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Childhood Ruined is a weekly (in theory) podcast hosted by a licensed psychologist, Michael Mallen, Ph.D., and a soon-to-be, certified school counselor, Chris Benefield, M.A. As two nerds on the north side of age 40, Chris and Mike talk about the things that made childhood in the 80s and 90s great - and how hobbies have changed over time.
Episodes
Friday Jun 23, 2017
It's Just Kind of a Banger
Friday Jun 23, 2017
Friday Jun 23, 2017
Chris reviews his visit to an outlaw menagerie while Michael discusses a recent curling tournament. Chris details how he became interested in electronic dance music (EDM), and turned that into a hobby of mixing music and DJ'ing. This transitions into a conversation about music festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival, and the psychological principles that often result in bad behavior at these shows. We discuss the grief associated with losing touch with important hobbies as we age, and how our children fill that void in some way. Chris talks openly about his son being on the autism spectrum and how that shapes his experience as a father. We conclude with another round of Track of the Week.
Friday Jun 16, 2017
Why Do We Play Games?
Friday Jun 16, 2017
Friday Jun 16, 2017
Chris and I briefly review items from last week's episode, and detail some of the concerts we are excited to see later this year. We discuss a recent article by @GreenRangerHS titled, Why Do We Play Games Nowadays? The article presents eight reasons for playing games, and we detail our reactions to the reasons presented. Along the way, we detail how our approach to gaming has changed over time. We explore the changing nature of community in gaming, and the rise of eSports. We conclude with another riveting installment of Be Kind, Rewind!
Friday Jun 09, 2017
The Day the Music Died?
Friday Jun 09, 2017
Friday Jun 09, 2017
We discuss our differences in how music has changed in importance over time. We each offer a recommendation for a new song that we enjoy in the Track of the Week segment, and then dive into how our consumption of music has changed in the past 20-30 years. From buying cassette tapes in the 80's to streaming music in the present day, we explore how and why music feels different now. A recent research article about engagement in music over the lifespan is reviewed, and then we conclude with a couple of movie recommendations in a new segment - Be Kind, Rewind.
Friday Jun 02, 2017
Grieving Chris Cornell
Friday Jun 02, 2017
Friday Jun 02, 2017
Welcome to the first episode of Childhood Ruined, which is a title that hits too true on the mark of today's topic. We recorded the weekend after Chris Cornell died, and learned that his death was by suicide. We talk about our love of alternative music in the 1990's, which was during our high school years, and how Cornell's suicide complicates the relationship with his music. We talk about the stages of grief, the realities of life with depression, and how it is vital to openly talk with loved ones about suicide. This leads into a conversation about the show, 13 Reasons Why, and closes with an summary of how one of the hosts has easily-manipulated heartstrings!