The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: Will TikTok be banned in the U.S.? Results of a 14-year-old female test account on Snapchat More predators target kids on Snapchat New warning about vapes sold on Snapchat Meta's stock plummets and lawsuit updates Discord to allow mini-games to be developed within chats New "social media terror" on Discord and Telegram Check back on Fridays for everything that parents nee...
Mar 15, 2024•7 min
This episode is all about how cyberbullying is affecting our kids. Trisha Prabhu, an anti-bullying advocate and founder of the ReThink app, shares her journey and insights on cyberbullying and social media. She emphasizes the importance of early conversations with children about technology and the internet, as well as creating transparency and collaboration in setting rules and expectations. In this conversation, we cover tons of topics including: Cyberbullying Social media Big Tech Safe-tech fo...
Mar 14, 2024•38 min
In this episode, I gain clarity into how we got here...to a place where young children are accessing technology that can harm them. Paul DelPonte of the National Crime Prevention Council breaks down the legislation (or lack thereof) that exists to protect kids online, potential new laws and current lawsuits against social media companies. We also go deep into the fentanyl epidemic and how these illegal drugs are finding their way to our children through Snapchat. Paul has intimate knowledge into...
Mar 11, 2024•42 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: Instagram and Facebook went down and we all freaked out. Another celebrity hit by a deep fake nude photo scandal Update on Florida's bill to ban social media for minors U.S. is trying to ban TikTok...again Snapchat adds another harmful feature More school districts ban smartphones Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our child...
Mar 08, 2024•6 min
It is all too common to simply hand your child your old iPhone. This episode breaks down why you should NOT do that very thing. Scrolling 2 Death Host Nicki Reisberg and CMO of Bark Technologies Titania Jordan talk through the functionality a parent would want their children to access with a phone, and compare what's available with the iPhone versus the Bark Phone. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. You can get 10% off the entire life of your Bark App subscription! Just use code: SC...
Mar 07, 2024•24 min
This episode is your guide to giving your kid a phone. In this conversation, Hannah Oertel lays out the ideal pathway for our children's phone journey. If you've been stressed about when to give a phone or which phone to give, this is the episode for you! You can make a difference in mental health outcomes for your child, with this one decision; When and how you give your kid a phone. Don't ignore the risks. Hannah also shares a few of the lesser-known ways that smartphones are affecting our kid...
Mar 04, 2024•48 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. This week’s Big Tech Gut Check highlights: Staffers alerted Meta that Facebook and Instagram subscription feature allowed for child exploitation Positive research on Meta found to be funded by a main investor...in Meta Deepfake nude scandals continue across schools in the U.S. Snapchat test account shows the platform actively connects minors to predatory adults Check back on Fridays for everything tha...
Mar 01, 2024•6 min
It's time for a fresh discussion about sharing our kids online. AKA #Sharenting Parents everywhere continue to share, despite the growing risks. In this episode, I break down the current state of sharenting in today's digital era, including; the risks of CSAM and AI-generate deep fake nudes, the short-term and long-term effects on our children, an analysis of why we share and thoughts around how our sharing can effect other parents. A takeaway for today: *Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) refer...
Feb 29, 2024•13 min
In this conversation, parent survivor Maurine Molak shares the story of her son David, who experienced relentless cyberbullying which led to his tragic suicide. The cyberbullying occurred mainly on Instagram and gaming chats, and went unreported by both David and hundreds of observers. Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on kids and teens, leading to anxiety, depression and even suicide. Parents need to be educated on the signs and how to react when our own children are dealing with this...
Feb 26, 2024•36 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. This week’s Big Tech Gut Check highlights: Reports of students being sexually groomed on school-issued devices Most concerning websites for kids How tech companies are attempting to help suicidal teens The latest celebrity to get hit with deepfake porn (it's not Taylor Swift) Latest string of pedophiles targeting our children on Snapchat Florida's social media ban for kids under 16 years old Check bac...
Feb 23, 2024•7 min
This episode serves as a parent's guide to kids and tech. Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies has dedicated her life to educating parents and making the digital world safer for kids. In this conversation, Scrolling 2 Death host Nicki Reisberg and Titania reveal the findings of Bark's Annual Report on Children and Technology. Parents will learn: What are the most common issues facing kids online? Which apps are most harmful? What is the ideal journey to introducing tech to our kids? When should w...
Feb 22, 2024•29 min
If you have a teenager (or pre-teen), this episode is a MUST-LISTEN. The fentanyl epidemic is finding its way into our own front yard through our children's access to drug dealers on Snapchat and other social media platforms. In this episode, you'll hear the story of Sammy Chapman, who was 16 years old when he suffered from fentanyl poisoning from a free pill that a drug dealer dropped off at his house. The drug deal took place on Snapchat, which is quickly becoming known as an "open air drug ma...
Feb 19, 2024•33 min
There were some hopeful updates this week for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). In this conversation, attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett breaks down the latest updates and what parents should know about their kid's online safety.
Feb 16, 2024•21 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things Big Tech. This week’s Big Tech Gut Check highlights: Snapchat's "More Snapchat" Super Bowl ad voted #1 Least Effective by Forbes TikTok is making it more difficult for parents to how much harmful content our kids are seeing Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) gains additional support NYC sues TikTok, Meta, Snap and YouTube for addicting young users Meta will no longer promote political content on Instagram and Threads New research on...
Feb 16, 2024•6 min
Some would say that the addictive pull of our phones and the attention economy is the biggest issue society faces today. Certainly, our children are feeling the effects, with rising rates of depression and suicide. Sara Robin is an award-winning filmmaker who has dove into exploring the impact that the attention economy is having on our lives. There is so much to learn from Sara, as she has studied and interviewed countless parents, teens, teachers, doctors and other experts in this space. Sara ...
Feb 12, 2024•50 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things Big Tech. Check back every Friday for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. This week’s Big Tech Gut Check highlights: Meta paying $$Billions$$ in dividends in the wake of child exploitation revealed on their platform. Meta's announcement to add labels to AI-generated content. Troubles in the world of Snapchat, and their last-ditch efforts to be relevant. Research...
Feb 09, 2024•5 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things Big Tech. Check back here every Friday for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. This week’s Big Tech Gut Check focuses on : An update on the lawsuit Neville et al vs. Snap, Inc. Highlights from the Big Tech Senate Hearing in DC Big Tech’s latest publicity stunts NYC Major Eric Adams concerning update on social media A new report from Eko revealing harmful content...
Feb 05, 2024•8 min
In this conversation, family physician Dr. Alison Young (IG: @thesmartphoneeffect) and Nicki Reisberg discuss the impact of screens and social media on mental health. They explore the age at which children are getting smartphones and accessing social media, and the effect that these decisions are having on mental health outcomes, brain development and dopamine levels. Topics include: Youth screen time and social media use A breakdown of how dopamine works related to screen time What phone option...
Feb 05, 2024•40 min
This episode is your introduction to dangerous online challenges. Parent survivor Joann Bogard shares the story of her son, Mason. Mason Bogard was an adventurous and outdoorsy 15-year-old. He loved fishing, hiking, camping and woodworking. He had great friends, went to a good school. Mason's parents talked to him regularly about online safety and used every parental feature available. They did everything right. And Mason still fell victim to a social media harm. Mason passed away in May 2019 af...
Jan 30, 2024•37 min
Dr. Carl D. Marci is a physician, neuroscientist, author and entrepreneur with an incredible book for parents called 'Rewired: Protecting Your Brain in the Digital Age.' In this interview, Dr. Marci answers pressing questions from parents: How are screens affecting our childrens' brains? Should we be giving our children a learning tablet? When should our children be given a smartphone? Why are adolescents more depressed than ever before? The big takeaway from this conversation is how parents can...
Jan 29, 2024•44 min
This episode is all about social media and our kids. In this conversation, I welcome Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, who gets in depth about the risks that social media poses to our children, and gives a roadmap to solve this harmful hamster wheel. We cover a number of topics relevant to parenting in the digital world, including: Social media's addictive nature Harmful content on social media (and how to minimize it) How to navigate "fake news" The effect of AI on society ...
Jan 22, 2024•41 min
Today I welcome Dr. Mark Woodall, a naturopathic doctor practicing in Washington state. In this conversation, we focus on the effects that technology is having on the mental and physical health of today's teenagers. Dr. Woodall gives parents specific recommendations related to teen mental health, screen time, sleep, physical activity and tech. Work with Dr. Woodall in Washington . Here are a few of the resources that Dr. Woodall mentions in this episode: Info on toxic chemicals: https://www....
Jan 19, 2024•40 min
Amy Neville lost her son Alexander to an overdose after taking one fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill he purchased on Snapchat. She has joined together with over 60 other families who have been harmed in similar ways, and is suing Snap, Inc., alleging the social media platform enables drug dealers in reaching minors and young adults. In this revealing interview, Amy tells her story and warns parents about the dangers hiding on this concerning platform, tells us what to look for, and provides advice o...
Jan 15, 2024•36 min
In this interview, I welcome Sarah from Mom Uncharted . This discussion is all about sharing children online; we dissect digital privacy, informed consent, kid influencers and shed light on the sobering realities of child safety in the digital landscape. I was especially shocked to learn about the ability for adults to subscribe to exclusive content from children. Parents everywhere must know about this. More about Sarah: For two years, Sarah has been exploring the state of sharenting, child exp...
Jan 08, 2024•43 min
In what may be a multi-parter, Nicki breaks down the unthinkable responses to a recent video she posted on Instagram about a teen’s suicide. Thousands of comments from adolescent male gamers don’t lie. In the online gaming communities, there is a blatant lack of empathy and normalization of hate speech, suicide-baiting and oversaturation of cyber-bullying. In this mini-episode, Nicki discusses this viral Instagram video and the responses, in addition to sharing current research about gaming and ...
Jan 06, 2024•12 min
Today’s mini episode features the witty and hilarious Jenny Mollen. Jenny is a writer, actor, Instagram personality and New York Times bestselling author. Jenny’s oversharing nature has come into check as she became a mother and faced the ever-concerning decision – to share our kids, or not to share our kids. Online, that is. As always, Jenny takes us on a swift and thrilling ride through her “latchkey vibes” upbringing and public-facing career which led her to decide that privacy is the way to ...
Jan 04, 2024•15 min
Prepare for an eye-opening conversation that will change the way you think about kids and tech. Join Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death as she dives into an enlightening discussion with attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett (of the Social Media Victims Law Center), unearthing the harsh realities of the harm lurking behind the screens. We get into loads of hot tech topics, including: Social media harms vs. benefits Trends in social media harms Addictiveness of social media platforms Which are the most harmful p...
Jan 02, 2024•49 min
DISCLAIMER: This episode discusses the suicide of 15-year-old Nate Bronstein. If this topic will be too upsetting for you, please skip to the next episode. In this episode, Rose Bronstein shares the story of her son Nate. Nate loved basketball. He loved playing the drums. He loved hanging out with his friends. He was a wonderful soul. At the age of 15, Nate died by suicide on January 13, 2022 after facing vicious attacks, harassment and threats of physical harm over text and Snapchat. This tragi...
Dec 26, 2023•56 min
This interview is dedicated to Carson Bride. In this emotional conversation, Kristin Bride tells Nicki the personal story of losing her son to suicide after being cyberbullied on anonymous apps linked to Snapchat, and her subsequent advocacy work. Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about suicide. If this will be too difficult for you, please skip to the next episode. Kristin also shares her work with the Fairplay Network and the Online Harms Prevention work group, which aims to educate pa...
Dec 18, 2023•40 min
In this episode I welcome digital advocate Alix Fraser of Issue One . We take a dive deep into the risks of social media and explore how (and why) social media has been created to be harmful by design. Alix and Nicki cover a ton of topics important to parents; social media, devices, cyberbullying, sharenting and much more! Alix introduces Nicki to two bills that would could steer us in the right direction with social media regulation and make the internet safer for children. The Kids Online Safe...
Dec 11, 2023•41 min
