In this conversation, Detective Patrick Craven discusses the alarming rise of fentanyl-related deaths among youth. We highlight the role of social media in facilitating drug transactions, the risks associated with experimentation, and the deceptive nature of counterfeit pills. Patrick emphasizes the importance of parental awareness and education regarding the dangers of drug use in today's digital age. We provide essential guidance for parents on how to communicate the dangers of these substance...
Jan 16, 2025•34 min
We once rejoiced at the technology advancements for our children—cell phones offered a sense of security (mostly for us), tablets provided endless learning resources, and social media promised enhanced connections with peers, all at little or no cost. But the actual cost has been steep: a surge in harmful content, bad actors, and a growing mental health crisis. Behind it all, tech giants built addictive, amoral algorithms to trap kids in a cycle of engagement - all in the name of data collection...
Jan 13, 2025•46 min
The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Support Victims of the California Fires Support Resources for Victims Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: TikTok Harms Children at an Industrial Scale Supreme Court Will Hear TikTok Ban: What to Expect Peer-Reviewed Study: TikTok Brainwashes American Youth Meta's Update on "Fact Checking" AP News; Meta Eliminates Fact-Checking in Latest Bow to Trump Check back on Fridays for everythi...
Jan 10, 2025•9 min
I brought in Titania Jordan to compare our 2025 Tech Resolutions. This time, we took the focus off of the kids and talked about our own relationships with technology. How can we improve tech-life balance and set a positive example for our kids? Resources mentioned in the episode: Apple Fails to Protect Children (with Sarah Gardner) Apple's App Store Age-Ratings are "Fake" (not to be trusted) This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies: Learn about the Bark Phone Learn about the Bark App for i...
Jan 09, 2025•28 min
In this conversation, 21-year-old Harrison Haynes opens our eyes to a new way of living with tech; something he coins "digital essentialism." Parents worry so much about keeping our kids safe online...is it time we take a look at our own relationships with technology? Connect with Harrison on LinkedIn . Resources mentioned in the episode: "I survived grooming." (with Harrison Haynes) Dear Parents, From Gen Z (with Ava Smithing) Tracking vs. Trust: Striking a Balance (with Ava Smithing) Grooming ...
Jan 06, 2025•39 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: U.S. Judge Upholds California Ban on Addictive Feeds for Minors Florida Social Media Ban on Hold Due To Lawsuit TikTok Internal Reports Show Massive Amount of Harm TikTok 'Divest or Ban' case to be decided Morton woman faces charges after CSAM linked to her Snapchat account Snapchat Predator Facing Charges Involving 15-year-old Girl Meta Adds Thous...
Jan 03, 2025•11 min
I brought in Dr. Alison Yeung to recap 2024 and set intentions for 2025 around kid's online safety.
Jan 02, 2025•51 min
Sean Killingsworth brings the youth perspective on what it's like to be a teenager with access to smartphones and social media. After struggling as a young teen with his use of smartphones and social media, Sean decided to switch things up. He started using a flip phone. After the initial weaning of period, Sean felt incredible. He was more present and happier. But problems remained, as all of his peers were still unable to lift their eyes from their phones. This led to the creation of The Recon...
Dec 30, 2024•40 min
The stories about A.I. chatbots abusing children has been keeping me up at night. How could this be happening? I brought in Tim Estes of Angel Kids AI to educate parents on all things AI and guide us on how to protect our children from this online threat. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Join the waitlist for Angel Kids AI [INTERVIEW] "AI chatbots told my son to kill me." [INTERVIEW] "An AI chatbot killed my son."...
Dec 26, 2024•54 min
I brought in Dany Elachi of the Australian-based Heads Up Alliance to learn about the recent U16 Age Gate Bill which passed in Australia. In addition to breaking down the new law, Dany shares his personal experience in (admittedly) giving his pre-teen daughter a phone too early and how correcting this mistake led to an advocacy movement across Australia. Dany breaks down the legislative battle in getting this new law passed, how the age verification will work, which platforms this applies to and...
Dec 23, 2024•38 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: Speaker Mike Johnson Appears on Fox to Discuss KOSA Opinion: Donal Trump Must Not Block TikTok Ban TikTok Ban Goes to Supreme Court Pew Research: Teens and Social Media Use CCDH Report: YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm [INTERVIEW] Apple Fails to Protect Children; Facing $1.2B Lawsuit Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about ...
Dec 20, 2024•12 min
In this conversation, I brought in Sarah Gardner of Heat Initiative to discuss a landmark lawsuit against Apple regarding its negligence in protecting children from child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Together we break down the lawsuit and what these failures mean for families. Are Apple devices even safe for kids, in their current form? Many questions are asked and answered in this episode. The lawsuit against Apple was filed on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse for knowing...
Dec 19, 2024•37 min
This is the conversation to get parents up to speed on fentanyl. No one is safe from this threat and this information can be life-saving to your family. I brought in Special Agent Frank Tarentino to discuss the opioid crisis, focusing on the rise of fentanyl and its devastating impact on families. He emphasizes the importance of education for parents and the role of social media in drug distribution. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Other Scrolling 2 Death Episodes Related to Fentanyl One Pill...
Dec 16, 2024•49 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: Lawsuit filed against Google & Character.AI over abusive bots [The Interview] "Chatbots told my son to kill me." [Report] YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm [The Interview] An inside look into the new YouTube Report TikTok asks court to put divest-or-ban law on hold amid Supreme Court appeal TikTok Pays Users to Shop if They Boost App Downloads [The ...
Dec 13, 2024•9 min
In this conversation, Dr. Mathilde Cerioli discusses the implications of AI technology on children's development, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of how AI interacts with young minds. The discussion covers the addictive nature of AI, the importance of face-to-face interactions, and the necessity for collaboration between AI developers and child development experts. As always, we focus on tangible takeaways for parents which children of all ages; how you can talk to your child abou...
Dec 12, 2024•52 min
AI chatbots on Character.AI revealed to be sexually and emotionally abusing children (here's the proof) A mom is going public with her son's shocking story, stating "No one prepares you to grieve your child when they are still alive." When Jace started using Character.AI at age 16, everything changed. He went from a kind, loving son and brother, to a violent threat to himself and his family. After months of confusion as to what caused the change, Jace's mom Amelia found the Character.AI app on h...
Dec 11, 2024•56 min
My full interview with this mom in Texas drops 12/11. This episode is a brief retelling of the story. A new lawsuit has been filed against Character.AI and Google after their chatbots have been found to be sexually and emotionally abusing children all over the country. Character.AI is a deadly threat to our families and needs to be shut down. Please sign this petition (your info will not be saved or shared)....
Dec 10, 2024•6 min
This new report is a devastating indictment of the behavior of social media executives, regulators, lawmakers, advertisers, and others who have failed to abide by this collective promise by allowing eating disorder and self-harm content to be pumped into the eyeballs of our children for profit. It represents a clear, unchallengeable case for immediate change. Nine out of ten teens in the United States use YouTube, a fifth of them “almost constantly.” It is used by far more young people than TikT...
Dec 10, 2024•23 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: Federal Court Upholds TikTok "Ban" Law Australia Passes U16 Age Gate Law What is Age Gating and why it's safe GameSafe Rolls Out iOS Protections for Minecraft, Roblox & AmongUs Instagram Announces Ability to Reset Algorithm Meta Cracks Down on Organized Crime (is this a bandaid fix?) Podcast Interviews on Sextortion with Brian Montgomery and Pa...
Dec 06, 2024•9 min
Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same. I brought in Erin to share her experience and give advice to parents on their choices around tech. We cover a ton of topics, including; youth mental health, "sharenting," how algorithms work, privacy and data collection, AI tools, video games, the importance of independent play and much more. Additional Resources: The Opt Out Family Web...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this conversation, Representative Brandon Guffey shares the tragic story of his son Gavin, who took his life after becoming a victim of sextortion on Instagram. The discussion explores Gavin's life, the impact of online harm, and the urgent need for legislative action to protect children from similar experiences. Rep. Guffey emphasizes the responsibility of big tech companies in safeguarding youth and advocates for more effective measures to combat online exploitation. As always, this episode...
Dec 02, 2024•55 min
The Bark Watch is finally here! In this conversation with Bark CMO Titania Jordan, we go through everything you need to know about the Bark Watch. I love that the Bark Watch is all about protection, not distraction. This means no social media, no games and no internet browsers. Get the Bark Watch here ! The Bark Watch is currently available in the United States of America. To add your country to the waitlist for Bark products, visit this link ....
Nov 27, 2024•22 min
In today's conversation, Sheri Lopez bravely tells her story being trafficked as a young girl. As Sheri says, "We have to talk about this." Sheri was groomed at the age of fifteen by her high school boyfriend’s father, trafficked for seven years, and rescued by a woman named Pearl at an apartment mailbox. She is the founder of the nonprofit – ‘Pearl at the Mailbox’ and is on a mission to educate about child grooming, how it happens, and how to spot and stop it before trafficking happens. Sheri b...
Nov 25, 2024•35 min
I am constantly asked by parents, "Is there a social media platform that is safe for my kids?" My answer has consistently been, "No." Until now. I am overjoyed to share this conversation with the Founder of WeAre8 , Zoe Kalar. Zoe has spent the past decade creating a social media platform that puts the power back in the hands of us, the human beings using the platform. Society has had enough. We're tired of being pawns in Big Tech's game to see how much they can profit off of our misery. WeAre8 ...
Nov 24, 2024•43 min
I bought in Clare Morell of EPPC to discuss the complexities surrounding children's safety in the digital age, with a focus on balancing the role of schools, parental, and our legislators. Clare gives clear insight into why is the internet so unsafe for children in today's society, and what needs to be done to fix it. As always, we prioritize guidance for parents on safe decisions to be made in your homes, today. Resources mentioned in the episode: How to break up with your phone by Catherine Pr...
Nov 20, 2024•49 min
I brought in The Screentime Consultant Emily Cherkin to tackle the complexities of raising kids in the digital age. We dive into the idea of being "tech intentional"—how to use technology thoughtfully, in a way that aligns with family values and supports kids’ development. The conversation covers a range of important topics: the addictive nature of digital platforms, why boredom can spark creativity, and the difference between things that are scary and those that are genuinely dangerous for chil...
Nov 18, 2024•54 min
Ben Tracy is running across America to keep kids safe online. 120 marathons in 120 days, engaging at schools, community groups and with lawmakers along the way to raise awareness about issues of online safety for children. Ben and his team stopped in the middle of Kansas to give Scrolling 2 Death an update on their progress and give advice to parents. Follow the Tracy Trek on their website and Instagram . This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and An...
Nov 14, 2024•36 min
In this conversation, Nicki Reisberg and Dawn Wible discuss the critical issues surrounding digital wellness and safety for children. Dawn shares her journey as the founder of Talk More. Tech Less. , highlighting the importance of advocacy, education, and legislation in addressing the challenges posed by technology and social media. Dawn takes parents through the risks associated with children's use of digital devices, the necessity of open conversations between parents and children, and the rol...
Nov 11, 2024•48 min
Parents everywhere are worried about the rise of empathetic, human-like AI chat bots. I brought in Noah Coffman of Young People's Alliance to dive into the evolution of AI chatbots and unpack how these bots are engaging users emotionally. We discuss both the perks and pitfalls of AI, from its potential in mental health support to the ethical issues around privacy and dependency. We emphasize the importance of open conversations with kids about the risks of unregulated AI, and why fostering criti...
Nov 09, 2024•45 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: Parents Must Talk to Their Kids About Porn (early and often). Resources: Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Book series Kids and Porn (podcast episode) with Kristen Jenson Talking to Kids About Pornography (podcast episode) with Parker Hymas 14-year-old Sewell Setzer dies after falling in love with an AI chatbot "An AI chatbot killed my son." with Megan G...
Nov 08, 2024•8 min
