Why teens should watch Malala on “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” with David Letterman

Malala Yousfazai has been a favorite around our house for a while, and I’ve been writing about the impact she’s had on my daughter and on me since 2013. She is still crusading for girls to have equal access to education and still teaching us how to persevere and stand up for what’s right.

My husband and I watched the episode of David Letterman’s Netflix show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction”, featuring Malala with my teen daughter. We all enjoyed it. It’s well-done and worth watching. (And not at all surprising that the Letterman humor definitely resonated more with my husband than my daughter.) There are several reasons I consider this must-see TV, to use the old phrase.

Check out this excerpt:

1. Education is invaluable.

This is the time of year where the academic pressure intensifies. Students are a little weary. AP tests and finals loom large. While it doesn’t make it easier, I find it’s helpful to remind my teen that not everyone is as lucky as she is to have access to education and to live in a community that believes she deserves education. That can provide some valuable perspective.

“Because that’s what we have to fight against: the ideology that exists there that does not accept women as equal to men [and] that does not accept women to have the right to education,” Malala explains to Letterman.

She’s lucky in a way that girls around the globe are not.

2. Determination is crucial to success.

My teen wasn’t aware of the extent of Malala’s injuries, but the brief time dedicated to them on My Next Guest made it clear that her recovery was long and arduous and achieved only through the great determination that she, her family and her caregivers all had. And her determination to make her message her is undeniable. The determination she had to get into Oxford is evident as well.

3. You don’t have to answer every question posed to you.

As a heads up, President Trump does come up as a topic. Letterman is not a fan. If you are, you may not love that part, but it’s interesting to watch Malala deflect the question. It’s a great example to our kids that they do not have to answer every single question they are asked by all people.

In this world of social media, teens often think everything needs an immediate response, and that’s simply not true. Some questions don’t require a response at all.

4. Teens are amazing.

Malala has been crusading for girls’ access to education for a long time, and it’s easy to forget that she was just 15 when a member of the Taliban shot her in the head on her way home from school. She was the youngest Noble laureate at age 17.

That’s not to say that all teens should be striving to win the Noble Peace Prize. Obviously. But it is a reminder that age is not an obstacle to changing the world.

“We just need an ambition and an intention. What to do is then easy,” says Malala.

4a. There are similarities among teens.

She has to study hard in school. She’s still adjusting to college and really proud of her school. Malala’s dad worries about her. Parts of the show involve Letterman following Malala around Oxford University, where she attends and is a tour guide. Him joining one of her tours is both funny and a glimpse into some of the commonalities among teens everywhere.

5. Hope matters.

Malala hoped to go to school. She hopes to change the world so that all girls can go to school. Her optimism is inspiring.

Parenting expert and author Dr. Michele Borba stresses the importance of showing kids people who are making a difference. The news can be heavy, and she encourages to give kids hope by sharing good news and stories of people who have overcome hardship. This show definitely does that.

It’s clear from the interview that Letterman is inspired by her, and I’m guessing most viewers will be inspired, too.

Have you watched Malala on “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction”? What did you think?