In this thought-provoking episode of the TikTok FAMOUS™️ Podcast, host Meredyth Willits welcomes Joanna Johnson, better known online as @unlearn16, a Canadian educator, author, podcast host, and Gen X social commentator with over 3.5 million followers on TikTok. Known for her blunt takes, classroom chalkboard rants, and powerful calls to question what we've been taught, Joanna is on a mission to help us all unlearn the programming we've inherited.
Together, they explore:
✅ Why unlearning is just as important as learning
✅ How COVID created a creative explosion and connected communities
✅ The impact of politics, fear, and social media on personal identity
✅ Why so many Americans are resistant to travel, education, and change
✅ What it really means to "vote against your interests"
✅ Teaching Gen Z vs being a Gen X rebel
✅ The danger of performative allyship and why cancel culture misses the mark
✅ Why conversations, not takedowns, change minds
✅ The real reason people are clinging to the past instead of evolving
✅ Her book, podcast, TED Talk, and wild antique finds (yes, triptychs and chalkboards included)
If you've ever found yourself questioning what you were taught about politics, culture, gender, or identity — this is the episode for you.
00:00 Meet Joanna, aka @unlearn16, and her unlikely TikTok rise
02:30 Gen X on TikTok, nostalgia, and breaking free from adult boxes
05:00 From lip-syncing to thought leadership — how it all started
07:40 Why America's fear of travel is part of a bigger narrative
10:10 Chaos, COVID, and how people seek control
13:00 Fear-based culture, ego, and putting yourself in a "box"
15:00 Joanna's take on the rise of Trump after Obama
18:10 Why unlearning matters now more than ever
20:00 On critical thinking, indoctrination, and generational blindspots
23:30 Personal stories, family secrets, and cultural silence
25:40 Why "we all know someone" is part of the problem
27:10 Can we learn before it's too late?
29:00 Social media as a platform for real education
31:20 Letting go of ego, and being willing to say "I don't know"
33:30 Authenticity vs performative wokeness
35:00 What Unlearn16's book is really about
37:10 Behind the scenes: her writing process and TikTok style
39:40 Why conversations are better than debates
41:00 Teaching kids to question — and think
43:00 Triptychs, chalkboards, and all the vintage Gen X goodness
45:00 Thoughts on gender, dress codes, and being seen
47:00 Parenting, programming, and Gen Z challenges
50:00 Why performative culture is killing real conversations
53:10 Her TED Talk, podcast goals, and public speaking mission
55:30 "I can make people look stupid, but that's not the point"
58:00 What true allyship and curiosity really look like
01:00:00 From Adderall to Aunt Judy — let's talk about real addiction
01:02:00 When Roe fell and what Ruth Bader Ginsburg warned us about
01:05:00 Why the "angry woman" stereotype needs to die
01:07:00 Unlearning starts in your own backyard
01:09:00 Car payments, Adderall, bad behavior — it's all related
01:12:00 The story behind her new book and what comes next
01:14:00 Let's bring back MapQuest, Triptychs, and critical thinking
01:15:30 Final laughs, lessons, and why we all need to unlearn
🔗 Connect with Joanna Johnson (@unlearn16)
✨ TikTok: @unlearn16
✨ Instagram: @unlearn16
✨ Twitter: @unlearn16tweet
✨ Book: That's Not What This Book Is About available on Amazon
✨ Podcast: Unlearn16: Class Is In Session
🔗 Connect with Meredyth Willits & the TikTok FAMOUS™️ Podcast
✨ Facebook: Meredyth Willits
✨ Instagram: @meredyth_willits
✨ TikTok: @meredyth_with_a_why
✨ YouTube: TikTok FAMOUS™️ Podcast | Meredyth Willits
🎙️ Hosted by Meredyth Willits, where viral fame meets raw reality. Subscribe, review, and stay tuned for more real talk from the creators who move us.
