Ali Abdaal is the poster child for productivity YouTube—polished, evidence-based, and relentlessly focused on optimizing every aspect of life. For older teens prepping for college, juggling AP classes, or trying to build better study habits, his channel offers genuinely useful, practical advice. He's smart, articulate, and backs up his claims with research.

That said, this is hustle culture in a very friendly package. If your kid is already stressed, perfectionistic, or struggling with rest and balance, Ali's 'build systems for everything' approach might add fuel to the fire. The constant optimization can feel exhausting, and there's a real risk of internalizing the message that you should always be doing more, learning more, producing more.

For the right personality—self-motivated, goal-oriented, not prone to burnout—this channel can be a helpful resource. For everyone else, it's worth discussing that productivity is a tool, not a lifestyle, and that being 'unproductive' is actually fine sometimes.