tbh

Bay Area schools are shut down until at least May. That leaves tens of thousands of students at home, finding ways to learn, to cope, and to find joy. The teenagers who make “tbh" put together a special edition dedicated to life during the coronavirus crisis.

Picture a mariachi band. You probably think of older men dressed in fancy clothes, playing their instruments and singing in a restaurant to a group of people at a table. But that isn’t all mariachi players, and that’s not where most mariachi music is performed. Samaria Pineda tells it like it is in a story she made when she was a senior at Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco.

Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres in the country. Matthew Policarpio, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, wanted to understand why so many of his friends are die-hard rap fans.

Treasure Island is an artificial island built on a natural reef between Oakland and San Francisco. Landon Neill discovered old film footage that sent him on a mission to understand the forces that shaped the island’s history.

Recently, the World Health Organization declared that obsessive gamers suffer from an addiction called “video game disorder.” Some psychologists fired back, arguing this diagnosis ignores more serious mental health problems. San Francisco teenager Jiahao Chen wanted to know: are his friends just having fun playing Fortnite, or can zealous gaming really be an addiction? 

The sneaker industry is expected to be valued at $95.15 billion dollars by 2025. It’s been decades since sneakerheads could claim to be members of a small subculture. San Francisco high schooler Bryan Ng looks into the resilience of sneaker culture. 

Social media has revolutionized how activists get messages out in the world. Chosang Tenzin, a junior at Oakland Technical High School, wanted to understand the differences between being woke behind a screen — and on the street.

When it comes to running for office, there are certain standards women have to deal with that men don’t. Hannah Ni, a senior at Presentation High School in San Jose, says young, female debaters like her face similar instances of sexism and misogyny. 

We’re trying to find our place in the world, and we’re here to talk about the issues that matter to us.

How can we change the world with our activism? With our commerce? With our culture? There’s a lot to talk about. This podcast is made by, about, and for teenagers. And for anybody else who wants to hear what’s on our minds.

The first episode airs on KALW 91.7 FM on Monday, February 10 at 5 p.m. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.