Big Tech's Lobbying Power

Journalist and founder of MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction), Julie Scelfo, joins the Chuck ToddCast for a wide-ranging conversation on one of the most urgent issues facing American families: the collapse of trust in media, the rise of unregulated tech, and its profound impact on children’s mental health. Scelfo explains how the explosion of social media and smartphones—coupled with virtually nonexistent regulation—has left kids exposed to harmful algorithms, addictive design, and misinformation at formative ages. With both the left and right now pushing to get smartphones out of classrooms, she argues that we’re long past due for meaningful guardrails, especially as Big Tech’s lobbying power grows and federal leaders threaten to block states from regulating AI. Chuck and Julie compare today’s fight with Big Tech to the battle against Big Tobacco, explore why recommendation systems effectively make platforms publishers, and discuss the growing bipartisan appetite for banning iPads in schools and returning to books.

They also dig into MAMA’s mission to protect children in a digital world—emphasizing that kids under two should not be exposed to screens, that early childhood development depends on real-world interaction, and that “tech nannies” have emerged because childcare is unaffordable. Scelfo calls for mandatory data transparency from tech companies, stronger child-safety legislation in the states, and a culture shift that prioritizes healthy offline development over the race to dominate AI. With future jobs uncertain and social skills declining, she argues that society must resist sacrificing sensible regulation in the name of innovation—and recognize that too much time online isn’t just unhealthy, it’s shaping a generation.

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Timeline: 

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Julie Scelfo joins the Chuck ToddCast

03:00 Erosion of trust in media & news is a massive problem

04:00 Mental health decline in youth correlated with rise of social media

05:00 Both left & right want get get smartphones out of classrooms

05:45 Lack of social media regulation leaves kids vulnerable 

07:00 Regulation is difficult when big tech has unlimited money to lobby

09:00 Threats from Congress & Trump to prevent states from regulating AI

10:30 Executive order from Trump may be last gasp to avoid AI regulation

12:30 AI has been positive for shareholders & owners, not for the public

13:45 What lessons can be learned from the fight against big tobacco?

16:15 Recommendation algorithms turn platforms into publishers

17:45 Advertiser supported speech is different than first amendment speech

18:30 Broadcast networks are liable for misleading ads, social platforms aren’t 

20:00 Momentum building to ban ipads in schools and make kids use books

21:30 MAMA’s mission and goals

23:00 Children under 2 shouldn’t be exposed to screens for entertainment

25:30 Kids know how to find information, but must be taught to filter it

26:30 Most educational building blocks are built during early childhood

27:15 We can’t sacrifice sensible regulation in order to win AI race

28:30 Tech leaders all have very inept and awkward social skills

31:00 Tech must be required to release data for researchers to study

32:30 How to prepare kids for future jobs that may be replaced by AI?

34:00 Real life interactions are critical for a healthy childhood

35:45 We will always need trades, skilled labor and care workers

37:30 What are some near-term activities MAMA is working on?

40:00 States are introducing quality child safety legislation on tech

40:30 There is bipartisan support in congress for regulation

42:00 There hasn’t been one study worldwide on tech at a young age

43:30 We have “tech nannies” because childcare is so expensive

46:00 Too much time online is incredibly unhealthy

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