TED Radio Hour — "Are the kids alright?" Part 1

Host: Manoush Zomorodi (NPR)
Aired: August 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the biggest question facing families, schools, and society today: are the kids all right? Host Manoush Zomorodi explores the forces shaping the lives of young people—from AI in the classroom and economic struggle to mental health and resilience. Voices range from middle school students and their teachers to technologists, economists, and beloved children's author Jason Reynolds. The discussion pulls apart today's pressures and possibilities, asking how well we are equipping the next generation to thrive.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AI in the Classroom: Promise and Pitfalls

Student and Teacher Perspectives on AI Tools

• Middle school students from Francis C. Hammond Middle School discuss using AI, like ChatGPT, for schoolwork. Opinions vary:
  • Pros: AI helps visualize tasks, explains concepts better for some than teachers, and offers inspiration for essays.
  • Cons: Overreliance on AI risks students not developing their own writing or critical thinking.
  • Student quote: “Using AI doesn’t help us to be a good writer because in essays you need to use your own ideas.” (01:12)
• Chris Hudson (library media specialist) is concerned students treat AI-generated overviews as gospel, risking accuracy and learning skills:
  • “They gravitate toward the AI overviews for pretty much everything…they think [it] is gospel. …They'll pull something from ChatGPT or Gemini and try to pass that off as their own work.” (02:13)
• Dominique Jones (language arts teacher) finds AI grading saves time:
  • “It saved me hours. I don't have the capacity to grade 98 papers and give you a long response…” (02:54)

The Future of Learning: AI, Video, and the End of Writing?

• Victor Riparbelli (CEO, Synthesia) claims the next generations might not read or write in the traditional way. Instead, learning will shift to video, audio, and immersive formats:
  • “Your grandchildren will be the last generation to read and write... I think we're at the dawn of a new era of AI-enabled communication.” (04:32)
  • The goal: personalized, interactive AI tutors for every student, making learning adaptive and engaging, “like sitting down with a teacher that has infinite time.” (06:45)
• Manoush Zomorodi challenges this provocative view, pushing for nuance and critical thinking about what’s gained and lost.
• Riparbelli argues that speeding up, personalizing, and making content visually rich will make learning more accessible and efficient:
  • “What if the current generation of kids are able to learn and absorb information much faster because of technology, not despite it? … Is the problem us, or is the problem text?” (07:19)
  • Predicts a creative explosion led by young people empowered with AI tools.

Concerns about Critical Thinking and Human Interaction

• Zomorodi asks how students will develop critical skills if AI does the creative work for them.
• Riparbelli suggests kids' familiarity with new tools will ultimately make them smarter and more informed, though admits the jury is still out:
  • “My guess would be that the generation that grows up today will be much more informed and much smarter than the generation that grew up 50 years ago.” (11:30)
• Dominique Jones voices skepticism:
  • “There's no video, AI, robot...that can replace a teacher. Students are very dependent on human interaction. … It will become a very disengaged environment.” (18:24)
  • Her experience during remote COVID learning: “I had never had so many Fs in my gradebook… That's when I got the idea of what school really meant for kids. It was about the human interaction.” (18:58)
• Students’ reactions to learning from AI avatars of celebrities: Some see it as potentially motivating, others find it “very weird” and prefer real teachers. (20:41–20:54)

Final Thoughts on AI: Opportunity and Challenge

• Riparbelli: AI can democratize education, equalize learning opportunities, and let everyone experiment. Personalized AI tutors could be the “greatest equalizers we’ve ever seen” if deployed with care for critical thinking. (17:41)
• Zomorodi: AI companies are already responding to concerns; for example, ChatGPT’s “Study Mode” now acts more like a tutor and less like an answer-provider. (22:07)

2. Economic Realities: Is the American Dream Broken for Gen Z?

The Generational Economic Shift

• Scott Galloway (NYU Professor, author, podcaster) describes the collapse of the “American compact,” where each generation outpaced the previous one’s prosperity:
  • “At the end of World War II, about 92% of children did better than their parents by the time they were 30. …For the first time, it dipped to 50%.” (24:08)
• Gen Z faces student debt, expensive housing, and stagnant wages. Galloway contends these burdens are the result of “purposeful decisions”—wealth and opportunity have been transferred from young to old.
  • “Who owns stocks and houses? People my age… That’s nothing but a naked transfer of wealth and prosperity from young to old.” (24:39)

Systemic Causes and Intergenerational Conflict

• Galloway and commentators argue government policies favor seniors:
  • “Old people vote for even older people who vote themselves more money. So we now spend about 40%...on programs for seniors. …This crowds out investments in technology and education…benefit[ing] younger people.” (27:49)
• Host questions perceived prosperity statistics: despite rising per capita GDP, most young people feel left behind because essential costs (housing, education) have outpaced wages, and only a small top decile is thriving. (28:32, 28:51)
• Post-pandemic policies and market interventions primarily benefited incumbents (older asset holders), not new entrants (young people):
  • “We pumped the economy, which again increased the massive transfer of wealth. …The value of my stocks absolutely exploded...Who has to pay for my prosperity?...Future generations.” (30:21)
• Higher ed: More exclusivity in elite college admissions mainly benefits those already privileged.
• Galloway on inheritance:
  • “Waiting around for your mother and father to die so you can buy a home…does not build a healthy society and quite frankly doesn’t work…” (32:51)

Psychological Impact and Societal Stakes

• Resulting emotions: disappointment, rage, anxiety.
  • "A lot of these folks are living at home. … They get a reminder of their failure on their phones…There's a false impression out there that everyone is vacationing at the Amond Hotel and owns a Ferrari...it creates incendiary [feelings]." (36:04)
• Galloway’s ultimate question: “Do we love our kids?”
  • “If you have kids…something comes off the tracks with one of your kids, you’re not thinking about climate…you’re thinking about that kid. And economic anxiety…we aren’t treating our children well…” (39:08–40:11)

3. Meeting Kids Where They Are: Author Jason Reynolds on Connection and Resilience

Relating to the Next Generation

• Jason Reynolds (author, MacArthur “Genius” awardee, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature) finds hope and wisdom working directly with young people.
  • “You like two-minute videos and two-minute videos is what’s holding your attention. …I’m going to write a book of short stories. …I’m going to figure out how to use the thing that you already are interested in…” (41:11)
• Reynolds reads from “Look Both Ways” — the story opens playfully and then quietly acknowledges serious challenges (a character living with sickle cell anemia).
  • “Children always find time to laugh, …to crack jokes or to tease each other, despite some of the heavy things happening in their lives. …They have a resilience that actually shines brighter sometimes than we give credit to.” (44:22)

Building Trust and Recognizing Humanity

• Kids appreciate honesty and being treated as equals:
  • “What they tell me is that they appreciate me speaking to them like humans. …Excellence is a habit…like human beings, not as half-formed things…” (48:15)
• Reynolds values their critical feedback:
  • Tells the story of a child calling out a weak point in a character with Tourette syndrome, and admits honestly, “Honestly, it was an oversight. It was a blind spot. And thank you. And every time I get those moments where a young person calls me to the mat, I'm grateful.” (49:55)

Hope for the Future

• Reynolds finds hope in youth:
  • “They remind me over and over again that actually, we’ll be okay. …the only reason that one can even begin to maintain an inkling of hope is because of the possibility that reside[s] in the youth.” (51:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Your grandchildren will be the last generation to read and write. …One day I think we'll look back at reading and writing as historical artifacts.”
— Victor Riparbelli (04:32)

“I had never had so many Fs in my gradebook… That's when I got the idea of what school really meant for kids. It was about the human interaction.”
— Dominique Jones (18:58)

“At the end of World War II, about 92% of children did better than their parents by the time they were 30. ... For the first time, it dipped to 50%.”
— Scott Galloway (24:08)

“Children always find time to laugh…despite some of the heavy things happening in their lives, I think they have a resilience that actually shines brighter sometimes than we give credit to.”
— Jason Reynolds (44:22)

"Do we love our children? ...What is the point of any of this if your kid is anxious or depressed ... I know you love your kids, but do we love our kids?"
— Scott Galloway (39:08–40:11)

“Excellence is a habit. It’s not something you can turn on or turn off. You either going to be excellent or you’re not going to be excellent.”
— Jason Reynolds (48:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:38 – Episode theme introduction: pressures faced by kids and teens today.
• 01:05–03:20 – Students and teachers at Francis C. Hammond on AI in schoolwork.
• 04:32–09:50 – Victor Riparbelli’s vision: the end of reading/writing, rise of AI-driven video learning.
• 18:24–20:28 – Dominique Jones and students discuss AI, remote learning, and the irreplaceability of human teachers.
• 23:13–32:51 – Scott Galloway on economic decline for young people, generational wealth transfer, and intergenerational conflict.
• 41:00–51:00 – Jason Reynolds on writing for and connecting with youth, reading from his book, Q&A with students, and lessons learned.

Episode Takeaways

• AI in education offers both opportunities and risks: It can personalize learning, lighten workloads for teachers, and potentially democratize access. But there are real risks—critical thinking, real writing, and human connections can suffer if not handled thoughtfully.
• Structural economic challenges for today’s youth are real and systemic: Younger people face heavy debts and high costs, while policies and wealth distribution increasingly favor older generations.
• Young people are resilient—if we listen and include them: Kids crave honesty, agency, and being taken seriously. Solutions for the future must balance technological advancement with human connection and genuine investment in youth.

For more, listen to the full episode or visit NPR's TED Radio Hour website.