Join Dr. Susan Linn, a renowned psychologist who specializes in protecting children from commercial exploitation, as she reveals how Big Tech is encroaching on parenting. She discusses the dangers of algorithmic toys and screen-based learning, emphasizing how these tools stifle creativity and genuine connection. Dr. Linn critiques corporate marketing tactics that create dependency, urging parents to reclaim playtime and foster imagination in their children. This insightful conversation is a wake-up call for anyone navigating parenting in a tech-saturated world.
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insights INSIGHT
Algorithmic Toys Limit Creativity
Algorithmic toys and social robots are designed to profit from hooking children rather than supporting their development.
Unlike imaginary friends created by children, these toys limit creativity by doing all the interacting for the child.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Avoid Screen Toys Early
Understand that children learn best through curiosity, initiative, and sustained effort, not passive screen interaction.
Avoid screen-based toys early as they interfere with executive function and self-regulation development.
insights INSIGHT
Human Connection Over Machines
Children fundamentally need loving human relationships to thrive, not machines.
Babies cannot learn language from screens; they require live human interaction for healthy development.
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In 'The Case for Make-Believe,' Susan Linn champions the importance of imaginative play for children's healthy development. The book explores how commercialization and screen-based entertainment have eroded opportunities for creative play. Linn argues that make-believe fosters essential cognitive, emotional, and social skills. She provides practical advice for parents and educators on how to encourage and protect children's play. The book emphasizes the need to resist the pressures of consumer culture and prioritize experiences that nurture children's innate creativity and imagination.
Consuming Kids
Susan Linn
Susan Linn's 'Consuming Kids' investigates the impact of marketing on children's development and well-being. The book argues that the pervasive advertising targeting young audiences leads to increased materialism, unhealthy lifestyles, and psychological distress. Linn examines the strategies used by marketers to influence children, highlighting the ethical concerns and potential long-term consequences. She also explores the role of parents, educators, and policymakers in protecting children from the negative effects of commercialism. The book aims to raise awareness and encourage critical thinking about the impact of consumer culture on children.
Who's Raising the Kids?
Who's Raising the Kids?
Susan Lynn
In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Dr. Susan Linn returns to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast to expose how Big Tech and big business are working to replace—not support—parents. From algorithmic toys and social robots to persuasive “educational” marketing, today’s most powerful industries are selling convenience at the cost of creativity, relationships, and childhood itself.
Dr. Linn, a renowned psychologist, author, and pioneer in protecting children from commercial exploitation, unpacks how screens and toys that “do too much” rob kids of the very experiences they need to thrive—free play, boredom, human connection, and imagination. She explains how even well-meaning parents are being manipulated by corporate messaging designed to wear them down and wear them out. If you've ever felt like you're swimming upstream as a parent in a tech-saturated world, this episode is your life raft. Your presence matters more than any device ever could.
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 
