Kids These Days (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy)

"Kids These Days" is the series premiere of the American science fiction teen drama television series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The episode was written by series creator Gaia Volo, and directed by executive producer Alex Kurtzman. Part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe, the series takes place in the 32nd century, the far-future time period that was introduced in Star Trek: Discovery and follows the first new class of Starfleet cadets in over a century as they come of age and train to be officers.

The episode was released on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026, alongside the following episode "Beta Test". In the episode, retired captain Nahla Ake is convinced to take on the role of Chancellor at the newly revived Starfleet Academy and comes face to face with Caleb Mir, a runaway and criminal whose mother she sentenced to prison fifteen years earlier. Reluctantly agreeing to join her, Caleb meets the other new cadets and inadvertently attracts the attention of the psychotic pirate Nus Braka.

It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the setting, fresh take on the modern Star Trek formula, and the performances of Hunter, Yashere, Picardo, Brooks, Giamatti, and Maslany.