Hold Me Back Selects Harvard-Based Project Zero Researchers As First Recipients of Podcast's Grant

Grant to Support Researchers and Authors of new book,

BEHIND THEIR SCREENS: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing)

CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hold Me Back, a debate-based podcast hosted by a spirited son and father duo, interviewed Harvard Graduate School of Education, Project Zero researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James about the research behind their new book, BEHIND THEIR SCREENS: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing). 

The interview was released today everywhere Hold Me Back is streamed. In the episode, Aidan and Ash interview Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who are experts on teens and technology. They discuss the complexities that teens face in their digital lives, and suggest that many adult efforts to help—"Get off your phone!" "Just don't sext!"—fall short.

After reading the book and interviewing Emily and Carrie, Aidan and Ash believe the work is so important that they committed to contributing a portion of Hold Me Back's proceeds to Project Zero in support of their research on teens' digital lives.

Among the topics discussed in the interview:

• What teenagers wish that adults understood about their online lives, based on the authors' exclusive research with 3,500+ young people across the country;
• Why tweens and teens crave help from the adults in their lives on navigating the many sticky situations presented by texting, social media, and screens;
• How adults can best try to offer their help in a way that leads with empathy and understanding, instead of hard rules and dictates

"This is not simply a book on understanding teens' digital lives, it is the book," said Ash Eldifrawi, co-host of Hold Me Back. "Aidan and I feel it should be mandatory reading for any parent with a teen, and for teens in general."

"As a teen, I can't express the gratitude I feel toward Emily and Carrie's work," said Aidan ElDifrawi, founder of Hold Me Back. "Knowing they've spent so many years doing research to help my generation lead happier and healthier lives inspires me to be better and find the harmony between our generations that we so desperately need."

In their new book, BEHIND THEIR SCREENS: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing) (MIT Press; on sale now; Trade Paperback Original; $27.95), Harvard-based researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James draw on their exclusive, multi-year research to tell the story of what tweens and teens are experiencing alone and with their peers on the Internet and via social media; its positive and negative effects on their mental health; and what teens wish adults knew about their need for guidance in this aspect of their lives. The result is a fascinating look—peppered with real stories from real kids—at the plugged-in world young people are navigating every day, on so many different levels.

"We're enormously grateful for Aidan and Ash's enthusiasm and support for our work and book. Hold Me Back is a truly unique podcast that models the kinds of productive and open conversations that teens and their parents need to have," said Carrie James.

Emily Weinstein added, "We're delighted that the insights in our book are adding to the conversation! We loved hearing that they read our book as a whole family, discussing its implications over their dinner table…When we started to put the book together, we couldn't wait to share the stories and insights that stopped us in our tracks. So much of what teens told us was new and surprising, even though we've done research on this topic for over a decade."

According to Common Sense Media, Hold Me Back is "an eye-opening podcast great for teens and adults to listen to together. It bridges the generational gap between kids and their parents in a real and empathetic way." Common Sense Media also notes that Hold Me Back stands out for diverse representations, positive messages, and positive role models. 

Stream Hold Me Back on your favorite streaming platform.

About Hold Me Back
Hold Me Back is a unique son-and-father podcast that's helping thousands of families bridge the generational gap on charged topics for so many families. Hold Me Back launched in 2020 by Aidan ElDifrawi and his dad, Ash. Within weeks of the podcast's launch, it quickly gained fans and followers around the world, soon becoming one of the top 1% of podcasts globally. In each episode, Aidan and Ash ElDifrawi hash out a new contract between generations, forcing them to violate comfort zones on today's most charged topics: social media and screen time, bullying and loneliness, inequality and privilege, sex and drugs, education and etiquette, even politics, religion, and sports. All to uncover a path toward greater harmony and a hopeful future for the next generation. Hold Me Back was one of the first podcasts to earn the Common Sense Selection distinction from Common Sense Media, the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families.

SOURCE Hold Me Back