Pharrell Speaks to the Kidults

Kidult.com is your brainchild. Are you a kidult?

I'm very much still a kid, still feel the same way I did when I was 15. My hunger and desire for personal growth has never stopped. I just think that's how everyone should live, but I especially want to encourage teens to approach life curiously, no matter how strange or weird this may make them seem to other kids who don't share their same thirst for knowledge.

I don't think age brings you wisdom. Curiosity, more than anything, brings you wisdom. I'd rather have a conversation with a teen who's thirsty for knowledge, than an adult who thinks he knows it all. It's sad when people get to a certain age and think they've learned everything the world has to offer.

There's nothing more happy or free than living like a kidult. It's a world where intelligence gets you in the door, not an age or archetype. I totally believe that kids and adults can engage in the same common interests, have conversations or debates on things like politics, science and culture worldwide.

What inspired you to start a news and entertainment website for teens?

When I look at the media, whether it's television, online, CDs, DVDs, games, etc., I feel like there are all these very specific voices, but no urban voice in its proper context. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the urban arena has always been for urban, by urban, to urban, it's very locked in, a very constricted zone. My thing is, why not use this powerful voice to comment on anything and everything. Just like there's democratic news, republican news, Christian news, where's that urban voice that speaks to the world and just gives its perspective on everything going on? I admire brands like Time and CNN, especially how people rely on what they say, they're pretty well respected and reliable sources. The young urban voice needs something like that. Kidult can fill that void.

Why are you so interested in media?

The media helps steer the collective consciousness in a specific direction. In general, when you communicate you have an agenda. Some may choose to communicate selfishly, others for a greater good. Other than the simple fact of being informative, I want Kidult to inspire kids to dream in ways they never thought possible. No kid should ever have to jump through hula hoops and obstacles to find things out. When you don't even know that you're interested in something—that's the biggest crime of all. I hate the idea that a kid might not know if they like something because they haven't been exposed to it. Every child should know what Australia air smells like, what African soil feels like and what Chinese spices taste like. If they're not curious to try and find out, we're doing an extreme disservice to our children. It's our responsibility to really engage them and peak their interests in every way imaginable.