Minor Issues

We’re back for season three and kicking the season off with a very important topic: youth voting.  In the 2020 election, only 50% of youth voters aged 18-19 showed up to the polls, the lowest voter turnout of all age groups. Matthew from the That’s SO Matthew podcast joins us to talk about how teenagers can become informed voters. With so many other things happening in the world, voting can often fall to the back of our minds. But the reality is that we can’t have a democracy if we aren’t all casting our ballots.  And thanks for tuning in to the very first episode of season three! FIND MATTHEW: thatssomatthew.com or @thatssomatthew on Instagram.  FIND MINOR ISSUES: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

Season 3 is coming soon to you!! As the heirs to so many problems, it is our responsibility as young people to educate ourselves sooner rather than later. Though it may be hard to see the good in this sometimes, the listeners of Minor Issues overwhelmingly agree it is important. Tune in to this quick trailer to learn more.

Just in the first few months of this year, the term critical race theory was mentioned nearly two thousand times on Fox News. And 2021 has seen a flurry of red states pass legislation banning critical race theory from being taught in school systems. While these laws have been met with widespread approval from conservatives, liberals all over the country are in outcry. And in spite of all this debate, millions of Americans still don’t understand what critical race theory even is. This week, a fellow teen podcaster, Halima, joins me to break all of this down and explain in depth what critical race theory is and what it means for America. Thanks for tuning in! Find Halima's podcast: msha.ke/alittleperspective & her episode on CRT (highly recommend!)  Find Minor Issues: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

Over one hundred years after women earned the right to vote in America, women remain totally under-represented in government. Although the number of women running for office and winning has increased over the years, America still has a long way to go. This week, Anika joins us to share the facts about women in politics, discuss why it is important that women are involved, talk about the challenges we face and break down the ways that teens can get involved. Thanks for tuning in this week! Find Anika: instagram.com/project.hearth, msha.ke/projecthearth Find Minor Issues: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

It's back-to-school season in America, meaning that much of the Class of 2022 is gearing up to apply to college. This week, my friend Michael joins us to talk about becoming appealing applicant, navigating the cost of college, applying test-optional, and dealing with rejections and helping our peers. Whether you’re a senior now or you will be in a couple of years, it’s important to be educated about the ins and outs of college applications!  Thanks for tuning in! Find Michael: https://www.instagram.com/michael.bosticc/reels/  Find Minor Issues: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast Resources for applying to college: collegescorecard.ed.gov, collegedata.com, cappex.com, fastweb.com and more!

Covid-19 cases are on the rise across America as the number of people getting vaccinated every day drops. With just under 50 percent of the population fully vaccinated, we have a long way to go before we hit herd immunity in America. This week, the founder of Teens for Vaccines joins us to cover how the COVID-19 vaccines work, debunk myths, offer advice for everyone, and more.  If you are hesitant to get your shot, please listen to this episode! And if you’re already vaccinated, learn how you can join the effort to curb this pandemic. Thanks for tuning in this week. Still want to talk? You can reach out to Arin (arin@teensforvaccines.org) or me (minorissuespodcast@gmail.com) with any questions or thoughts! Helpful resources: teensforvaccines.org, vaccines.gov, stronger.org, guide for talking with parents Find Minor Issues: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

Beauty standards - the unspoken ideals that define what it is to be attractive - rule everything these days. They promote diet culture, cause people to feel low self-esteem, encourage eurocentrism, and leave POC people and diverse body types unrepresented in the media. This week Lanu joins me to talk about why we have beauty standards, how they affect teenagers and what we can do to get rid of them. And of course, she gives advice to those who are struggling with body image. Thanks for tuning in! Find Minor Issues - linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

After a long absence, we're back with a new episode! This week, I talked with our freelancer Riya and her friend Dylan in a special episode for Pride Month. They share what it was like coming out, discuss the current climate surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and give advice for those who are struggling to come out and for those who want to be better allies.  Whether you're out and proud, know nothing about the LGBTQ+ community or are somewhere in between, Riya and Dylan's message is an important one.  Happy (last day of) Pride Month! Learn more: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast or on Instagram @minorissuespodcast

This week, I talked with one of our ambassadors, Riya, about biculturalism. Riya shares what it's like juggling both her Indian and American identities and talks about things she likes and dislikes about being bicultural. She also discusses the pressure to live up to Western ideals and shares how everyone, regardless of background, can open up the conversation. Thanks for tuning in! FIND MINOR ISSUES // email us at minorissuespodcast@gmail.com to be featured on the pod! How to get a sticker: 1) Do ONE of these things: write a review on Apple Podcasts, send us a voice message, tell two friends about the podcast, subscribe and turn on episode notifications, shoutout the podcast on your story. 2) Email (minorissuespodcast@gmail.com) or DM (@minorissuespodcast) us proof and we'll mail you one!

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated a heartbreaking and often hidden part of society: racism against Asian people. Much of the country has watched in horror as mass shootings, verbal and physical attacks, and ignorant comments finally begin to reach the media. This week I talked with two of my friends, Jenny and Vicki, about their experiences as Asian Americans and their thoughts. I appreciated their insight so much and I hope you will take their suggestions to heart. FIND MINOR ISSUES AAPI Website

A year after COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, teens reflect on what we've had to go through. Lilley reads the thoughts of several teens who share how they've struggled, how they've thrived, what they miss about pre-pandemic life, and what they're looking forward to for the future. This episode paints the picture of what life has been like for Gen Z this past year, and it sends an important message: we're not alone.  Thanks for tuning in, and thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts this week. If you ever need to talk about anything, don't hesitate to email Lilley at minorissuespodcast@gmail.com. Find Minor Issues @ linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast (Also, sorry about weird audio quality -- for some reason the mic picked up radio waves?!)

Only 26% of Americans know there are 3 branches of government. Many states don't require classes about civics to be a graduation requirement. As a result, millions of teens aren't educated about the Constitution, how government works, or their fundamental rights. This will have lasting impacts. Gen Z is the future for politics and schooling in America, meaning that we need to be informed. This week, I talked with Nick about all things civic education and what we can be doing to spread awareness. Thanks for tuning in! Find Civic Wave // Find Edison Civic Change Learn more about Minor Issues! Get a sticker -- 1) Do ONE of these things: write a review on Apple Podcasts, send us a voice message, tell two friends about the podcast, tag five friends on one of our posts, subscribe and turn on episode notifications, shoutout the podcast on your story. 2) Email (minorissuespodcast@gmail.com) or DM (@minorissuespodcast) us proof and we'll mail you one!

Students these days have to deal with challenging classes, high expectations, extracurriculars, procrastination, standardized tests, and so much more. Not to mention, virtual school has made all of this more complicated. This week, I talked with Melody from Study Break about how all of this is affecting our mental health. She shares some great insight into what we can do manage stress and create a better school environment for everyone! Thanks so much to Melody for sharing so much positivity! FIND THE STUDY BREAK PODCAST // INSTAGRAM FIND MINOR ISSUES

Did you know that over 600 million people lack access to clean water? Or that waterborne diseases kill more people than AIDS, malaria, and world violence combined? Most people don't know this, because the water crisis doesn’t get very much attention.  So this week, in an effort to spread more awareness, I talked with TJ about the Thirst Project and what would happen if all the world had clean water. And of course, how GenZ can help. THIRST PROJECT WEBSITE//INSTAGRAM FIND MINOR ISSUES // GET A FREE STICKER!! -- 1) Do ONE of these things: write a review on Apple Podcasts, send us a voice message, tell two friends about the podcast, tag five friends on one of our posts, subscribe and turn on episode notifications, shoutout the podcast on your story. 2) Email (minorissuespodcast@gmail.com) or DM (@minorissuespodcast) us proof and we'll mail you one!

Tons of people are camped outside of Delhi, India. And international media has barely covered it. Why? They're protesting 3 bills that strip protections away from farmers and change the country's agriculture system. The farmers have had to contend with violence from law enforcement and harsh conditions, but they haven't given up. This week, in order to raise awareness, I talked with Manseerat about these bills, the protests, and what we can do to help.  HELP THE CAUSE -- donate // sign the petition NEWS COVERAGE -- Vox video // NYT article  FIND MINOR ISSUES GET A FREE STICKER!! -- 1) Do ONE of these things: write a review on Apple Podcasts, send us a voice message, tell two friends about the podcast, tag five friends on one of our posts, subscribe and turn on episode notifications, shoutout the podcast on your story. 2) Email (minorissuespodcast@gmail.com) or DM (@minorissuespodcast) us proof and we'll mail you one!

It's our first episode of Season 2! 2020 felt like the year when celebrities were being "cancelled" left and right. Influencers were issuing apologies for mistakes big and small. All of this sparked a conversation about cancel culture. Are we ruining these people's lives? Is it ever okay to cancel someone? How do we call people out properly? Is it activism? This week, Shanze joins me to talk about all of this and most importantly, how young people should be treating cancel culture. What if we started "boycotting" instead of "cancelling"? FIND MINOR ISSUES: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

Us young people like to speak our minds, and we're fully ready to keep tackling the world's problems. Listen to these quick highlights from Season 1 and get ready for Season 2, coming January 6th!

To conclude Season 1, I talked to Malak, who immigrated to Canada a few years ago. She talks about her immigration experience, along with the common issues that many immigrants go through. Discrimination against immigrants is a serious problem in many countries, and something that we should all be working to end. Hope you enjoy! We will be back with Season 2 (and some big updates) on January 6th!  FIND MINOR ISSUES: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast

Gun violence is an American epidemic, and one of the reasons why younger generations are so "political". How can we ignore gun violence when we face active shooter drills at school, and news of mass shootings nearly every week? How can we ignore it when 100 people die of gun violence every day? And the fact is, legislators and politicians don't consider gun reform to be a top priority, so it's up to us to make it that way. This week, I talked with three activists - Alan, Mariah, and Sarah - who all share insights into this issue and what we can be doing to  stop it. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to this episode, because I think it's something we all need to be paying attention to. Thanks! Find Minor Issues: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast Learn more about gun violence and reform: marchforourlives.com l gunviolencearchive.org l https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-pandemic-has-not-stopped-our-other-epidemic-gun-violence/2020/06/29/4af24a3c-ba31-11ea-8cf5-9c1b8d7f84c6_story.html l

Without the media, we would have no idea what was going on in the world. But there are many issues surrounding journalism that directly threaten our ability to consume credible news. According to Pew Research Center, our generation is less concerned about fake news than any other age group. But we are also the generation that receives most of our news from social media, where misinformation can spread extremely quickly. At the same time, journalists in many countries are being oppressed. And local news is declining, causing people to go uninformed about events and movements in their own neighborhoods. Our generation may not see these as big problems, but they have a huge impact on our daily lives. So this week, I interviewed Charlotte, from Teens for Press Freedom, about all of these issues and most importantly, what we can do to fix them. Hope you enjoy! FIND TEENS FOR PRESS FREEDOM: teensforpressfreedom.org or follow them on Instagram @protectthepress! FIND MINOR ISSUES: linktr.ee/minorissuespodcast or email us: minorissuespodcast@gmail.com! We'd love to hear from you.