Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
societyNov 17, 202517:39pending

The fear & shame of modern parenting

About this episode

Have you talked to a parent recently? Are they...okay?

From textbook bans to health food trends, there’s a whole culture of fear and political propaganda that preys on new parents, convincing them that just buying this or just voting for that will keep their children safe. But how do you know if something is a moral panic or a legitimate concern?

Brittany is joined by Karen Leick, author of Parents, Media and Panic through the Years, and Cynthia Wang, Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University to sift through the differences.

(0:00) The burdensome anxiety of modern parenting
(2:01) How parental fear & shame impacts children
(4:26) How perceived threats shape parental behavior
(10:31) The emotional impact of parental fears on kids
(13:13) How to know a real vs. perceived threat in modern life

Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluse

For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Get every episode summarized

Each time It's Been a Minute publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

The fear & shame of modern parenting

It's Been a Minute

0:00
17:39

More episodes

More from It's Been a Minute

View all episodes →