They Talk, Teens Listen

    The idea came to Gael like many ideas do: in the shower. 

    He had been listening to a lot of podcasts. It seemed like there was a show for just about everyone. But the one he wanted to listen to didn’t exist. “I wondered what it would be like if there was a podcast where you could just listen in on a conversation teenagers were having,” he says.

    Gael got to work. He came up with a name: Teenager Therapy. Then he gathered four of his friends—Mark, Thomas, Kayla, and Isaac. They recorded the first episode sitting on Gael’s bed.

    It took three tries to record something they were happy with. When they were done, Gael hit “upload.” That was two-and-a-half years ago.

    They couldn’t have imagined what would happen next.

    The idea came to Gael like many ideas do: in the shower. 

    He had been listening to a lot of podcasts. It seemed like there was a show for just about everyone, and yet the one he most wanted to listen to didn’t exist. “I wondered what it would be like if there was a podcast where you could just listen in on a conversation teenagers were having,” he recalls.

    Gael got to work immediately. He came up with the name Teenager Therapy, and then he gathered four of his friends—Mark, Thomas, Kayla, and Isaac. The five of them recorded the podcast’s first episode sitting in a circle on Gael’s bed.

    After three tries, they were satisfied and Gael hit “upload.” That was two-and-a-half years ago.

None of them could have ever imagined what would follow.    

    Podcasts have been around since 2004, but they’ve gotten very popular in recent years. That’s because you can find—or make—a podcast about pretty much anything these days. 

    Some podcasts are about current events or sports. Others are hosted by celebrities. Many are just friends talking to each other. Overall, you can find more than a million podcasts on your phone. But most of them never become well-known. 

    That’s why Gael, now 17, and his friends weren’t sure what to expect. Would people care about their podcast? Would Teenager Therapy stand out enough to succeed?

    But when Gael woke up the day after posting the first episode, he was shocked. People had downloaded it. They had followed Teenager Therapy on Instagram. The comments were flooding in. “I felt like, ‘Wow, people are listening to what we have to say,’” Gael says.

    Podcasts have been around since 2004. In recent years, they’ve grown more popular. You can find—or make—a podcast about almost anything these days.

    Some podcasts are about current events or sports. Some have celebrity hosts. Many are just friends talking to each other. You can find more than a million podcasts on your phone. But not many ever become well-known.

    That’s why Gael, now 17, and his friends weren’t sure what to expect. Would people care about their podcast? Would it stand out?

    The day after posting the first episode, Gael got a surprise. People had downloaded it. They had followed Teenager Therapy on Instagram. Comments were flooding in. “I felt like, ‘Wow, people are listening to what we have to say,’” Gael says.

    Podcasts have been around since 2004, but they’ve become especially popular in recent years. That’s because you can find—or make—a podcast about practically anything these days.

    Some podcasts are about current events or sports. Others are hosted by celebrities. Many are just friends having discussions. You can find more than a million podcasts on your phone, but the majority of them never reach a really large audience.

    That’s why Gael, now 17, and his friends weren’t sure what to expect. Would Teenager Therapy grab people’s attention and stand out enough to succeed?

    But when Gael woke up the day after posting the first episode, he was astonished. People had downloaded it and had followed Teenager Therapy on Instagram. The comments were flooding in. “I felt like, ‘Wow, people are listening to what we have to say,’” Gael remembers.

    Success wasn’t only exciting. “I was definitely a little scared,” says Kayla, 17.

    Within a few months, downloads of Teenager Therapy surpassed 100,000. Teens all over the world were listening. The hosts felt nervous. What if they said something wrong? What if listeners turned on them?

    But they wanted to show that it’s OK to be vulnerable. That means being open and honest, even when it’s hard.

    On the podcast, the hosts talk about what’s going on in their lives. They discuss stress, school, relationships, and crushes. Almost 500,000 people listen.

    “We want to have conversations that are uncomfortable at times,” says Gael. “That’s when you know it’s real.” He and his co-hosts believe that being vulnerable is the best way to connect with others. They want to share the conversations you normally don’t get to hear. 

    There was another side to the excitement, however. “I was definitely a little scared,” says co-host Kayla, 17.

    Within a few months, downloads of Teenager Therapy surpassed 100,000. Teens all over the world were listening. All five hosts worried that they might say something wrong or that listeners might turn on them.

    But they had a mission: to spread the message that it’s OK to be vulnerable. That means being open and honest, even when it’s uncomfortable.

    On every episode of Teenager Therapy, the hosts talk about what’s happening in their lives. They discuss stress, school, relationships, crushes—all with an audience of almost 500,000 people.

    “We want to have conversations that are uncomfortable at times,” Gael explains. “That’s when you know it’s real.” He and his co-hosts believe that being vulnerable is the best way to connect with others. They want to share the conversations you normally don’t get to hear. 

    These tough conversations started right away. The second episode was about depression. Thomas shared how he had struggled with feeling sad after a breakup. His co-hosts commiserated with him. Listeners did too.

    “We got so many messages after that episode,” Gael says. “People told us that they had felt the exact same way. They said that hearing us talk about it made them feel less alone.”

    The hosts of Teenager Therapy started having these tough conversations right away. In their second episode, which focused on depression, Thomas shared how he had struggled with feeling sad after a breakup. His co-hosts commiserated with him—and so did their listeners.

    “We got so many messages after that episode,” Gael remembers. “People told us that they had felt the exact same way. They said that hearing us talk about it made them feel less alone.”