easy as possible for people to apply and get interview. And the kind of core things that were looking at was behaviours. We can teach people how to go on a till or to learn how to do fire evacuations, but actually it's much harder to get people because that's what the job is. You know, the majority, you know, all your visitors will come to a touch point with the front of house team. They are your most important ambassadors. Amy Akino-Wittering: So we need to make sure that we've got the best kind of resources and time and structure in place to support them, to give the best possible experience that we can. So we spent a lot of time doing that. We spent a lot of time as well working Kids in Museums come in and do training about specific family engagement training as well, which has been really beneficial. And then also we really believe that, you know, the customer experience, the visitor experience is directly impacted by the employee experience. You can't expect the team to deliver this amazing, joyful visitor experience if actually they're pretty miserable behind the scenes. So how can we make sure that the structures that we have and the environment that we have is reflective of how we want them to be on the floor as well? Amy Akino-Wittering: So we make sure that we have forums to make sure that, you know, people can have their say. We make sure. So we did this team charter, which was this sort of collaborative effort to see, like, how do you want to feel in the workplace, but also how do you want your visitors to feel? And actually, it was all very similar in terms of the outcomes that came from that kind of exercise. And it's these kind of agreement that we have together to how we're going to work together and those kind of things which we do to ensure. It's that kind of frequent communication and making sure that we're on the same page and it kind of brings that joy which then comes out to the visitors. Amy Akino-Wittering: And that is kind of I think all those things together has all really helped in terms of when someone comes into the space, children, they're front and centre. They really feel like it's a place for them and they've got kind of people around them which really get them and that they will help facilitate their curiosity and things like that. So that's what we've done. Paul Marden: Amazing. Paul, have you got some thoughts? Paul Sapwell: Yeah. I love what you're saying about the visitor. The visitor services guys on the front desk. I mean, they are the most important people, essentially, and that's why I was nodding vigorously. I think that's part of what I was talking about earlier in terms of pivot into more of a commercial view, because a commercial company completely relies on their customer who comes in. And I think my experience of being in an organisation that's moved out of being run predominantly by a council to one that's independent now was, I've got to be honest, at the start, that wasn't how it felt. Paul Sapwell: And actually you could produce big lists of visitor figures, but ultimately, if they went up or down, it didn't really matter because the funding was going to stay the same, whatever, and there would be other metrics, and I think that's the big shift in mentality, because if you don't give the customer what they want, and that means really valuing people on your front line. And, you know, we've had conversations at the Museum Association about it, about how there's almost been that divide in museums between the people who talk to your customers and the museum staff. And I think that's a really. Or people who would see themselves doing proper museum work. And I think that, you know, that's something we've got to. We're moving in the right direction, but we've got to move quicker. Paul Marden: All of our best memories, aren't they, of going to these places are not necessarily about the amazing artefacts, it's the stories that your team tell people when they interact with them. You feel so happy as a result of it. I think of some amazing experiences. Zak, have you got any thoughts on this? Innovative ways in which we make museums family friendly, how we encourage make them more children friendly? Zak Mensah: Well, the first thing is it's something like 50% of people have children. And so knowing that is in the UK is a thing. Just knowing that as a fact. Right. Means that thinking then about families who will come, but also the staff workforce. Because again, like, you know, if your staff, you're your biggest advocates we just talked about is making it friendly for people to have children in the workforce means that most people recommend it and word of mouth is the biggest way that you can influence people and then from that when people come. So we've got nine venues overall pre pandemic, have a million visitors a year. Zak Mensah: We say we're family friendly, but I've got two young children and quite often the experience, not just my place, but other places doesn't actually say match up with that because like just saying to a seven year old, you must love art, doesn't really work, right, if it's Blue. Paul Marden: Can't tell them. You can't just make them like, yeah. Zak Mensah: I can't tell anything because anyone in my family anything. If you convince about bluey=, then you've got another chance. But you know, you've got to think about actually what is their experience going to be. So, you know, have you got picnic area? Have you got toilets? Lots of toilets. Do you allow your staff, for example, in previous roles? We allow people, if they want to do potty training, they could do potty training in the gallery. Because the reality was if they didn't use the potty that they had in their bag, it was going somewhere else. And so I remember watching in horror as someone literally tried to scoop up a child and move their parent out of a gallery to start to go to the toilet. Zak Mensah: And I was like, there was no way they were going to make it out that door. I would love to have that CCTV footage because I bet that was quite interesting. But, you know, it sounds, you know, some sort of flippant and fun. Zak Mensah: But that's the little thing because like all those little things about making it, you know, enjoyable. Because if you can make it enjoyable for the. For the parent or the guardian, you can make it fun for the, you know, for the kids. You know, you have to have sharp crayons and pencils. Whatever it is, like always things that's really kids don't want much. That's the little thing because like all those little things about making it, you know, enjoyable. Right. Like, if you can give them almost that version of experience to make people think it's good. Because I think we sometimes dissociate the child's experience with the fact they're with someone else. So actually you've got to make it good for the people that they're with. And quite often people do it, you know, who take. Zak Mensah: They might take the extended family. So they'll say like, you know, I'll take my niece or whatever, I'm there. And they don't usually actually have to have the children. So sometimes they need help as well, you know, to make sure the experience. Paul Marden: Extra needs to be able to solve the kids' problems. Zak Mensah: Absolutely. So for me it's about making it that friendly from that perspective. So often with school trips, for example, it's how can you make the school trips fun? Because I see quite a lot of kids on school trips that they sort of being marched through and forced to go. So then they're less likely to recommend it to their parents and their parents just like to come. So for me, it's kind of like trying to use that learning visit which often people's first. Most people tell me, I've been to museum as a child and they usually get towards school age, secondary school, and they don't go anymore. Paul Marden: Yes. Zak Mensah: So it's like, how do we make sure that. I don't think as a sector where family friendly enough, other than those people who already are super engaged, they make the kids have fun. I'm probably talking about my trauma now. Paul Marden: Let's return today's speakers. Let's just talk a little bit about Mike's discussion of using behavioural models to influence buying decisions. Yeah. What are the biggest behavioural barriers that you see within your organisation? In terms of visitor experience, from kind of awareness through to decision making, what could you do? What could you change? Zak Mensah: So the first obvious one is a lot of people are terrified of being in spaces because they're not sure how to behave. There's this weird secret code that doesn't. It's not actually written down anywhere that people think the museum experience has got to be quiet, that it's got to be. That you've got to know what you're looking at. It can't just be fun. And actually having. Just having fun is a really important part of what you want to do. So for us, I think the problem is, as well as once you work in the sector, those barriers are invisible because you just work there. You feel comfortable now coming. Yeah. And so the behaviour part is super interesting. And so, for example, it's a phrase I sometimes use around, like. Zak Mensah: It's around this idea of, like, “People like us do things like this”, which I stole from Seth Godin. So, you know, what we did, for example, is w e now don't have staff uniform because we've got quite a diverse. We're dividing diversity in Birmingham and we want people to feel comfortable and recognise people outside the building who then might be going, like, sure, I might. Hoodies, for example. If you wear a hoodie, you might own. The museum's. Not for me, the museums for other people who wear suits, etc. So actually, if they see staffing. Yeah, if they see staff in hoodies or whatever, in hijabs or niqab, whichever outfit they want to wear, then that is a signal about those people are welcome. Zak Mensah: That's one example where that idea came from the team about how we can show and tell and do what we say we're going to do, rather than just saying, “Oh, but we're really friendly museums are great and come in.” Because actually they are intimidating from the outside. They're often intimidating intellectually. Paul Marden: Yep. Zak Mensah: The train, the media, all the time is being really high brow all the time. So it's like actually we. We have to find ways to accept that those barriers exist. And that often means finding people who don't use you to actually tell you that. And we've just finished a citizen's jury, for example, which had almost 30 people who are representative of the city come in and 80% of them at the first meeting said they didn't think the museum is relevant to them. Those are ordinary people who live in the city who. That's 80% of those people. Four in five people don't think the museum is relevant for them, even though we know that we could make it relevant to them. And that was a really sad, shocking figure, but also is motivating. Zak Mensah: And I think our job, you know, as leaders is how do we help people feel inclusive, to be an inclusive space and then like. And go for it. Paul Marden: Excellent. Thank you, Amy. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, I think a lot of what we have done as well is to try and go out of our four walls of Young V&A as well. So we do a lot of kind of community engagement as well through kind of the learning team as well as for volunteering programme. Like we rocked up at stores at Whitechapel Market and kind of saying, “This is our kind of programme”, just chatting with people where they haven't heard of Young V&A even though it's down the road. And so it's like, how can we, yeah, kind of go out and about and also kind of advocate across as well. And then also it's like when people do kind of take that step to actually go onto our site and then come into the building making sure that the visitor experience is as inclusive, as welcoming as possible. Similar. Amy Akino-Wittering: We also just have aprons and they can wear whatever they want underneath and just again, so as people feel relaxed and they feel when our audiences come in, they say, oh yeah, no, that's something that I might wear. Or you know, they just feel more kind of settled and at home. So that's something that's really important that we kind of do as well. Paul Marden: Lovely, Paul. Paul Sapwell: The biggest challenge for us, I mean being a smaller organisation and a brand that isn't known. As well as it could be, I think our biggest challenge now is that customer journey from online through to what you get when you arrive and we're not consistent enough. And I know we'd all talk about this forever but you know, big commercial organisations do this really well. You know, you're going to sell a ticket within a couple of clicks from a social media piece, you're going to get a follow up email that looks exciting and you know, then your product is either going to arrive or you're going to arrive at it and it will be like you thought you were buying. And I'm not sure that we always do that. Paul Sapwell: I've got to be honest and I think to do that you've got to put a lot of investment in it. And that's what we're part of the strategy that we've launched, we launched back in November is about that. Paul Sapwell: And again, that comes back to, you know, commercial mindsets that matters. It matters that we put the right image in whatever way that is to the right customer who we're trying to attract. We've got to understand those customers better and then make sure that's, that's seamless. And, you know, we run 20 venues. They're really different. We've got everything from the Great Hall, Mediaeval Hall in Winchester, which is full of people on from travel trade have come off of cruises and things. And then we've got Milestones Museum in Basingstoke, which is a sort of family living history museum. Paul Sapwell: They don't get any international tourists. So having a really limited pot of marketing to be able to go all these sort of areas is really difficult. But I think that would be the challenge. But thinking about it holistically, really, because it's the same person who clicks on the social media ad to the person who ends up arriving in your venue. And that needs to be really consistent. Yeah, it sounds like cash is the barrier. We're going to try and work with it. But that's the important bit for me. Paul Marden: I'm grinning like the village idiot because this is what I advocate all the time. I'm looking at my marketing friends in the audience who would also share. Share your thoughts on this. We know from the Rubber Cheese survey that it's eight to 10 steps it takes people to checkout. I tried to buy tickets for an aquarium last year and they made me enter a password along with the names and addresses of everybody that was joining me and then told me off three times for getting the password wrong in the checkout process. I had to be really to buy those tickets and. Paul Sapwell: Well, yeah, you touch on. Yeah. I mean, we could have a whole conversation, but no, I mean, we love a complicated ticketing system in the cultural sector, don't we? I mean, with all the right intentions. I mean, even the list in some places of different concessions. I mean, you don't want to go. I think I'm that or I'm that. You know, and it's done with the right intention. But it's an enormous barrier. Paul Marden: Yeah, completely. Paul Sapwell: And you know, we make things so complex and I don't have the fix, but I know we've got to fix it. And that means putting sort of. Again, learn from companies who do this really well rather than. Yeah. Looking for ideas ourselves. Lots of people do it really well out there. That's what we got to do. Paul Marden: Thinking of lots of my team who might think that this is something somebody should solve. Zak Mensah: The fix is simple, isn't it? Because you just said then that there are other people doing it well. What we're not really good at artists actually copying people. Zak Mensah: Like just copy someone else who's done it better than us. It's really. It really does annoy me. Let's just say that what always happens is that we make decisions by committee, don't we? So it would have been two steps, but then someone from marketing said, but you've got to have a newsletter. And someone from another team would say, “You've got to also ask for this. And then you've got to do this. Then you've got to try and get the kids to come for school trip.” Before you know it, people mean well and they've made it really complicated. I think sometimes it's like, actually, let's just do the simplest thing. Let's do all the hard work to remove those barriers and then we can try and flog them stuff when they get there. Paul Marden: So friend of mine, Andy talks a lot about you don't go to a fine dining restaurant and walk up to the maitre d and he says to you, “Would you like a table, by the way, are you going to have dessert? And would you like a coffee? And what are you going to have for your starter main course and dessert? Oh, right, I'll take you to your table.” You have a conversation with people and you lead them and you don't try and pack everything into the very first time you ever talk to the potential client. Zak Mensah: Which is why Greg's does so well. Paul Marden: Yeah, look guys, I could carry on about this conversation, but we are the barrier to everybody getting to their drinks and nibbles and so we've got. Paul Sapwell: Including us. Paul Marden: I know, sorry. We've got a couple of things that I must cover. So we always ask our guests for a book recommendation. It can be a novel, it can be work related. So Zak, would you like to go first with yours? Zak Mensah: Yeah. Turn the ship around! I think it's David Marquet. It's a book about a nuclear submarine commander who basically realises all these stupid rules. And so he just said to everyone, just tell me you intend to. So say to him, I intend to turn the ship left, I intend to take holiday, etc, because he realised that there were so many stupid rules and I think museum will have loads of stupid rules. It's a really good thing. And I know most of you won't read the book because most people say, “Yeah, I'll read it. They don't read it.” There's a 10 minute YouTube video. Surely you can spend 10 minutes of time if you can't be bothered to do that. There is literally a 30 second Wikipedia article about it. But please don't do it. Paul Marden: Zak feels very strongly about this. Paul, your book recommendation, please. Paul Sapwell: Well, last year I read Wild Swans by Jung Chang and I'm trying to find a way of getting into a business conversation. I think there's so much that comes out of that book, but I think, yeah, striving for Utopia is often, you know, the book. Right. Most people in terms of living under communist China and we know we could go on about utopian things that haven't worked, but I think there's, for this conversation, that's perhaps where we need to think, you know, going forward here. There isn't a sort of utopian way that things should be done for our sector. There is, you know, we're making our way here and yeah. Obviously it's a fantastic book. Paul Marden: Excellent. Thank you, Paul. Amy, your recommendation? Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, so mine isn't linked to like professional development at all. Mine. Paul Marden: Well, you did have one. Amy Akino-Wittering: Well, I did have one and you were like, no, just go for your favourite one. So I was like, Persuasion by Jane Austen. It's a classic. Paul Marden: We've got, we've got big anniversary at the moment, haven't we? In Chawton where Jane Austen lived has got big thing about 200 years, 250 years? Amy Akino-Wittering: Celebration for the whole year. So I'm gonna go in. Paul Sapwell: Yeah, everyone's trying to get in on this, by the way. I just have to put this out there. You know, she was born in Hampshire. Paul Marden: I know. Paul Sapwell: Born in Hampshire, actually. Born Basingstoke. Paul Marden: I know.Paul Sapwell: Yes. Paul Marden: There's a lot of celebrations for Jane this year. Paul Sapwell: Yeah, everyone's trying. I've seen so many angles for her. Oh, she was here and she went to the toilet. Fair enough. I mean, it's a big celebration. Paul Marden: If you'd like a copy of the book or any of these books, head over to Bluesky and like and repost the show announcement saying, I want Zak, Paul or Amy's book. And the first person to do that will get the book sent to them. Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please leave us a five star review. It really does help more people to find us and remember to follow us on Bluesky , X or Instagram for your chance to win the book. Thank you very much, everybody. Paul Sapwell: Thank you. Amy Akino-Wittering: Thank you. The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

Here we are in week 2 of our current series “Family Matters.” We hope last week laid the foundation for a biblical view of family here on earth. This week we hear from Pastor Jared, our family pastor. And this message has a focus on Generation Alpha and some practical ways we can lead them into a relationship with Christ. We urge you to pray for the generation behind you and ask God to give them a desire for Him. 

#101 Unlock "The Secret to Confident & Connected Homeschooling

On today's episode, the guys are back to discuss everything about The Big Game, including a recap of the game itself, Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, the best and worst commercials, the most memorable fan reactions, and any controversies or unexpected moments that occurred. They'll also share their thoughts on the overall experience and what they think will be the lasting impact of this year's Super Bowl. Plus, PFT asks about generation alpha and we answer your voicemails. Enjoy! (00:03:11) The Big Game Recap (00:45:20) Generation Alpha (00:59:40) VoicemailsYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/macrodosing

This special episode our Inside Voice series was recorded at Communicate's Internal Communications and Engagement Live at The Brewery, London. The conference explored the evolving landscape, where best practices, innovative tools and forward-thinking strategies are shaping the future of workplace engagement. Russell Goldsmith caught up with a number of the speakers from the event. His guests were: 1/ Anne Kerr, VP, Corporate Communications, Travelport spoke about ‘How to Move the Needle on Employee Engagement and Deliver Commercial Results', which was about their Guinness World Record breaking campaign to visit all new seven wonders of the world in just seven days, using only public transport. 2/ Andy Jones, Group Internal Communications Manager, PIB and Debbie West, regular 'Inside Voice' host and Senior Account Director, Audere spoke about ‘Crafting connection through the power of podcasting', which discussed the launch of PIB's internal podcast 3/ Pia de Malherbe, Chief Brand Officer, 10 Days London gave us a preview of her talk on 'Onboarding, engagement and career development for Generation Alpha' 4/ Katy Mogra, Customer Success Manager, at Oak Engage shared how Halfords Autocentres connect deskless employees, streamline communication processes and boost workforce engagement.

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Queen D. Michele, an educator, author, and spiritual thought leader. They discuss how to embody the concept of the New Earth through mindfulness, self-awareness, and spiritual awakening. Queen shares her incredible journey, from retiring as a teacher and moving to Mexico to experiencing a life-changing spiritual awakening and developing a mindfulness curriculum for Generation Alpha. About the Guest: Queen D. Michele is a former teacher with 27 years of experience, an author of several transformative books including The Road to WellMe and Traveling Home Together, and a pioneer of mindful educational tools for future generations. As a lightworker and frequency holder, Queen is passionate about helping others discover their inner selves and live a life of purpose. She also runs a nonprofit organization focused on education and self-awareness. Reach: https://www.fulaamerican.org/  Key Takeaways: New Earth is a State of Consciousness: Queen explains that New Earth is not a physical place but a state of inward spiritual awakening and alignment with your soul self. The Role of Ego and Soul: Understanding the dynamic between the ego and soul self is key to experiencing a shift in consciousness and living a more peaceful, fulfilled life. Mindfulness as a Tool for Growth: Through her mindfulness curriculum, Queen highlights the importance of teaching the next generation how to balance external stimuli with internal awareness. Generation Alpha and Emotional Intelligence: Queen discusses the unique challenges faced by Gen Alpha, the first generation fully immersed in technology, and how her curriculum is designed to help them develop emotional intelligence. Spiritual Awakening is an Inward Journey: Queen emphasizes that spiritual ascension is not upward but inward, and true growth comes from aligning with your inner self. Where to Connect with Queen D. Michele: Nonprofit Organization: Fulla History and Genealogy Society in America Books and Curriculum: Available on the nonprofit's website, including updates on the 52 Insights curriculum. Curriculum Pre-Sales: Starting on March 20th, 2025 Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch: DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/ Join the Community: https://nas.io/healthymind Stay Tuned and Follow Us! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healthymind-healthylife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podhealth.club/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@podhealth.club Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcast.healthymind LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/newandnew/ #podmatch #healthymind #healthymindbyavik #wellness

In this episode of the Forge Truth Podcast, we dive into the unique characteristics, challenges, and blessings of the different generations of men—from Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha. We discuss how generational dynamics shape fatherhood, discipleship, and faith. Learn how men of all ages can better connect, lead, and mentor across the generational divide while staying rooted in Christ. Don't miss this thoughtful conversation about leadership, legacy, and the role of technology in shaping today's youth.Like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated!Email us at forge@forgetruth.com to join the conversation.

Send us a textIn this episode of Conversations with Bizzy, Elizabeth Chance speaks with Dr. Brian Bovee about the impact of technology on youth engagement and the importance of digital detox. They discuss the alarming trends in reading levels among children, the addictive nature of social media, and practical solutions for parents to reduce screen time. The conversation also touches on the role of faith in navigating technology and the need for a deeper connection with God amidst the noise of modern life.takeawaysTechnology is having a profound impact on youth engagement.Generation Alpha is showing concerning trends in literacy.Social media is designed to be addictive.Parents need to set boundaries around screen time.Digital detox can lead to a richer life experience.Faith can provide guidance in a technology-driven world.Practical activities can replace screen time for children.The fear of missing out (FOMO) affects mental health.Increased interest in spirituality is evident in society.Taking breaks from technology can improve overall well-being.Be sure to connect with Conversations with Bizzy! Patreon: http://patreon.com/elizabethchanceFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/conversationswithbizzy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busylivingsober YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethchance TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@busylivingsoberwithec X/Twitter: https://x.com/BusyLivingSober Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elizabethlchance/busy-living-sober/     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance/ Sign up for email updates: http://eepurl.com/iDtRnw  To Reach Dr. BoveeWebsite: https://www.thefocusedfaith.com/Amazon: https://a.co/d/bH9yHhLInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_focused_faith/Remember you can reach out to me at elizabeth@elizabethchance.com with story ideas and if you want to come on my show. Thanks for listening! Sending love and gratitude Love,  Bizzy Chance  

This week on Get Canceled, Sheryl and the gang take a break from sh*t talking about the disaster that is Gen Z to express concerns about today's parenting that will ultimately lead Gen Alpha down the same path.  The number one offender is societal dependence on electronic devices.  Look left, now look right - chances are you will see a child under 10 glued to mommy's cell phone.  While this provides instant relief to both parent and child, underlying issues arise as real world skills are no longer being taught.  It's time to let your children struggle, let them be bored instead of instantly gratifying their every need.  It's real talk time for you parents out there, so don't get your panties in a twist.  After all, Get Canceled is known for handling controversial topics with delicate gloves.    Continue to send your confessions - the good, the bad, definitely the dirty and of course the r*tarded-  to getcanceledinfo@gmail.com and Sheryl will read them on the show!DISCLAIMER: This show is for entertainment purposes only.  The views expressed by the guests do not necessarily reflect the views of Get Canceled.  All guests remain anonymous.If you enjoy, please rate review subscribe and share!Have you or someone you love been canceled?  Sheryl wants to hear from you! Email: getcanceledinfo@gmail.comTwitter: @GetCanceledPodwww.getcanceled.com        

Send us a textWelcome to another episode of Yappin N Shxt! In today's episode: Steven finally using a desktop monitor at home for the first time in his life.The first members of Generation Beta, which will include children born 2025  through 2039.Second generation born entirely in the 21st century, and many of them may live to see the 22nd.Generation Alpha for people born between 2010 and 2024New generations with Greek letters every 15 years to keep things standardized and analyzable, so future generations may not get cool monikers like The Silent Generation (born 1928–1945).At the start of 2024, Hilde Dosogne the 55 year old Belgian set out to hold the record as the first woman to run a marathon every single day of the year. Dosogne is working to submit evidence of her mileage, including GPS data, images and witness reports, to Guinness World Record officials.Hugo Farias, a Brazilian, holds the male record for 366 days, which he accomplished in 2023.Yappin N Shxt is a production of Lost Dawgs Media.Listen to us on all of your favorite podcasting apps!Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yappinnshxtpod/

Welcome to the Kids Ministry and Leadership Podcast. This month we are delving deep into Navigating a Seismic Generational Shift looks like and how the world today is undergoing profound shifts, and with each new generation, the landscape of ministry is changing rapidly. Show notes for this ep will be below.Check us out!WebsiteInstagramGeneration Alpha, children born between 2010 and 2024, are growing up in an age of technology, secularism, and increasing global connectivity. For church leaders, this "seismic generational shift" presents both challenges and opportunities. ………………………………………1. Understanding the Emerging Generation AlphaBefore diving into specific strategies, it is essential to first understand who Generation Alpha is. This group is vastly different from previous generations, shaped by technologies that were only imagined just a decade ago. Scripture: Psalm 78:6 - "So that the next generation would know, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children."………………………………………2. The Secularization Challenge and the Christian ResponseSecularism is nothing new, but it has accelerated at a staggering pace among younger generations, particularly in the West. Scripture: Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."………………………………………3. Family as the Core of Faith FormationAt the heart of faith formation lies the family. However, modern families are under pressure, and many parents feel ill-equipped to disciple their children. Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children."………………………………………4. Navigating Technology with a Biblical WorldviewTechnology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it provides unprecedented opportunities for connection, learning, and creativity. Scripture: Psalm 145:4 - "One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts."………………………………………5. Cultivating a Biblical Identity Amidst Secular InfluenceIn a world where secular ideologies increasingly dominate the cultural landscape, Generation Alpha is growing up with conflicting messages about identity, truth, and purpose. Scripture: Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."………………………………………ConclusionAs we face this seismic generational shift, church leaders must approach ministry with wisdom, flexibility, and deep reliance on biblical truth. Closing Scripture: Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Shoot us a Text.It's the first show of a new year, and with it, we've got predictions, predictions, predictions! Plus, we celebrate the arrival of the newest generation, Gen Beta!Show Notes with links:Here are our predictions: 2025 will bring new norms in communication, marketing, and EVs(Paul) More concerted effort to differentiate based on the individual people and personalities of stores/groups(Kyle) Dealers will spend more on in house creative and social media than they ever have as a percentage of their marketing budget(Paul) EV sales strategy and effort in new/used will no longer be just for early adopters(Kyle) American-made OEMs will make R&D deals for EV technology to attempt to compete in the global EV race(Paul) AI use in everything from strategy to marketing to analysis will skyrocket(Kyle )AI will enable true digital finance application, approval, and recommendations for more seamless deal flowBONUS: (Kyle) Automotive conferences will finally get better coffeeSpeaking of predictions, Steve Greenfield released his list for 2025, and there are some doozies!He predicts huge moves in the OEM space, suggesting that VW will acquire Rivian, GM and Ford will merge to fend off Chinese OEMs, and BYD will acquire Stellantis to get around US tariffs. Amazon will add 10 OEMs to its program by the end of the year.He sees several major companies going public, including Carfax, J.D. Power and Solera. M&A activity will be unprecedented under the Trump administration, and CDK and Reynolds will merge.Looking for disruptors? Greenfield suggests to watch out for Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, who already purchased a former GM plant in Ohio.As we ring in 2025, meet Generation Beta—the latest cohort born into a world of rapid innovation and automation. These kids will grow up alongside AI and immersive technologies, shaping a future that feels straight out of science fiction.Generation Beta covers children born from 2025 to 2039, following Generation Alpha (2010–2024). This marks the second generation born entirely in the 21st century.Their parents are predominantly Gen Z and young Millennials, these parents will raise their kids amidst the most advanced tech yet.Generation Beta may never know a world without autonomous cars, AI assistants, and immersive virtual environments. Many may even outlive the 21st century.By 2035, Generation Beta is projected to represent 16% of the global population, according to demographer Mark McCrindle, who said “These generations will grow up in a world of total technological integration,”Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

Brett and quizzes Jeff on Gen Alpha slang. This episode is so sigma. Thanks for listening! Links Visit Playvolution HQ Join Jeff for a CCBAG Happy Hour Share text and audio comments or just come hang out at Play Haven Visit playvolutionhq.com/ccbag for cohost links, show archives, and more

In this episode, we explore the growing influence of Generation Alpha—the digitally native and socially conscious cohort poised to reshape higher education. Join us as we discuss their unique needs and preferences and how thoughtful design can create spaces that empower their learning experiences and future success. 

This edWeb podcast is presented by ERDI.This edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various sectors of society, and education is no exception. As K-12 school districts across the nation grapple with AI's implications and potential, it is crucial to understand how to effectively implement and leverage this technology to enhance teaching and learning.During this second edWeb podcast of Trailblazing Leadership Week, members of the National Council of Innovative Instructional Leaders (NCIIL) identify challenges, offer suggestions, and discuss the necessary mindsets and critical components of a successful AI launch and implementation. They also highlight key takeaways from NCIIL's recent report, Shaping Education for Generation Alpha in an Era of AI.NCIIL serves as a community for knowledge sharing and innovation exploration, with the goal of influencing and inspiring the wider educational community in pursuit of transformative excellence. NCIIL's commitment is to be relentless solution seekers, channeling creativity and innovation to transform obstacles into opportunities and ensure progress remains unhampered in the complex world of education.This edWeb podcast is of interest to PreK-12 school leaders, district leaders, education technology leaders, teachers, and librarians.ERDIBringing together education leaders and solution providers committed to improving education for all.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

ABC's James Longman ventures inside the now-emptied Damascus prison where Syrians have disappeared for years. The suspected gunman in a CEO's murder shouts a message outside court, while prosecutors pore over his writings. And experts of baby names dissect the choices around Generation Alpha, as Gen Beta prepares to take the stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“[We're] actually using TikTok in a positive way. The whole reason we exist is to combat misinformation, which there is a lot of on TikTok, but it can be used positively.”  In today's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by Jas Schembri-Stothart, Co-Founder of luna, the world's first digital health companion for teenage girls.  Working with leading health and education institutions, Jas and her Co-Founder Jo Goodall are building a digital companion enabling teenage girls to have a healthier and happier teenhood.  To date, the app has over 100k members in over 100+ countries, was featured as app of the day across app stores and has seen them raise £1.2 million from Octopus Ventures, Syndicate Room and prolific Angel Investors.  In today's episode, we uncover all the highs and lows along the way so far…  Episode Chapters: ➡️ Foundation in consulting [05:50]  ➡️ Deciding whether to get your MBA [08:30]  ➡️ The Origin story behind luna [11:30]  ➡️ Growing through community [19:30]  ➡️ More about Leadership Unleashed [21:20]  ➡️ Spending to grow & hiring mistakes [23:00]  ➡️ VC vs Angel Investment [27:20]  ➡️ Getting to know Gen Z & Generation Alpha [33:20]  ➡️ Embracing Founder Communities [41:30]  ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Jas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasschembri/  ➡️ Find out more about luna: https://weareluna.app/ 

Generation Alpha has made the uncanny, creepy, and chaotic YouTube series 'Skibidi Toilet' into a viral YouTube sensation, so much so that a famous director may soon be taking it to the big screen, despite the fact that the phenomenon has been called both brainrot and dangerous to the youth. On this episode, we will explain what Skibidi Toilet is, hear about similar internet videos enjoyed by Millennials and Gen X, and learn about famous art movements like net.art, Dadaism, and Surrealism to see if we can fit the seemingly meaningless Skibidi Toilet into an important artistic lineage. Watch some Skibidi Toilet now on our Instagram @americanhysteriapodcast Check out DaFuq!?Boom!'s YouTube channel Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts Leave us a message on our Urban Legends Hotline or get your mitts on some merch at americanhysteria.com Sound Designer and Associate Producer: Riley Swedelius-Smith Producer and Editor: Miranda Zickler Voice Actor: Will Rogers Written, Produced, and Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our upcoming episode is about the massively successful and deeply uncanny YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, the first content that Generation Alpha's influence has made into a world-wide sensation. Billions of views on YouTube and TikTok are attributed to the original videos and the innumerable fan videos that followed, and soon we may see this bizarro phenomenon on the big screen with a famous director attached. Skibidi Toilet has been called both brainrot and dangerous to the youth, and in this Context Clues episode we will explore transgressive creations of previous generations as well as some other online content that has inspired moral panics. Head to our Instagram @americanhysteriapodcast to see some Skibidi Toilet videos so you can know wtf we are talking about Full episodes to check out: #Elsagate The Momo Challenge Jackass Rotten.com Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe to American Hysteria on Apple Podcasts Sound design and Production by Riley Swedelius-Smith Edited by Miranda Zickler Hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices