In this episode I welcome Karl Stillner (co-founder and CEO of BrightCanary) for a discussion about device monitoring. These days, parents need to have an understanding of what's going on in their children's digital lives, but is there a point where we breach their privacy? This chat makes it clear that social media companies and the U.S. government do not have our kids backs online. It is up to us parents to keep them safe, and that requires a level of monitoring plus open conversations with our kids. Karl and I get into detail on the best approach for parents in this raw conversation. About Karl Stillner Karl is the father of two boys, aged 12 and 9. He co-founded BrightCanary, a service that helps parents engage and prepare kids for digital lives, in 2022. Prior to starting BrightCanary, was a VP at T-Mobile USA, where he led M&A and operations for T-Mobile Advertising. T-Mobile Advertising, currently over $500m in annual revenue, was formed when a company Karl co-founded, PushSpring, was acquired by T-Mobile in 2019. Karl has had numerous other technology-related roles, including a board seat with Decisive Farming, a leader in the AgTech space, that was sold in Telus in 2019 and driving the business strategy and sale of Mobiata, which created FlightTrack a mobile app for travel, to Expedia. Prior to working in technology, Karl was a management consultant with Deloitte Consulting. Karl has a BA in Economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. ❗️New Research Study Shows Effects of Handing Kids Devices ❗️ Dangerous App Called NGL Barred from Minor Usage ❗️ Middle School Students Attack Teachers on TikTok ❗️ Virginia Governor Orders School Phone Bans Starting 2025 ❗️ Senator Rand Paul Blocks Vital Kids Online Safety Bill: Call Senator Paul and ask him to stop blocking KOSA! (202) 224-4343 Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. 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

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 educator named Matt Brady. Here is Matt's substack: Teacher Teacher Matt Miles and Joe Clement are two incredible teachers mentioned in today's episode. Here's a link to my interview with Matt and Joe. 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

DISCLAIMER: This episode includes details related to sexual assault of a minor. Please listen with caution. Deb Schmill shares the story of her daughter, Becca, who experienced a severe trauma at just 15 years old which led to addiction and her death by fentanyl poisoning in 2020. Smartphones and social media are facilitating access to drugs and harmful content that is deadly to many teens. My conversation with Deb emphasizes the need for parents to have open conversations with their children, be aware of their online activities and to create boundaries around device usage. We also discuss the need for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a federal bill that will save childrens' lives. Contact your Senators and Representatives in the House; ask them to pass KOSA now before we lose more children to online harms! Deb and her family founded the Becca Schmill Foundation and work to fund research, hosting community programs, and advocating for policies to protect children. https://beccaschmillfdn.org 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

Today I'm joined by attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett to review the latest series of events in the world of Snapchat. Snap rolled out new "safety features," but will these features really protect children from being contacted by strangers on Snapchat? The short answer is no, but there is much more harm lurking within Snapchat than meets the eye. Join Laura and I as we take parents through the app that has fooled us all; an addictive torture den that masquerades itself as a "whimsical candy castle" for kids. In summary, Snapchat will never, ever prioritize our child's safety over profits. They must be forced to through lawsuits and legislation. Here's how you can help... Contact your state Senators and member in the House of Representatives and ask them to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This single bill will save countless lives. Read the latest Rolling Stone article about how Snapchat is Fueling a Teen Opioid Crisis. Find out about the work at the Social Media Victims Law Center.

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: 32-year-old Man Targets Minors on Snapchat (detail here) Important Updates from Aspen Ideas Panel (Teens and Screens Panel) Senator Schumer Faces Heat as Landmark Bill to Protect Kids Online Stalls (NY Post article) Threads Reaches 175M Users; A Review of the Danger of Threads  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 Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day. This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2death_bark  *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Check out the Bark Phone: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2deathbp

Therapist Andrea Brambila (of mega-popular @brambila_bits) joins me today for an honest conversation about kids and screens. As moms who both raised babies during COVID, we compare notes on the highs and lows of our efforts to maintain low-tech households. Andrea is an experienced mental health therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health and developmental psychology. She encourages parents to reduce the overwhelm and overstimulation through independent play and low-screen living. Personally, I walked away from this conversation feeling seen! Parents have it tough in this digital age and I find it so helpful to have an honest and relatable conversation with a fellow mom. Hopefully you can relate! Connect with Andrea here: https://www.instagram.com/brambila_bits/ This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2death_bark *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Check out the Bark Phone: https://info.bark.us/scrolling2deathbp

If you have questions or concern about your childrens' screen time, this is the episode for you. I'm joined by pediatrician and clinical researcher Dr. John Hutton, and we dive into health concerns regarding digital media use in children, impacts on caregiver-child connection, brain development and alternatives to digital media. Dr. Hutton is an Associate Professor, Division of General & Community Pediatrics at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Attending Physician, Children’s Health, Dallas. Dr. Hutton is also an author of over 40 children's books. I especially loved the Baby Unplugged series which you can browse here. Dr. Hutton's published research 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

This podcast covers Snapchat's safety updates, warns about a new risky app OmeTV, discusses pushback on social media warning labels, Meta's fail on child safety, and TikTok's defense against foreign adversary claims. It also delves into the negative effects of social media on kids' mental health and legal battles in Big Tech.

Titania Jordan, Co-founder of Bark Technologies, discusses screen time struggles with a focus on children's technology usage. They dive into the impacts of excessive screen time on kids' health and behavior, offer advice for parents, and explore solutions like the Bark App and Bark Phone for managing technology usage.