If I've learned one thing about gaming, it's that kids are not safe without additional protections. One of the tools being released to families is called GameSafe , founded by technology expert David Everitt. In this conversation, David describes his own experience with his daughter being groomed in Minecraft, which led to his new mission in life: To offer families with a tool to truly keep their kids save while gaming. We go into detail on the various threats within gaming platforms like Minecr...
Sep 09, 2024•36 min
Today I'm joined by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to talk about keeping kids safe online. Senator Cruz is a father to two teenage girls. He is facing the same struggles as all parents related to social media and smartphones. In addition to offering advice for listeners, Senator Cruz introduces us to three important bills that can help keep our kids safe online. The Take it Down Act The Kids Off Social Media Act The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Please contact your Senators and Representatives i...
Sep 07, 2024•19 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Why Phones Don't Belong in School ( podcast episode here ) Meta Advertising Nudify Apps on Facebook and Instagram ( update here ) Social Media's Role in Crimes Against Kids ( with John Pizzuro ) Harrison Haynes Was Groomed And Is Speaking out ( more here ) Evan Spiegel's Recent Announcements ( here ) Snapchat Sued by New Mexico for Facilitating Chi...
Sep 06, 2024•8 min
Tens of thousands of schools are failing to reach the same primary goal...to produce happy and productive citizens. Phones at school is the roadblock, yet schools continue to struggle with implementing and enforcing phone restrictions. So, what's the answer? Kim Whitman (along with co-founders Mileva Repasky and Sabine Polak) created the Phone Free Schools Movement to provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the pressures and harms of phones and social media d...
Sep 05, 2024•41 min
Thank you to John Pizzuro for joining me to discuss crimes against kids. John is the CEO and co-founder of Raven , a 501(c)4 non-profit lobbying firm comprised of subject matter experts and retired law enforcement focused on legislative and policy solutions for child trafficking and child exploitation. He highlights the scale and challenge of online crimes, the issue of ineffective age-gating, and the dangers of children interacting with strangers online. As always, this discussion is parent-foc...
Sep 02, 2024•39 min
When former-Facebook employee David Erb realized that Facebook's "People You May Know" feature was connecting millions of pedophiles with tens of millions of children, he told senior Facebook executives right away. The response gave David the shock of his life. Not only did Meta refuse to help these children, they announced end-to-end encryption so that the messages were hidden. This strategic update removed liability from Meta and has since encouraged even more exploitation of children. In toda...
Aug 31, 2024•46 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Telegram CEO Arrested for Enabling Child Sexual Abuse ( among other charges ) TikTok Must Face Lawsuit Over 10-year-old Girl's Death ( court ruling ) New Study Shows TikTok Psychologically Manipulates Users in Favor of China ( study ) TikTok Child Privacy Class Action Lawsuit ( more here ) Snapchat Launches Their App on iPads ( more here ) Families...
Aug 30, 2024•11 min
The conversation is all about the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and its positive implications for our kids. After receiving many comments about KOSA being a "censorship bill" and finding similar articles with a quick Google search, I realized that we need to face this argument head on. I brought in legislative expert Alix Fraser to respond to the headlines and give us the real deal on KOSA. If you want protections for your kids online, please contact your Representative in the House and ask them...
Aug 29, 2024•24 min
Parents constantly ask, "Is [INSERT APP] safe for my kids?" I brought in Titania Jordan to give our honest reviews of 10 of the most popular apps for kids. Today we cover: Spotify, Snapchat, Capcut, Candy Crush, Discord, Roblox/Minecraft/Fortnite, Whatsapp, YouTube, Telegram and ChatGPT. Thank you to Titania and Bark Technologies for putting together exhaustive app reviews for parents. If we didn't cover an app that you are wondering about, please visit https://www.bark.us/learn/resources/ and e...
Aug 26, 2024•40 min
Kids are getting harmed by social media. Social media companies put profits over people. Legislation to protect kids online has not passed since 1998. It is way passed time get force Big Tech to protect kids. The answer is the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Big Tech is working hard to lobby against KOSA and convince us that it is a censorship bill (it is not). In this conversation with legislative expert, Patrick Lyden, we break down the elements of KOSA and negate the pushback. KOSA passed the ...
Aug 24, 2024•30 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: What Snapchat Isn’t Telling You? The Dark Side of Snapchat ( article here ) New Research Reveals Communicating Online with Friends Brings Australians Happiness ( full report ) Stack of TikTok Lawsuits Grows Higher ( report here ) Schools All Over the Nation Roll Out Phone Bans Phone Free Schools Movement Releases Toolkit ( download here ) What Pare...
Aug 23, 2024•8 min
Welcome to Teachers Talk, a series on Scrolling 2 Death featuring candid discussions with teachers. Parents are going to get the real deal on what's happening with screens at school, how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features former middle and high school French teacher, Kathleen Barlow. Kathleen discusses the challenges of screens in schools and the impact on students' learning and behavior. She shares her experiences as a teacher and highlights the is...
Aug 22, 2024•48 min
Even smart kids make bad decisions; decisions that can take their life. This was the case for Judy's son, Erik, who died in 2010 from the choking game. Devastatingly, this trend has since exploded due to social media algorithms which prioritize harmful content into childrens' feeds. In this vulnerable and educational conversation, Judy tells Erik's story and guides parents on how to protect our children from dangerous challenges and other online harms. Get to know Judy and her work at Erik's Cau...
Aug 19, 2024•42 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: CCDH Releases Report Showing That Instagram is Failing Women ( full report ) What Happened When 8 Teenagers Went Without Smartphones for 1 Month ( full story ) New Study by JAMA Found That Tablet Use in Early Childhood Leads to Emotional Disregulation ( study here ) Research: Kids and Parents Suffering From Still Face Syndrome Due to Screen Use ( s...
Aug 16, 2024•12 min
If your child has a phone, they could be accessing a deadly anonymous app. Apps like NGL and others are built for secrecy and drama. Our kids should stay far away. Today you'll learn all about the danger that anonymous apps pose to our kids through the devastating story of Carson Bride, a teenager who fell victim to vicious cyberbullying through an anonymous app connected to Snapchat. Carson's mom, Kristin Bride, highlight the deceptive tactics used by these apps and lack of moderation. We also ...
Aug 15, 2024•19 min
In this conversation, I interview author, mom and entrepreneur Jenna Lee Dillon to discuss children's screen time; the benefits, the dangers and the importance of a proactive approach to screens. Jenna Lee authored an incredible book called Look Up! A Wild & Screen Freed Roadmap to Enjoying Travel with Kids. This book dives into Jenna Lee's experiences and lessons embarking on 65 flights at 51 roadtrips with her daughter, all screen free! So much to learn in this super relatable conversation...
Aug 12, 2024•31 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Snapchat's Harmful "Snapchat+" Feature Reaches 11 Million Subscribers TikTok To Remove Addictive Rewards Program from TikTok Lite in EU ( more here ) Frank McCourt and Project Liberty Creating "People's Bid" for TikTok ( interview with Frank ) TikTok Censors Content Served to Americans ( more here ) Google and Meta Run Secret Ad Campaign Targeting ...
Aug 09, 2024•9 min
Welcome to Teachers Talk, a series on Scrolling 2 Death featuring candid discussions with teachers. Parents get the real deal on what's happening with screens at school and how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features a 4th - 6th grade teacher in Alaska named Jessica Moore. Jessica does an incredible job breaking down the latest research around kids and screens and gives so many takeaways for parents! This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn ...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Annie McGrath shares the story of her son Griffin, who tragically passed away at 13 years old after participating in an online challenge. The choking challenge is one of many deadly challenges that social media companies continue to prioritize within their addictive, harmful algorithms. In this conversation, parents learn how to protect their children from online harms. This includes pushing our elected officials to pass important online safety legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)....
Aug 05, 2024•31 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Passes 91-3 in the Senate ( more here ) NYC Cellphone Ban Begins February 2025 ( more here ) Ask Your School for a Stricter Phone Policy ( template ) Ask Your School for Less Time on Their School-Issued Device ( template ) Meta to Pay $1.4B Settlement with Texas in Privacy Lawsuit ( more here ) TikTok Censors Content S...
Aug 02, 2024•7 min
Today, Titania Jordan and I tackle the complicated topic of phone bans in school. We break down the pro(s?) and cons of allowing kids to have phones at school and why schools across the country are demanding phone bans. If you're a parent or work at a school, this episode is for you. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids : *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Check out the Bark Phone...
Aug 01, 2024•23 min
Walker was a hardworking and well-loved teenager who fell victim to a sextortion scheme that led to his tragic suicide. I spoke with Walker's dad, Brian, to learn about sextortion, how it's happening, who is being victimized and how parents can protect our children from this social media harm. My heart goes out to the Montgomery family for their loss of Walker. After this tragedy, Walker's family have advocated for protecting kids from sextortion and gotten two bills passed; Walker's Bill (Missi...
Jul 29, 2024•46 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Links Between TikTok Use and Teen Suicide Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Moves Forward in the Senate Meta Announces New Efforts to Fight Sextortion DEA Releases 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment Sinaloa Cartel Leader Arrested by U.S. Officials Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spen...
Jul 26, 2024•8 min
Welcome to Teachers Talk, a series on Scrolling 2 Death featuring candid discussions with teachers. Parents are going to get the real deal on what's happening with screens at school, how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features a high school educator in Canada that we're calling Mrs. C. This conversation goes way beyond screens in school as Mrs. C shares her experience providing a low-tech household for her three children and restricting social media unti...
Jul 25, 2024•46 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: Donald Trump Assassination Attempt Triggers Social Media Conspiracies ( CNN Article ) Belief in Conspiracy Theories Higher Among Teens Than Adults ( CCDH Report ) Latest String of Nefarious Activity on Snapchat Concerns Parents (Google it) Meta Stock Plunges ( More Here ) Trump Points Finger at Meta for Teen Suicide Rates ( Bloomberg Article ) Bill...
Jul 19, 2024•6 min
Welcome to Teachers Talk, a series on Scrolling 2 Death featuring candid discussions with teachers. Parents are going to get the real deal on what's happening with screens at school, how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features educator and speaker Ronna Glickman. You can reach Ronna at socialmediasafety.education
Jul 18, 2024•31 min
In this episode I welcome Karl Stillner (co-founder and CEO of BrightCanary) for a discussion about device monitoring. These days, parents need to have an understanding of what's going on in their children's digital lives, but is there a point where we breach their privacy? This chat makes it clear that social media companies and the U.S. government do not have our kids backs online. It is up to us parents to keep them safe, and that requires a level of monitoring plus open conversations with ou...
Jul 15, 2024•31 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. ❗️New Research Study Shows Effects of Handing Kids Devices ❗️ Dangerous App Called NGL Barred from Minor Usage ❗️ Middle School Students Attack Teachers on TikTok ❗️ Virginia Governor Orders School Phone Bans Starting 2025 ❗️ Senator Rand Paul Blocks Vital Kids Online Safety Bill: Call Senator Paul and ask him to stop blocking KOSA! (202) 224-4343 Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need...
Jul 12, 2024•8 min
Welcome to Teachers Talk, a series on Scrolling 2 Death featuring candid discussions with teachers. Parents are going to get the real deal on what's happening with screens at school, how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features a high school educator named Matt Brady. Here is Matt's substack: Teacher Teacher Matt Miles and Joe Clement are two incredible teachers mentioned in today's episode. Here's a link to my interview with Matt and Joe . This episode i...
Jul 11, 2024•45 min
DISCLAIMER: This episode includes details related to sexual assault of a minor. Please listen with caution. Deb Schmill shares the story of her daughter, Becca, who experienced a severe trauma at just 15 years old which led to addiction and her death by fentanyl poisoning in 2020. Smartphones and social media are facilitating access to drugs and harmful content that is deadly to many teens. My conversation with Deb emphasizes the need for parents to have open conversations with their children, b...
Jul 08, 2024•30 min
