Parents' Guide to
Million Bazillion
Common Sense Media Review
By Lauri C. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Answers to kids money questions, lacks financial diversity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Listen
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's It About?
MILLION BAZILLION is a kids podcast created by the Marketplace team at American Public Media. Each season, weekly 20 minute episodes answer a kid's submitted question about money from the perspective of real economic experts, insightful kids, and silly fictional characters. Friendly co-hosts Jed and Bridget introduce an episode's topic by acting out a fun fictional situation, like Jed hoping to save money to renovate his treehouse. Kids' voices are also featured on the "Random kids answer not so random questions" segment. At the end of each episode, the co-hosts sum up the main points and offer advice to young listeners.
Is It Any Good?
If a friendly introduction to economics is what you're looking for, this podcast is it. With excellent production and kind co-hosts weaving together expert input, family-friendly humor, and kids' voices, Million Bazillion is a big winner for finance enthusiasts hoping to spark or nurture kids' interest in money. Co-host Jed takes on a childlike persona and tells most of the best jokes, likely making him kids' favorite voice.
The emphasis on regulating emotions and bringing thought and care into handling money is a key strength of this podcast, and may help steer kids away from buying everything ads suggest or seeking to get rich at the expense of others. Some episodes touch on unfair dynamics that exist in our economic systems, like racist and sexist wage gaps, though do not teach explicitly about social and economic justice. While the show's goal is to put financial literacy within reach for young listeners, the first two seasons do not put diverse representation at the forefront. Topics and experts focus more on what kids who already have money can do to be thoughtful with it, rather than exposing listeners to diverse socioeconomic experiences.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different stories of earning money in Million Bazillion. What are some fun and interesting ways you can think of to earn money? How do other people in your community earn money?
How do you feel when you get money? What do you want to do with the money you do get? What are different ways you can spend, save, or invest your money?
Advertisements are all around us. Why do you think advertisements exist? When you see an ad, how does it make you feel?
If you could start any business, what would it be? How would your business help people or communities? How would it make money?
Podcast Details
- Release date: July 21, 2020
- Genre: Educational
- Average Run Time: 23 minutes
- Website: https://www.marketplace.org/shows/million-bazillion/
- Hosts: Jed Kim , Bridget Bodnar
- Production Companies and Networks: Marketplace , American Public Media
- Pricing structure: Free
- Topics: High School , Middle School , Numbers and Letters
- Last updated: June 10, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
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