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This Is So Awkward

Peoples Media, This Is So Awkward
This Is So Awkward
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405 episodes

  • This Is So Awkward

    Growing Up in the Age of Deepfake Nudes

    2026-09-22 | 44 mins.
    AI makes it easy to create fake sexual content — changing what a person is wearing, the pose they are striking, or generating a video of them engaging in sexual acts. Teens regularly encounter these images on social media and in their group chats. The result: complex social, emotional, and legal ramifications. We’re joined by Dr. Supreet Mann, author of a new report about AI and deepfake nudes from Common Sense Media. She explains how AI-generated sexual content is affecting young people; the role social media plays in its spread; and what parents, platforms, schools, and policymakers can do to protect teens.

    Show Notes:

    Common Sense Media Study: Teens in the AI Era – Pornography + Sexual Consent

    Summary of study

    Watch the full episode on Youtube!

    Join the LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP HUB

    Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/awkward or use code AWKWARD and get 40% off your first year!

    Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TISA #rulapod

    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qxx6ozii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants. Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

    Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

    Order our book This Is So Awkward

    Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

    To bring us to your school or community email operations@lessawkward.com

    To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com

    Produced by Peoples Media
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
  • This Is So Awkward

    The Puberty Update: Timing, Trends, and What We Still Don't Know

    2026-09-15 | 54 mins.
    Just like the kids going through it, puberty data is constantly growing and changing. In this episode, we update listeners with the latest research about puberty: when it begins, what influences its timing, and how long it actually lasts (feels like forever sometimes!). ICYMI we fill you in on new findings about first periods and environmental impacts on hormone shifts, too. And we share at least one thing we’ve gotten wrong about puberty, even though we’re deep in the data every day! For anyone looking for evidence-based counterpoints to today’s click bait headlines, this episode is for you.

    Show Notes:

    Watch the full episode on Youtube!

    Join the LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP HUB

    Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/awkward or use code AWKWARD and get 40% off your first year!

    Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TISA #rulapod

    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qxx6ozii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants. Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

    Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

    Order our book This Is So Awkward

    Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

    To bring us to your school or community email operations@lessawkward.com

    To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com

    Produced by Peoples Media
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
  • This Is So Awkward

    Does AI Help Raise Kids?

    2026-09-08 | 49 mins.
    AI impacts all of us at every age – down to the youngest kids. But how, exactly, does it change things like brain development, language acquisition, and interpersonal relationships? Pediatric surgeon and early childhood expert Dr. Dana Suskind explains. This episode is a must listen for anyone who wants to understand how to balance AI’s utility with the essential messiness of human interaction. Kids need some friction in order to learn, connect, and thrive.

    Show Notes:

    Human Raised

    Watch the full episode on Youtube!

    Join the LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP HUB

    Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/awkward or use code AWKWARD and get 70% off your first year!

    Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TISA #rulapod

    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qxx6ozii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants. Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

    Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

    Order our book This Is So Awkward

    Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

    To bring us to your school or community email operations@lessawkward.com

    To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com

    Produced by Peoples Media
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
  • This Is So Awkward

    Senior Year of High School, Unfiltered

    2026-09-01 | 1h 1 mins.
    Senior year of high school looms large – not just in the minds of teens, but their parents, too – for all its stresses and tribulations. In this episode, we hear straight from Vanessa’s daughter about her experience navigating senior year of high school: what she did to prepare the summer leading up to it, her approach to the college application process, how she attempted to find balance during such an intense time, and the role her parents played. Remaining sane during the college process is an age-old challenge… teenagers have opinions about what helpful parent support actually looks like!

    Show Notes:

    Watch the full episode on Youtube!

    Join the LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP HUB

    Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/awkward or use code AWKWARD and get 70% off your first year!

    Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TISA #rulapod

    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qxx6ozii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants. Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

    Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

    Order our book This Is So Awkward

    Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

    To bring us to your school or community email operations@lessawkward.com

    To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com

    Produced by Peoples Media
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
  • This Is So Awkward

    The Science of Real Optimism

    2026-08-25 | 48 mins.
    The term optimism doesn’t just refer to blind positivity. It’s also the acknowledgement of challenges that lay ahead, plus the belief we have the skills and tools to face them. Dr. Deepika Chopra is a psychologist and optimism expert. She joins us to explain optimism, sharing science-based strategies that really work to cultivate resilience and hope, even in the darkest moments.

    Show Notes:

    Watch the full episode on Youtube!

    Join the LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP HUB

    Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/TISA #rulapod

    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qxx6ozii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants. Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

    Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

    Order our book This Is So Awkward

    Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

    To bring us to your school or community email operations@lessawkward.com

    To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com

    Produced by Peoples Media
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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About This Is So Awkward
Growing up is packed with awkward moments… not just for the kids going through it, but for their adults, too. Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett are here to help, with humor and zero judgment. They explain the science behind all of the physical, emotional, and social changes of the tween, teen, and even early 20-something years. From body changes and big feelings to every imaginable blush-worthy question about friendships, sex, and social media, we cover it all. Trade in your cringe for clarity so it can all be less awkward! Watch the full episodes on Youtube!

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