If you missed last Friday’s newsletter, don’t worry, I’m not mad — just disappointed.

JK 😉

But something cool happened that I don’t want you to miss. 👇

I uploaded 70+ issues of Prequel into a custom ChatGPT knowledge base, so when you ask it a question, it will source an answer based on the carefully curated and human-led research we’ve done here at Prequel. 👊

Go ahead, try it out. 

Note — it’s only available to those who have a ChatGPT membership. That’s on them, not me. I’d make it free for everyone. 🤷

In today’s issue:

1. Future Friday: There’s no escaping a virtual future, so you better teach your kid some digital manners.

2. Something to inspire you: Lessons from the youngest ever Hollywood producer.

3. Ivy’s takeaway: Do you think Gen-Z knows how to behave in the workplace?

Your kid will need high emotional intelligence in tomorrow’s virtual world

We’ve all heard about EQ, or “emotional quotient”, also commonly referred to as emotional intelligence.

High levels of EQ are scientifically associated with better academic performance, more creativity, and even happiness.

The life skills we teach at Prequel are all designed to heighten kids’ EQ.

That’s our jam. 👊

For generations, society has looked to the “social experience” of traditional school to teach kids EQ.

In other words, if you force kids together in close proximity, they’ll learn how to deal with each other.

Kind of a lazy approach, but most kids do alright. 🤷

But what happens when that proximity is removed — as the result of an ever-growing virtual world?

By 2030, we expect:

• The e-learning market will triple.

• Remote work will rise up to 38% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and those levels increase even more for knowledge workers.

Our kids are going to live in a virtual world — there’s really no escaping it. 

So not only do they need to be prepared to use the technology that will underpin their adult existence, they need to understand the behavior and ethics that are critical to success in a virtual world.

It’s time to start teaching them virtual EQ — today.

Good citizenship for the digital era

Hand up if you ever received a “good citizen” award in school. 🖐️

For me, it was a little white ribbon that I wore proudly.

It’s not that hard to promote kind and respectful behavior when kids are seeing each other face-to-face every day, and must deal directly with the consequences when their words hurt someone.

But when they get behind a screen, everything changes.

Reports of cyberbullying in 2023 have surpassed in-school bullying among teens.

This really sucks.

But there’s one very simple mantra that can help your kid to conduct themselves respectfully online:

If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it online.

That’s it.

The respect that they show for their family, peers, and communities in real life must extend to their virtual life.

Let’s think critical–ally  🎵

Another important EQ skill that the virtual world amplifies is discernment.

Do you ever scroll through Facebook and wonder how it’s possible that so many people are so freaking gullible? 

The truth is, they’re not.

They, like all of us, experience cognitive bias. When paired with the immediacy of the internet, discernment becomes dramatically more difficult.

For kids who are already spending much of their time online, and can be expected to spend even more time online as they grow, learning discernment holds enormous weight.

And Gen-Z is currently failing at it, reportedly falling for more online scams than Baby Boomers (who I always thought held that record). 🤷

Here is a 3-step exercise they can do to stay on par with online discernment:

1. Pause: Before they respond to, share, or even allow themselves to feel mad/sad/glad about what they’ve seen, the first step is always to pause.

2. Assess: Does it pass the sniff test? Have them write down what they believe is correct or incorrect about what they’ve seen.

3. Research: Have ‘em bookmark Snopes, and introduce them to your favorite fact-checking resources.

After researching, encourage them to look back at their initial assessment. How close was their prediction? As they strengthen their discernment muscle, their predictions will become closer to reality.

The kids of today are going to need to know how to conduct themself safely and with professionalism online.

The important thing is not to shield them from the challenges of virtual reality, but to emphasize the reality part.

This kid is the youngest producer in Hollywood — and she’s just getting started

Marsai Martin is a lot more than just a cute face and a funny actress.

She’s also a rockstar entrepreneur.

Marsai began acting at 5 years old, and landed in America’s living rooms at the age of 10 as a beloved member of the Johnson family on the TV sitcom black-ish.

That’s not an uncommon success story for a child actor.

But Marsai had bigger plans.

At age 14, Marsai broke records by becoming the youngest ever Hollywood executive producer for the film Little (that she also starred in, BTW).

Oh, and she has a beauty brand and an eyewear line ‘cause, ya know, why not?

I decided to break down some of her biggest lessons, in her own words. 👇

“I think everyone should learn how to save, how to budget, and how to be prepared for a rainy day.”

Money with Marsai Martin is a six-part info series that aims to teach kids the fundamentals of financial literacy.

“Why don’t they teach us these things in school?” she ponders in the first episode.

The series covers everything from setting financial goals, to avoiding debt, to the benefits of multiple income streams — all in a fun and entertaining way that is perfect for kids.

Add it to their watch list, and watch it with them. You’ll probably learn something, too.

“I’m my biggest competitor, I’m my biggest fan, and I’m also my biggest enemy.”

Marsai advocates for the importance of youth mental health, and has put her money where her mouth is.

Not only has she been open about her own battle with depression, she organized a youth outreach project to drive social connection following the pandemic.

At Prequel, we’ve also devoted a lot of time to researching ways you can help your kids strengthen their mental fitness, with subjects like:

• Avoiding burnout

• Creating happiness

• Not being afraid to make mistakes

“Success is having a purpose, moving forward, and motivating people to do what they love.”

This might be my favorite Marsai-ism.

Let’s break it down:

⭐ Having purpose: Many of you have told me that you feel your kid lacks direction. There’s one big way (and a lotta little ways) you can help your kid find purpose — exposure. The more they’re exposed to, the more interests they can discover.

🚀 Moving forward: Persistence is key here. It’s easy for kids to get stuck in a rut, especially if they’re comfortable, but reps matter, and small wins add up to huge successes.

❤️ Motivating people to do what they love: This is the essence of leadership. Your kids can start working on things like writing, public speaking, and storytelling to begin honing their leadership skills.

Keep killin’ it, Marsai. 👊

Did we fail?

One thing I hear a lot from employers is “Gen-Z doesn’t know how to behave professionally in the workplace.”

This really hasn’t been my experience, but it’s a common chorus.

And let’s face it, every generation eventually molds the workplace into a reflection of their own unique culture.

But I do feel like older Gen-Z kids (the ones who are young adults now) may have been caught in a weird historical period.

Hear me out—

They grew up with social media and smartphones, but as a society, we had not yet figured out how to teach kids critical EQ skills in a digital environment.

That’s why it’s so important that we focus on this now.

What do you think? 

Have we failed a micro-generation? If so, what can we do to correct it?

Until next time,

Ivy

CEO Prequel, BETA Camp, Apollo

Follow my journey on LinkedIn