Stories of humanity encourage empathy and compassion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Some discussions of scary life events and violent topics. In one episode, the hosts interview two strangers who met during a deadly shooting and the friendship that came afterwards. Another episode features someone who was a victim of a homophobic attack.
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Some mature and at times violent language when retelling stories. There's usually a trigger warning before the episode when this is the case. No explicit swearing in most episodes.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
The overarching message of StoryCorps is clear: everyone is unique and valued, each with their own story to tell. Emphasizing empathy for others, episodes work to inform listeners about various experiences encouraging us to see the humanity in each other.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Episodes make a point to highlight diverse voices and perspectives on a variety of topics. Some episodes explicitly discuss how identity and culture come into play. Stories explore different family dynamics, cultures, traditions, identities and much more, representing the truly diverse human experience.
Although episodes seem to be mostly for entertainment, listeners learn valuable stories about the human experience, lessons in empathy and compassion, as well as how to create their own stories and oral histories -- and why those narratives matter. On their website, they have resources for doing your own interviews, recording your own stories, and more.
Positive Role Models
some
Those interviewed aren't trying to be role models, but the way they approach life, show empathy for others, and reflect on their past struggles provides listeners with inspiration and empowerment. The hosts also represent positive role models as they show compassion towards their interviewees.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that StoryCorps is a podcast centering the human condition, interviewing people about unique life experiences they've faced, the connections they made along the way, and how their life changed. Some episodes do cover heavier topics. In one episode, the hosts interview two strangers who met during a deadly shooting and the friendship that came afterwards. Another episode features someone who was a victim of a homophobic attack. Each episode features a new story from someone different, emphasizing the humanity in all of us and inspiring empathy and compassion. Episodes that have more explicit discussions of violence or hate will typically have a trigger warning at the start and will be marked as explicit near the episode title. You may want to read the episode descriptions and listen to the start of an episode before allowing younger children to listen with you. Otherwise, this podcast is a great way to spark interesting conversations with your family and friends.
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What’s It About?
STORYCORPS brings in different guests each episode to dive into a unique life experiences that humanizes people of various backgrounds. Through storytelling, episodes seek to inspire empathy and compassion in listeners, showing the very real human experiences in history. Seasons usually follow a theme, such as moments that changed a life forever. Episodes discuss topics such as homophobia, gun violence, illness, politics, and more. StoryCorps is a part of a larger project focused on bringing people together through storytelling and even provides users with resources to record their own stories, including the StoryCorps app. Conversations are unscripted and candid.
Heartwarming and compelling stories that inspire listeners to see the good in others. StoryCorps brings people together to reflect on moments or parts of their lives that also tell us something about humanity. Interviews are unscripted and captivating, as you sit in on real conversations between real people that have something important to share about love, family, loss, and more. Hosts are compassionate in how they guide the stories. Episodes are on the shorter side, which make them easy to binge. Topics covered are timely and important, sparking meaningful conversations among listeners. The outstanding audio production along with the beautiful storytelling makes StoryCorps a stand out podcast and a great conversation starter for families.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how StoryCorps encourages listeners to see the humanity in everyone - emphasizing both compassion and empathy for others. What do compassion and empathy mean to you and why are they important character strengths?
Some episodes discuss moments in someone's life that changed them forever. Do you have an experience that changed your life? How did it change you for the better?
Why is storytelling an effective tool for connecting with others?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.