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: Updates on the TikTok Divest-or-Ban legislation China to start censoring "wealth-flaunting" on TikTokBillionaire Frank McCourt's bid to buy TikTokMore school boards sue Snapchat, TikTok and MetaMeta shareholders protest over child safety concernsMaryland passes Maryland Kids CodeLatest mark-up of KOSA and APRAThe rising sextortion epidemic (how you can protect your kids) Contact your Representative in the House: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative Contact your Senators: Visit senate.gov and use the state drop down at the top of your screen --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

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 Waldorf educator Brooke Natzke. Brooke answers common questions such as: What is the origin of the Waldorf education?How does the Waldorf approach compare/contrast to public schools? Montessori schools?What is the Waldorf approach to technology use in the classroom?Does restricting technology through schooling cause the child to be behind when they enter college or career life?How can we communicate with our public schools if we're not happy with tech use? Here's the link to Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) which was mentioned in the episode. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

Many parents ask the question; How does social media use really affect our kids? This is the question that is answered today with special guest Kris Perry of the Children and Screens Institute. Together, we explore many topics related to kids and media use, with an emphasis on the importance of unbiased research and desperate need for online safety legislation. About Kris Perry: Kris Perry currently serves as Executive Director for Children and Screens Institute, having previously served as Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Deputy Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency where she led the development of the California Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the expansion of access to high-quality early childhood programs. She led systems change efforts at the local, state and national levels in her roles as executive director of First 5 San Mateo, First 5 California and of the First Five Years Fund. Through it all, Perry has fought to protect children, improve and expand early learning programs, and increase investments in low-income children. Perry was instrumental in returning marriage equality to California after the landmark 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Hollingsworth v. Perry, which she wrote about in her book Love on Trial. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

This is a conversation that parents should bring their teens into. Ava Smithing is a Gen Z adovcate for kid's online safety who is dedicated to making social media safer. Ava shares her vulnerable story of struggling with an eating disorder that was encouraged by social media, and gives parents invaluable insights into life as a Gen Z'er. "I learned through social media that I shouldn't be eating, how not to eat and how to hide it from my family." This episode is jam-packed with advice for parents on how to approach social media in their own homes, including: Federal child safety and privacy bills How social media affects body imageStatus of TikTok and its influence on our youthSnapchat's "less social media, more Snapchat" gaslighting campaignDangers of AI chatbots Digital wellness revolution Loads of social media tips for parents Ava Smithing is the Director of Advocacy at the Young People's Alliance, her first role upon graduating with honors from Stevens Institute of Technology in May 2023, Majoring in Business Management and the History and Philosophy of Technology, with a Public Policy Minor. Since her graduation Ava has been committed to progressing legislation to making social media safer at the state and federal level, through advocacy, community organizing and public engagements. She is an affiliate in All Tech is Human's inaugural affiliate cohort and an advisor on behalf of YPA for the Student Action Network for Equity. Ava recently testified at the congressional subcommittee hearing Legislative Solutions to Protect Kids Online and Ensure Americans’ Data Privacy Rights. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

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: FBI warns parents on sextortion; more teens are targetedMeta and Google spend $1M to fight New York child safety billsTwo major hearings this week to discuss online safety billsAn update on the TikTok divest-or-ban legislationImportant update for parents related to our kids' access to fentanyl Contact your Representative in the House: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative Contact your Senators: Visit senate.gov and use the state drop down at the top of your screen Resources mentioned during this episode: Podcast interview --> Sextortion: Is your kid next? (with John DeMay)Podcast interview --> Sextortion and American Teenagers (with Titania Jordan)Podcast interview --> Protecting our kids from sextortion (with Paul Raffile)Press release --> FBI Warns Parents About SextortionMedia Link --> ABC 7 News Coverage of Snapchat Rally Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

This episode is all about sextortion. What do parents need to know about the sextortion epidemic? If you think your kid is immune to this threat, unfortunately it's affecting hundreds of thousands of American teenagers. I'm joined by Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies to educate parents on what to look out for and how to protect your child from sextortion. If your child has been faced with sextortion, please report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tipline. Resources mentioned in the episode: Interview with Jordan DeMay's dad John Interview with Paul Raffile 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! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

Just two moms talking about childrens' online safety...except one mom is also a Congresswoman and Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers is the first female Chair of one of the most powerful committees in the House of Representatives. This committee is dedicated to providing parents with safeguards to get our children protected online. This is an all-out war against Big Tech and our childrens' lives are at stake. Use your voice and let's get our kids protected online. Parents: Our voices are what's going to make a difference in this fight for online privacy and childrens' safety. Contact your representative (both the House and the Senate) and tell them to support: American Privacy Rights Act (APRA)Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0)Section 230 Sunset Act As a reminder, you have 2 Senators and a member of the House of Representatives of your district. Contact your Representative in the House: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative Contact your Senators: Visit senate.gov and use the state drop down at the top of your screen Resources: WSJ: Sunset of Section 230 Would Force Big Tech's HandInterview with Marc Berkman Cathy McMorris Rodgers is the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and represents Washington’s Fifth Congressional District. She was appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2010. In addition to her policy leadership on the Committee, Cathy also served in House Republican Leadership for 10 years as Vice Chair and Chair of the House Republican Conference. More about Chair Rodgers here: https://mcmorris.house.gov/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

The fentanyl epidemic has reached our kids with the distribution of fake pills on Snapchat. Today's guest is Jaime Puerta of V.O.I.D. Jaime is an incredible warrior and advocate who lost his son Daniel to a fentanyl-laced pill purchased on Snapchat. Jaime answers all the questions parents may have about the fentanyl epidemic; where it's coming from, what does it look like, how are kids getting it and how we can protect our own kids. This episode is dedicated to the life of Daniel Joseph Puerta Johnson. About Jaime Puerta Jaime Puerta is a United States Marine Corps Veteran, and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Puerta & Associates, Inc.; a small Interpreting business that specializes in furnishing Certified Interpreters to Attorneys, Doctors, and Courts working within the Workman’s Compensation field in the State of California. He resides in Santa Clarita, California, with his wife Claudia. Jaime is also the President of V.O.I.D., "Victims Of Illicit Drugs", a California 501C non-profit dedicated to educating parents and children about the dangers of illicit drug use, and also about the dangers that abound on social media platforms. Jaime also sits on the Advisory Board of A.C.C.O. "The Alliance To Counter Crime Online". Jaime became involved in the fight against Fentanyl when his only son Daniel passed away due to Fentanyl Poisoning on April 6, 2020. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: 🇺🇸 Sextortion schemes spike in the U.S. and other western countries 👨‍⚖️ President Biden passed the REPORT Act to fight sextortion 💍 NY Times reveals Meta is serving children's photos to pedophiles in advertisements 📱 New Mexico exposes Meta through Operation MetaPhile ‼️ European Union announces formal investigation into Meta for child safety concerns 🧐 New research shows connection between children's social media use and mental health vulnerability Resources mentioned in the episode are available here: https://www.scrolling2death.com/big-tech-gut-check-week-of-may-13-2024 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

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 teacher in Chicago named Kara Waddell. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. ⁠Learn about the Bark Phone⁠. ⁠Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids⁠. (use code SCROLLING2DEATH for 10% off) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

Sextortion is a parent's worst nightmare. In this interview with cyberintelligence analyst Paul Raffile, parents will learn all about sextortion and how to protect our children. Paul answers important questions about sextortion including: Who is being targeted? Where are the scammers located? What platforms are at risk for sextortion? What should parents tell their children to protect them? If your child has been faced with sextortion, please report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://report.cybertip.org Paul Raffile is an intelligence analyst focused on cyber threats and transnational organized crime. He has worked on government and private sector projects to detect and investigate terrorist networks, fraud, black markets, and human exploitation on social media platforms. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

Ed Peisner is an accidental advocate. In 2017, his teenage son Jordan was viciously assaulted in West Hills, CA. The attack was filmed and uploaded to social media by an friend of the attacker. Jordan was left with serious and life-long injuries and will never be the same child. Ed has since dedicated his life to the goal of ensuring that no other family has to endure such a terrible ordeal at the hands of social media-induced violence. Together we break down the reality of how social media is affecting our kids, and how we can protect them from harm. Ed is the National Education Director and Founder of The Organization for Social Media Safety. OFSMS is the first consumer protection organization exclusively focused on social media. They work to make social media safe for everyone.  Connect with Ed and his team at the Organization for Social Media Safety at this link. And be sure to check out their FREE online safety course for parents! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

This episode is dedicated to the life of Jordan DeMay, cut short way too soon.  Jordan was a victim of sextortion, an epidemic that we should all be ready to encounter.  This interview is a raw conversation with John DeMay, Jordan's dad. John takes us through what happened to Jordan and what parents need to look out for. If you have encountered a sextortion scheme, please be sure to report it to NCMEC. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids. (use code SCROLLING2DEATH for 10% off) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: TikTok sues the U.S. Government in response to new legislationA number of states pass laws to limit minor's use of social mediaPresident Biden passed the REPORT Act to fight sextortionFentanyl-laced pills are sweeping the nation (and being sold on social media)New social media recommendations from Ofcom  Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. Interviews mentioned during this episode: What Parents Need to Know About CSAM (with Cath Knibbs) Social Media: An Open Air Drug Market (with Bill Bodner) Drugs in a Snap (with Amy Neville) More Snapchat More Problems (with Sam Chapman) This week's Big Tech Gut Check is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

I thoroughly enjoyed this wide-spanning conversation with Jessica Elefante. We cover so many topics related to parenting in a digital world. This is one of my favorite conversations so far. Jessica Elefante is an artist, an author, a mother and co-chair for Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA).  Every mother (and parent) will relate to this very raw conversation where we dig into screen use, social media and all things parenting in a digital world. About Jessica Elefante She is the author of Raising Hell, Living Well: Freedom from Influence in a World Where Everyone Wants Something from You (Ballantine, 2023) which she coined a How-Come (not a How-To). Jessica’s writing works to open people’s eyes on the topics of technology, capitalism, influence, and motherhood and has appeared in The Guardian, Literary Hub, Huffington Post, Bustle, Simplify Magazine, the Dispatch, Whalebone Magazine and more. As the founder of acclaimed Folk Rebellion and a critic of today's culture, Elefante’s award-winning works shine a light on the untenability of our times and have been featured by Vogue, The Atlantic, Inc., Los Angeles Times, The Observer, Writer’s Digest, Vice, Paper Mag, Wired, and elsewhere. Her short documentary “What Day Is It?” was awarded semi-finalist of Flickers RIIFF and an Official Selection of Beverly Hills Film Festival and New York Shorts Film Festival, for its portrayal of a mother's perspective on the ever-shifting emotional and mental states of lockdown. In her previous life as a brand strategist, she was recognized on Brand Innovators “40 under 40” list for winning her clients industry recognition including Webby, Edison, and AdAge awards. Jess has proudly been a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and New York University sharing her expertise in entrepreneurship and branding. Currently she’s using her experience in tech and media as a co-chair for Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA). For her work as an artist and writer she’s honored to be a judge for the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She's influenced by the social, cultural, and technological circumstances of her life, but mostly, of her desire to lead a colorful one. Raised in upstate New York, she now lives in Brooklyn with her family. She is no longer bullshitting. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

Today's episode is about our kid's access to pornography. Kids are getting access to porn earlier and earlier. I wondered, how is the early access to today's boundary-pushing pornography affecting them? So I brought in Kristen A. Jenson of Defend Young Minds.  Kristen advises parents when and how to have the conversation about pornography with our kids. One thing I learned -- we cannot let the internet teach our kids about sex and porn. The risks are too great.  Website/Books: www.defendyoungminds.com/books  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefendYM/  Instagram: @defendyoungminds X (formerly Twitter): @defendYM Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/defend-young-minds  About Kristen A. Jenson:  Author of #1 best-selling Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids, Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds, and Good Pictures Bad Pictures Guidebook for Counseling Kids, executive producer of Brain Defense: Digital Safety curriculum, the founder of DefendYoungMinds.com, and owner and CEO of Glen Cove Press LLC. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: 🧐 New research from Pew Research Center on social media influence 💰 Issue One releases amount of $$ Big Tech spent lobbying against online safety 📱 NY Times Opinion: Are smartphones driving our teens to depression? ⚖️ Is Big Tech funding biased research studies? 👩‍⚖️ Updates on the TikTok law...will it be overturned? 🔐 A new solution for smartphone problems at school. Washington post article here. Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

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. Today's episode features the incredible Reagan Berry, a High School Principal in West Texas. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

This episode is all about Snapchat. It's a breakdown of the features that are harmful for minors (there are quite a few). I brought in Titania Jordan for this conversation, who is the Chief Marketing Officer of Bark Technologies. This episode actually took a crazy turn when I find out that Snapchat seems to have lied about turning off their controversial Solar System feature by default. Parents: If your child is on Snapchat or asking for Snapchat, please listen to this episode to ensure you're preparing them for what they may encounter on this harmful platform. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. You can get 10% off the entire life of your Bark App subscription! Just use code: SCROLLING2DEATH Check out the Bark Phone: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2deathbp Check out the Bark App: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2death_bark --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. The highlights for this week: 👨‍⚖️ President Biden signs TikTok bill into law ‼️ TikTok found to be serving suicide content to minors 👻 Pedophiles are targeting our kids on Snapchat in droves 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 Georgia passes a new social media law for minors under 16 💰 Instagram found to be profiting off of "nudify" apps Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scrolling2death/support