Scrolling 2 Death

Neuroscientist and author Jared Cooney Horvath is back (check our first conversation here)—this time to tackle yourmost-asked questions about kids, learning, and technology. After a decade of research into tech-based education, his conclusion is stark and unapologetic: technology isn’t helping kids learn… it’s making them dumber.The pushback he hears most?“But won’t my child fall behind without tech?”According to the data: No.Drawing on ICMS measures of digital literacy across generations, Jared reveals a surprising pattern:‍Millennials outperform Gen Z,Gen Z outperforms Gen Alpha—despite Alpha growing up with devices (in their cribs), andGen X—our parents—perform just as well as Gen Z, even though many didn’t touch modern tech until their 30s or 40s.Jared also dives into the questions parents are asking right now:Should AI have a place in the classroom?Are short-form videos killing learning?Is there any truly educational content for toddlers?…and much more.Tune in as Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death and Jared share clear answers, data-backed insights, and a shocking look at what’s really happening to our kids’ brains. If you care about learning, focus, or your child’s future, this is an episode you cannot afford to skip.  And don’t forget to grab Jared’s new book, share this episode with your school and parent community, and join the movement to reclaim real learning.Get Jared's book here: The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning -- And How To Help Them Thrive

The Heat is On is an investigative series by Scrolling 2 Death, in partnership with Heat Initiative. Sarah Gardner, Founder and CEO of Heat Initiative, joins Nicki (S2D) to expose the truth Big Tech doesn’t want you to hear – and this episode is about Meta.Meta’s roots reveal a troubling origin story—from Facemash, where students were rated based on their appearance, to becoming one of the most powerful (and dangerous) tech companies in the world, with over 3.3 billion daily users. Behind the sleek apps and promise for connection lies a history of harmful design choices that target young users—fueling anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and even suicide.In this episode, you’ll hear from former Meta executives and whistleblowers, cybercrime experts, and child-safety researchers who prove that the company knew how harmful its platforms were to kids—and did almost nothing to stop it.Today, over 40 U.S. states, thousands of school districts, and countless families have taken legal action. And yet, Meta continues to push untested, potentially dangerous features—like their new AI chatbot—on teens without parental consent. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, weighs in to warn how these harms are reaching an industrial scale and legal action alone is not enough. We all need to work together to hold Big Tech accountable. It’s time to turn up the heat: Join our email list. Share this episode. Keep your kids off Meta platforms.Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or simply someone who cares about the well-being of kids, this episode will give you the facts, the tools, and the fire to demand change.‍Hosts: Nicki Petrossi – Host of Scrolling 2 Death Sarah Gardner – Founder & CEO of Heat InitiativeExpert Guests: Kelly Stonelake - Former Meta executive and whistleblowerArturo Bejar - Former Meta executive and whistleblowerPaul Raffile - Cyber analyst and sextortion expertJonathan Haidt - Author of The Anxious Generation‍Resources mentioned in the episode:Instagram Teens research by Parents TogetherNY Times: The Men Who Use Instagram to Groom Child Influencers by Michael KellerExpert editing provided by Jacob Meade.

Parents everywhere are wrestling with the same impossible question: How do you protect your kids from online harm without raising them in a bubble?In this episode, Nicki is joined by Titania Jordan, CMO of Bark Technologies, to take on one of the most common—and most misunderstood—parenting mindsets: “We supervise. We talk about safety. We don’t want our kids to be naïve… so we let them use these platforms.”We read real parent comments about giving kids access to Roblox, YouTube, phones, and social media despite knowing the risks. Together, we break down what this approach gets right—and where it unintentionally opens the door to serious online dangers.This episode is for every parent trying to thread the needle between keeping kids safe and letting them live in the world.You are not powerless. You don’t have to choose between protection and exposure—you can do both, intentionally.The goal isn’t perfection.The goal is raising kids who can navigate the digital world—not be consumed by it.Mentioned in the Episode: Bark's Connected Communities ProgramBark Drive-A-Logue CardsJoin parents taking action at https://www.scrolling2death.com/heat‍This 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% OFF‍Learn about the Bark Watch.

On this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, host Nicki Petrossi is joined by Clare Morell, author of The Tech Exit and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.  Together, they tackle one of the biggest questions parents face today: Do kids really need smartphones and social media to thrive?Clare reveals why the conventional wisdom—just add parental controls or screen-time limits—is a lie parents have been sold. She introduces The Tech Exit, a bold but practical roadmap for families who want freedom from addictive digital technology. Drawing from expert research, stories of families who’ve gone tech-free, and her own policy work, Clare paints a hopeful picture: children can grow up happier, healthier, and more connected without smartphones in their pockets.This is a must-listen for any parent searching for a way out of the digital trap.Get your copy of The Tech Exit.

The Heat is On is a new investigative series by Scrolling 2 Death, in partnership with The Heat Initiative. Sarah Gardner, Founder and CEO of The Heat Initiative, joins Nicki (S2D) to expose the truth Big Tech doesn’t want you to hear – and our next episode is all about Snapchat.In Part 1, we revealed how Snapchat built its empire by marketing a sexting app to kids, fueling addiction, exploitation, and harm.Today, in Part 2, we uncover what happens inside Snapchat when employees raise the alarm. The truth: executives routinely dismiss internal warnings and ignore grieving parents. The company hides behind ineffective parental controls that almost no one uses: fewer than 1% of parents activate them. And it’s not because employees didn’t try. Internal emails show trust and safety staff had “little contact with upper management” and faced pushback whenever they proposed in-app safety features because CEO Evan Spiegel “prioritized design.According to Snap’s own internal documents, proactively identifying and protecting minors from sexual content or predators would “overburden moderators,” “create disproportionate admin costs,” and should not be Snap’s responsibility.Snapchat isn’t just failing to prevent harm; it resists cooperation even after tragedies occur. In this episode, you’ll hear how the company obstructs law enforcement and leaves devastated families without support.This episode isn’t just about what Snapchat has done—it's about what they refuse to do, and what it will take to force change. Lawsuits and legislation matter, but real progress requires collective action and public pressure.Here are three simple steps parents can take to demand child protections from Snapchat:1.     Join our email list for real-time actions you can take.2.     Set a family rule: no Snapchat for minors—and don’t use it yourself. So basically, no Snapchat ever.3.     Share what you learned with one friend or family member.This episode was expertly edited by Jacob Meade.Thank you to our incredible guests:Laura Marquez-Garrett - Attorney, Social Media Victims Law Center Amy Neville - Parent survivor, founder of Alexander Neville FoundatonJonathan Haidt - Author of The Anxious Generation Paul Raffile - Sextortion expert (featured in Part 1)Aaron Ping - Survivor parent and host of the Superhuman podcastJim & Kate Sullivan - Survivor parent Anna McAdams - Affected parentPaul Solotaroff of Rolling Stone Sarah Gallagher Trombley, ex-Snapchat executive and founder of Digital Mom Media

Ava Smithing, Advocacy Director at the Young People’s Alliance, returns to Scrolling 2 Death to share an exciting new project. If you missed her previous episodes, Ava is a leading youth voice for nonpartisan policy solutions for safer technology development. Growing up in the early days of social media, she experienced firsthand how harmful algorithms can shape young users’ lives - even contributing to her own struggle with an eating disorder. Now, she’s turned that experience into a mission to raise awareness and drive change.In this episode, Ava dives into two key concerns:The dangers of engagement algorithms and the harmful content they amplify.The erosion of privacy, as tech companies quietly collect and share user data across apps and sites to influence what we see and buy online.To elevate youth perspectives, Ava has launched a new podcast, Left to Their Own Devices, which explores the real stories of young people navigating life online. But the show doesn’t just highlight the harms; it imagines what a healthier, more ethical digital world could look like.Tune in as Nicki from Scrolling 2 Death and Ava discuss why young people shouldn’t just be consulted about technology’s future -  they should be guiding us all

The Heat is On is an investigative series by Scrolling 2 Death, in partnership with Heat Initiative. Sarah Gardner, Founder and CEO of Heat Initiative, joins Nicki (S2D) to expose the truth Big Tech doesn’t want you to hear – and this episode is all about Snapchat.From a disappearing-nude app in 2011 to a social media giant in 2025, Snapchat’s story is one of innovation, imitation, and controversy. When it comes to digital harms and kids, Snapchat ranks among the worst—which is why this story expands two parts. In Part 1, we’re exposing how Snapchat’s “innovations” have put profits ahead of our children’s safety. Snapchat’s culture was flawed from the start. The FTC sanctioned the company early on for misleading users about how ‘private’ disappearing snaps really were. Since then, features like Discover and AR filters have been designed to keep kids endlessly engaged, regardless of the consequences.Today, nearly half of all U.S. teens use Snapchat. Yet the platform continues to enable drug poisonings, connect minors with predators, and drive addictive use. As psychologist Jonathan Haidt warns, Snapchat is harming children on an industrial scale - and insiders admit the company knows but fails to act.Online drug dealing, especially fentanyl-laced pills, has fueled a 350% rise in teen deaths over the past three years. Snapchat’s Quick Add feature helps dealers find young users, exposing an estimated 700,000 people to drug content daily. Even when dealers are reported, only one in four accounts is removed.Sextortion is another growing crisis. Snapchat receives about 10,000 reports each month— numbers employees say barely scratch the surface. Predators exploit the app’s disappearing messages, and with Snap Map, digital threats increasingly turn into real-world harm.Rather than designing for safety, Snapchat keeps doubling down on engagement. Features like Snapstreaks drive compulsive use; 45% of teens now use the app “almost constantly.” Your child’s attention keeps them profitable.In this episode, Sarah and Nicki hear from parents and experts who’ve seen the damage firsthand. Their message is clear: these aren’t accidents - they’re design choices. The question is...can Snapchat fix this? Or is Snap a lost cause?Video Editing expertly provided by Jacob Meade.Thank you to our featured guests:Laura Marquez-Garrett - Attorney, Social Media Victims Law CenterAmy Neville - Parent survivor, founder of Alexander Neville Foundation‍Jonathan Haidt - Author of The Anxious GenerationPaul Raffile - Cyber-analyst and worldwide sextortion expertAaron Ping - Survivor parent of Avery Ping and host of the Superhuman podcastJim & Kate Sullivan - Survivor parent of Jack SullivanAnna McAdams - Online safety advocate and mom of EllistonPaul Solotaroff - Senior Writer at Rolling StoneMike Neff - Attorney, Neff Injury LawSarah Gallagher Trombley - former Snapchat Exec and Founder of Digital Mom Media

This episode discusses youth suicide and social media harm; listener discretion is advised.London was bright, goofy, empathetic, brilliant. She played soccer year-round, read nonstop, danced through the kitchen, and filled her Michigan home with laughter. But during the pandemic, when she was just eight, a smartphone and social media entered her life. What followed was a years-long battle with algorithmic addiction that Charay—like millions of parents—never saw coming.In this raw and devastating interview, London’s mom Charay Gadd shares the truth no parent should ever have to live through: TikTok pushing self-harm and suicide content when London searched for harmless topics… Snapchat teaching her to hide messages… multiple secret accounts… emotional manipulation from streaks and scores… and a child who didn’t understand the permanence of death because of what she saw online.Charay takes us through London’s hospitalizations, the cries for help, and the night everything changed. Her message is one every parent must hear: This wasn’t London. This was addiction. This was social media.Today, Charay fights for justice—alongside more than 1,000 families in the national lawsuit against Big Tech—and honors London’s life through a scholarship that empowers teens to make a difference in the world.This episode is not entertainment.It’s a warning.And it will save lives.You can donate to a scholarship program in London's name, here.

Have AI companies lost control of their bots — or are the bots designed to harm?In this episode, Sarah Gardner and Nicki Petrossi dive deep into the disturbing rise of AI chatbots gone rogue — and the tragic human cost. From teens who formed emotional bonds with bots that later encouraged suicide, to lawsuits against OpenAI, Character.AI, and others, we expose how Big Tech’s newest frontier of “AI companions” is already devastating families.You’ll hear how chatbots like Character.AI, ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Snap’s MyAI blurred the lines between fiction and reality, leading kids to isolation, self-harm, and even death. Former tech insiders, grieving parents, and attorneys share evidence that these bots aren’t just broken — they’re built this way.We ask the urgent questions:🔥 Are AI companies creating the perfect predator?🔥 Can this be fixed before more kids are harmed?🔥 What can parents do right now to protect their children?This is everything a parent needs to know about chatbots (and more). The Heat is On is more than a podcast; it's a movement of parents fighting for our children. Be sure to sign up here to join us.Opportunity to Act: Sign this open letter to Congress asking for specific regulation of AI companions for kidsResources mentioned in the episode: Interview with Character.AI founder Noam ShazeerNearly 1/3 of Americans have had a ‘romantic relationship’ with an AI botNY Times: Inside 3 Long-Term Relationships with AI Chatbots1 in 5 high schoolers say they or someone they know has had a romantic relationship with AIReport from Heat Initiative and Parents Together on harmful Character.AI interactions‍JAMA Study: Exploring the behaviors of chatbots in response to adolescent health emergencies‍"An AI chatbot killed my son." with Megan Garcia, mom of Sewell Setzer‍If you or a family member has been harmed, reach out to Social Media Victims Law Center‍Open letter to Congress asking for specific regulation of AI companions for kids‍Additional resources at: www.scrolling2death.com/post/the-heat-is-on-ai-chatbots

What happens when a tech-savvy parent — someone who’s been sounding the alarm about online dangers for years — realizes she could have made safer choices for her child?In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Nicki Petrossi sits down with Titania Jordan, Chief Marketing Officer at Bark Technologies & author of the new book Parental Control— but more importantly, mom to a teenage son — for a raw conversation about regret, resilience, and redefining what it means to protect our kids in the digital age.Titania opens up about the choices she’d make differently if she could go back: the early video games that seemed harmless, the slow creep of screens becoming the default, and the moment she realized tech had gained more influence in her home than she ever intended. Together, Nicki and Titania unpack the emotional burden parents carry — the shame, the confusion, and the fear that you’re “too late.”But this isn’t just a cautionary tale. It’s a roadmap and a rallying cry.You’ll learn:• The hidden ways tech rewires childhood — and family dynamics• The warning signs parents often miss when screens start taking over• How AI and chatbots complicate modern parenting in ways we’re only beginning to understand• Practical boundary-setting strategies for kids and teens• Why tech companies must be held legally accountable — and why parents should not shoulder the blame aloneThrough honest reflections and hard-earned wisdom, Titania reminds every parent: it's never too late to course-correct. And it's definitely not your fault that billion-dollar companies engineered these tools to be addictive — but it is our collective responsibility to fight back, reshape the narrative, and protect the next generation.Whether your child is still preschool-age or already a teen with a phone, this episode will leave you more informed, more empowered, and ready to parent with conviction in a world designed to overwhelm you.Press play to hear a mother’s wake-up call — and find hope, strategy, and solidarity in the struggle we’re all facing.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% OFF‍Learn about the Bark Watch.