Should social media be banned for under-16s in the UK - and what can we learn from Australia? Do phone-free schools actually work, or do they just push problems underground?

In this episode, we’re joined by Amit Singh Kalley - leading commentator on this topic and the creator of the viral Periodic Table of Emojis. Amit helps us explore one of the most urgent debates facing parents, schools, and policymakers.

Amit shares how he keeps up with the fast-changing language of teens, and why adults still underestimate the pressure young people face online. Drawing on his experience as a Deputy Headteacher who banned phones at his school, he unpacks what actually works - and what doesn't.

You’ll learn:

• The four questions Amit believes parents should ask their children every day
• What phone-free schools can achieve
• How to rebuild trust when phones have created a wall between parents and children
  
  

We look at some of the research in Jonathan Haidt’s book ‘The Anxious Generation’ and look at the very real risks like grooming and sextortion. We discuss the peer pressure between parents as well as teens, whether gaming platforms should be included in a ban, and how Gen Z may one day look back on being handed smartphones so young.

Listen in and you’ll discover what good conversations about social media actually sound like - and how parents and teens can walk the digital path together, instead of pulling in opposite directions.

Hit play now and join the conversation we can’t afford to avoid.

How to contact Amit:

https://forworkingparents.com/

https://www.instagram.com/forworkingparents/

https://www.tiktok.com/@forworkingparents

https://www.facebook.com/forworkingparents

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitsinghkalley

1.00 Intro to Amit

2.05 The idea for the Periodic Table of Emojis

3.40 Keeping up-to-date with how teens communicate

5.14 What are adults still not getting about social media?

7.35 The wall built between parents and children and how to break it down

8.48 The 4 questions to ask your children every day about their online experience

11.07 ‘The Anxious Generation’ and the accidental phone-based childhood

12.12 Amit’s experience of banning phones at school and the results

14.37 Lily’s experience of having phones in school

17.04 The language of the social media ban

18.20 How Gen Z will look back on being given phones & social media

19.35 The dangers of access for young people - grooming and sextortion

23.55 Can we hold the social media companies to account?

28.14 Would a ban work?

30.52 Reports on the changes in Australia so far

32.22 How it could be implemented in the UK and will we do it?

37.45 How to have a good conversation about social media between parents and teens

41.14 Should we ban gaming platforms too?

43.49 How teens might react to losing social media access, how to make them more aware and how to involve them in the discussion

46.50 How to connect with Amit

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Ever wondered why your CV isn’t getting responses - or how you’re supposed to stand out when everyone’s following completely different advice? Should you write for AI screening, recruiters, or hiring managers… and can you do all three at once?

In this episode we're joined by Carl Scutt, the UK’s only certified Career Storyteller, to cut through the confusion and explain what actually works in today’s job market.

Carl shares how he got started, why so many CVs fail, and how to build a compelling CV whether you’re just starting out with limited experience or reshaping a long career to stay relevant. From accomplishment statements and keyword matching to career pivots, CV gaps, and whether gimmicks really help - this episode is about clarity, confidence, and telling the right story.

You’ll learn:

• How to write a strong CV when you’re early in your career (and what else counts)
• How to shape accomplishment statements - even if you haven’t done the job before
• How to tailor your CV for each role without rewriting it from scratch
• How to position a long career history, handle gaps, or pivot into something new
• How to write a CV for humans and AI - and the three audiences you must satisfy

Whether you’re applying for your first role, feeling stuck mid-career, or trying to future-proof your experience, listen in and you’ll discover how to stop guessing - and start telling a career story that gets noticed.

Hit play now and make your CV work harder for you.

Connect with Carl:

https://www.yourcareerstory.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-scutt/

2.05 Intro to Carl

3.20How Carl got started

5.08 Challenges with CVs in the current market

6.20 How to build a strong CV when you're starting out

8.40 What else to include when you're starting out (hobbies, interests, etc)

10.27 How to form accomplishment statements if you've not done the job you're applying for before

11.08 How to think about accomplishment statements

12.04 How to tailor your CV for each job application

13.35 How to stand out from other applicants

16.07 How to take a long career history and shape it for a role today

17.20 How long should a CV be?

19.11 How to position yourself in a CV for a pivot or career change

20.30 How to handle gaps on your CV

23.47 How to get through AI screening with your CV - should you write for bots or humans, or both?

29.40 Do gimmicky things help you stand out?

31.34 How to tailor your CV when uploading to job boards

33.13 Cover letters - do recruiters still expect them and if so how to do them?

35.58 How to make sense of all the conflicting CV info and advice that's out there

38.08 What does it mean to be a career storyteller?

43.00 Carl's one guiding principle

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Why do you like a song so much… and why does it become your song? Why can't you recite the lyrics to an old favourite on demand - but the second the track starts, you’re singing every word?

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, we go beyond “favourite bands” chat and get into the psychology and neuroscience of music - starting with our all-time favourite songs, then unpacking the three things that can turn any track into a lifelong favourite.

From the ‘Reminiscence Bump’ (why music from certain ages sticks more) to the cascading version that explains why your parents’ classics can feel like your nostalgia too, this one’s a proper brain-meets-bangers deep dive.

We cover how a live band can become a 'biological conductor' of the crowd, the role music plays in films and laugh at a few misheard lyrics.

You’ll learn:

• The science behind “favourite songs” and why some tracks feel so personal
• What the Reminiscence Bump is - and how it shapes Gen X vs Gen Z taste
• Why lyrics live in your brain differently than spoken words
• How to find new music (and why many of us stop searching as we get older)
• How to run an inter-generational family listening party

Listen in and you’ll discover how music can unlock memory, boost connection, and - even in some cases - help people access speech and movement when other routes fail.

Hit play now!

1.02 Chris and Lily each briefly discuss their all-time favourite song

3.02 The three things that can make a song a favourite

5.40 The 'Reminiscence Bump'

8.03 Why you can't recite lyrics on demand, but as soon as the song starts you can sing along all the way through

10.07 Where to find new music and why we stop listening to new music as we get older

17.23 The 'Cascading Reminiscence Bump'

18.39 How to run an inter-generational family listening party

26.43 Live music - three things that make for a great live performance

31.40 The Playlist for Life and the effect music can have on people who have lost speech or motor skills

33.53 Film music

35.17 Misheard lyrics

You can find out more about Playlist for Life here:

https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/