What's Odyssey? With Joshua Mensah-Woode

During the What’s Odyssey Podcast’s season one break, Joshua looked to his Instagram followers to get one fan-suggested episode topic. Of all of them, “gaming addiction” was both the most suggested and the most responsive suggestion. So he looked into them. Video games are among the largest parts of world culture, but that may not be. a good thing for everyone. Joshua takes the controls and looks at the multiple opinions surrounding gaming in the last regular episode of the What’s Odyssey Podcast’s first season. The Grasp of Gaming additional resources: Do video games make people violent? - BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33960075   technical-violent-games.pdf https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/technical-violent-games.pdf   Guinness World Record for most YouTube subscribers goes to … a weird Swedish bro you’ve probably never heard of - The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/03/25/guinness-world-record-for-most-youtube-subscribers-goes-to-a-weird-swedish-bro-youve-probably-never-heard-of/   Minecraft crosses 300 million copies sold as it prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary | Windows Central https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/minecraft/minecraft-crosses-300-million-copies-sold-as-it-prepares-to-celebrate-its-15th-anniversary   The bestselling video games of all time | Digital Trends https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/bestselling-games-of-all-time/   The Best-Selling Video Game of Each Year, Starting From 1995: LIST https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-video-game-every-year-2018-11#2019-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-playstation-4-xbox-one-pc-25   Should Kids Play Video Games? 10 Strategies for Safer Gaming https://www.aura.com/learn/should-kids-play-video-games   The Health Effects of Video Games in Children and Adolescents - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36587018/   Number of Gamers Worldwide 2024: Demographics, Statistics, and Predictions - Financesonline.com https://financesonline.com/number-of-gamers-worldwide/   GTA 6 Characters Guide: Main Protagonists, Leaks and more https://www.gtabase.com/gta-6/characters Video gaming audiences in the United States - Statistics & Facts | Statista https://www.statista.com/topics/3070/us-gamers/#topicOverview   61% of Americans, or 190.6M people, play video games | ESA | VentureBeat https://venturebeat.com/games/61-of-americans-or-190-6m-people-play-video-games-esa/   Smartphone 'addiction': Young people 'panicky' when denied mobiles https://www.bbc.com/news/education-50593971   Gaming addiction, problematic gaming and engaged gaming – Prevalence and associated characteristics - PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7744933/   The health effects of too much gaming - Harvard Health https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-much-gaming-2020122221645   Video Game Addiction: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatment https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23124-video-game-addiction   Addiction | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/addiction

Things don’t always go as planned. In this bonus clip, hear all the hilarious sound bites that didn’t make the final cut of “What’s Odyssey Like for First-Time Listeners?”

In a new, dynamic format for the podcast, Joshua has five people listen to Adventures in Odyssey. Three of them have never heard a single second outside of this podcast. He gets their (often hilarious reactions) to Connie the Counselor, a 2017 episode entirely focused on Buck, Jules, Connie and Eugene.  Listen to Connie the Counselor and get a free 14-day trial of the Adventures in Odyssey Club here (not sponsored):  https://adventuresinodyssey.com/

Joshua gets more casual on the first week back on What's Odyssey in a while, with an episode interview with fellow fan creator John Tuttle III, who's helped a lot of fans in a lot of places. The two of them discuss episodes, projects, and lots more in this all-new episode of "What's Odyssey?". What we talked about: SONN: https://aiowritersblock.com/category/son-network/ Kevin McCreary: https://saygoodnightkevin.com The AIO Timeline episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3czXOvWmv6Tzm5Y97GZCwD?si=ITUz1ozdSqidb6wMVdy0Iw Misadventures in Connellsville: https://www.aiowiki.com/wiki/Misadventures_in_Connellsville Michael LaFaver episode (with links): https://open.spotify.com/episode/1L3l5ZVGT3g1Z3NPxzKknA?si=yWxWvELoQDSpruWXFHdF2g One Grand Party: https://www.adventuresinodyssey.com/one-grand-party/

You may have heard the improved What's Odyssey Podcast Intro in the latest episodes of the podcast. Now, hear the full clip of it now!

Joshua Mensah-Woode finally unravels all there is to Adventures in Odyssey from 1987 to the present in what he hopes is a new guide for anyone interested in Odyssey, both old and new fans. He breaks down eras, sagas, and episode arcs in the complicated mid-season episode of the What’s Odyssey Podcast. Get a fourteen-day free trial of the Adventures in Odyssey Club to listen to every episode here (not sponsored): https://www.adventuresinodyssey.com/

In the fourth episode of his growing podcast, Joshua veers from social issues for a moment and looks introspectively at the Adventures in Odyssey fandom. He gets in touch with his Odyssey fan roots or, more particularly, his Rydell fan roots. After breaking down the infamous Rydell Saga, Joshua tries to break down what went wrong with what ended up as Odyssey’s biggest recent mistake. He ends the show giving it a talk with Michael LaFaver. The Rydell Re-Construction References: AIO Audio News Interviews- The Alternate Rydell Saga AIO Wiki Podcast with Phil Lollar- AIOWiki Podcast #29 AIO Writer’s Block Posts- The Last Resort. (The Rydell Realizations Review) Michael’s Additional Work: https://returntogilead.com

After spotlighting Adventures in Odyssey's takes on education and homeschooling, Joshua gets personal as he pulls Adventures in Odyssey episodes from two different AIO eras. He unveils the stereotypes behind the pastor's kid experience, then wonders how there could be a trend of questioning faith. He then proceeds to talk about the pastor’s kid experience, both the challenging and rewarding parts, with the daughter of a pastor of a successful local ministry. Additional references: 10 key findings about the religious lives of U.S. teens and their parents | Pew Research Center www.pewresearch.org Prodigal Pastor Kids: Fact or Fiction? - Barna Group www.barna.com Research Shows That Spiritual Maturity Process Should Start at a Young Age - Barna Group www.barna.com

A Christian radio drama that used to be found in Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals is for homeschoolers, isn't it? Joshua doesn’t think so. In the second episode of the What’s Odyssey Podcast, he lays down the benefits of homeschooling, how it relates to Odyssey, and how it’s been under attack in the last twenty years. He caps it off with a discussion with Eleasha Tuttle, a graduating homeschooler, about the same subjects. The Homeschooling Odyssey References: Fast Facts: Homeschooling (91) nces.ed.gov Main Videos: Matt Walsh Video-Matt Walsh DEBUNKS John Oliver's Homeschooling Segment www.youtube.com Blimey Cow Videos- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDn9a8nUOSc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHt-m3VX6o Homeschool Anthem by Shama Mrema: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WBjvPsVWQ Additional References: COE - Homeschooled Children and Reasons for Homeschooling https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/tgk/homeschooled-children Public School Spending Per Pupil Experiences Largest Year-to-Year Increase in More Than a Decade https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/public-school-spending.html#:~:text=MAY%2018%2C%202023%20%E2%80%94%20Nationally%2C%20public%20school%20spending,spending%20is%20up%20from%20%2413%2C501%20in%20FY%202020. Parent and Family Involvement in Education, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544174.pdf Homeschooled children do not grow up to be more religious https://theconversation.com/homeschooled-children-do-not-grow-up-to-be-more-religious-45690 Research Facts on Homeschooling – National Home Education Research Institute https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/#:~:text=There%20were%20about%203.1%20million%20homeschool%20students%20in,3%25%20to%204%25%20of%20school-age%20children%29%20%5Bnote%201%5D. Religious Reasons Why Parents Homeschool: How To Incorporate Faith – Home School Victory https://homeschoolvictory.com/religious-reasons-why-parents-homeschool/#:~:text=Roughly%20two-thirds%20of%20homeschool%20families%20are%20Christian.%20Meanwhile%2C,are%20non-christian%20religious%20homeschoolers%20who%20keep%20other%20faiths.   https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED596627.pdf  A Brief History of Homeschooling in the U.S. — Nerdy https://www.nerdy.com/blog/2020/mw06pbosfnh8wa099m9jo4gkkyd8u6 Law School professor says there may be a dark side of homeschooling — Harvard Gazette https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/05/law-school-professor-says-there-may-be-a-dark-side-of-homeschooling/  The History Of Homeschooling In The United States - Northgate Academy https://www.northgateacademy.com/the-history-of-homeschooling-in-the-united-states/ www.northgateacademy.com

In the What's Odyssey Podcast's debut episode, Joshua introduces his audience to Adventures in Odyssey. Then, he takes one of its earlier episodes, Cousin Albert, and relays it to a reading crisis that has only gotten worse over the past three decades. Afterward, he talks with middle and high-schoolers to garner their…unique viewpoints. References: Main Article: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019179/index.asp Additional Resources: Teachers on TikTok say kids are way behind. Their confessions go viral www.usatoday.comDo we still need to read and teach the classics? stanforddaily.comOregon university drops failing grades for students, citing 'GPA fixation' | Fox News www.foxnews.comB-Flation: How “Good” Grades Can Sideline Parents bealearninghero.orgAmong many U.S. children, reading for fun has become less common | Pew Research Center www.pewresearch.orgOpinion: No more ‘D’ or ‘F’ grades? Grade inflation is masking a looming crisis of ignorance www.msn.comReading skills of young students stalled during pandemic | Stanford News news.stanford.eduIlliteracy in America: Troubling Statistics and How Schools Can Help | Resilient Educator resilienteducator.com