Scrolling 2 Death

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: CCDH Releases Report Showing That Instagram is Failing Women (full report) What Happened When 8 Teenagers Went Without Smartphones for 1 Month (full story) New Study by JAMA Found That Tablet Use in Early Childhood Leads to Emotional Disregulation (study here) Research: Kids and Parents Suffering From Still Face Syndrome Due to Screen Use (study here) What is KOSA (and what is it not)? A Breakdown for Parents  Contact your Representative in the House: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. These days, parents have access to a safer smartphone for kids called the Bark Phone.  Check out the Bark Phone Check out the Bark Parental Monitoring App for iPhones and Androids (use code SCROLLING2DEATH for 10% off)

If your child has a phone, they could be accessing a deadly anonymous app. Apps like NGL and others are built for secrecy and drama. Our kids should stay far away. Today you'll learn all about the danger that anonymous apps pose to our kids through the devastating story of Carson Bride, a teenager who fell victim to vicious cyberbullying through an anonymous app connected to Snapchat. Carson's mom, Kristin Bride, highlight the deceptive tactics used by these apps and lack of moderation. We also introduce listeners to a piece of federal legislation that will finally get kids protected online; the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Please contact your representative in the house and ask them to co-sponsor KOSA. Visit house.gov and enter your ZIP code to find your rep. Here are the names of a few, currently active anonymous apps that you can look for on your child's phone: NGL, Tellonym YikYak Whisper Chaterpilar Or anything with "anonymous" in the name or description 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

In this conversation, I interview author, mom and entrepreneur Jenna Lee Dillon to discuss children's screen time; the benefits, the dangers and the importance of a proactive approach to screens. Jenna Lee authored an incredible book called Look Up! A Wild & Screen Freed Roadmap to Enjoying Travel with Kids. This book dives into Jenna Lee's experiences and lessons embarking on 65 flights at 51 roadtrips with her daughter, all screen free! So much to learn in this super relatable conversation between two moms who are trying to give our children an empowered and balanced childhood. About Jenna Lee Jenna Lee Dillon is a solo mama, 4x entrepreneur, Spartan racer, speaker, and author of Look Up! A Wild & Screen Freed Roadmap to Enjoying Travel with Kids. She founded the Screen Freed Revolution to help parents cultivate an indomitable mindset, experience profound joy, and navigate technology boundaries with purpose and peace. Jenna Lee lives with her daughter and their bossy Aussie dog. Connect with Jenna Lee on her website and Instagram. 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

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: Snapchat's Harmful "Snapchat+" Feature Reaches 11 Million Subscribers  TikTok To Remove Addictive Rewards Program from TikTok Lite in EU (more here) Frank McCourt and Project Liberty Creating "People's Bid" for TikTok (interview with Frank) TikTok Censors Content Served to Americans (more here) Google and Meta Run Secret Ad Campaign Targeting Kids (more here) Contact your Representative in the House: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative 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. These days, parents have access to a safer smartphone for kids called the Bark Phone. Check out the Bark Phone Check out the Bark Parental Monitoring App for iPhones and Androids (use code SCROLLING2DEATH for 10% off)

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 and how tech is affecting students' learning and teachers' jobs. Today's episode features a 4th - 6th grade teacher in Alaska named Jessica Moore. Jessica does an incredible job breaking down the latest research around kids and screens and gives so many takeaways for parents! 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

Annie McGrath shares the story of her son Griffin, who tragically passed away at 13 years old after participating in an online challenge. The choking challenge is one of many deadly challenges that social media companies continue to prioritize within their addictive, harmful algorithms. In this conversation, parents learn how to protect their children from online harms. This includes pushing our elected officials to pass important online safety legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). KOSA has passed in the Senate and needs passage in the House of Representatives. Visit house.gov to ask your rep to support KOSA! Please stick around to hear a beautiful and impactful poem that Griffin wrote just weeks before his death, at the end of the episode. 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

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: Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Passes 91-3 in the Senate (more here) NYC Cellphone Ban Begins February 2025 (more here) Ask Your School for a Stricter Phone Policy (template) Ask Your School for Less Time on Their School-Issued Device (template) Meta to Pay $1.4B Settlement with Texas in Privacy Lawsuit (more here) TikTok Censors Content Served to Americans (more here) TikTok Amplifies Neo-Nazi Content (more here) Ask your rep to pass KOSA: Visit house.gov and enter ZIP code at the top right to find your representative. 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. These days, parents have access to a safer smartphone for kids called the Bark Phone.  Check out the Bark Phone Check out the Bark Parental Monitoring App for iPhones and Androids (use code SCROLLING2DEATH for 10% off)

Today, Titania Jordan and I tackle the complicated topic of phone bans in school. We break down the pro(s?) and cons of allowing kids to have phones at school and why schools across the country are demanding phone bans. If you're a parent or work at a school, this episode is for you. 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

Walker was a hardworking and well-loved teenager who fell victim to a sextortion scheme that led to his tragic suicide. I spoke with Walker's dad, Brian, to learn about sextortion, how it's happening, who is being victimized and how parents can protect our children from this social media harm. My heart goes out to the Montgomery family for their loss of Walker. After this tragedy, Walker's family have advocated for protecting kids from sextortion and gotten two bills passed; Walker's Bill (Mississippi House Bill 1196) and the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act (Mississippi House Bill 2531). If you or your child has been faced with a sextortion attempt, please report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://report.cybertip.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 About Brian Montgomery Brian Montgomery is a Mississippi native and father of four who experienced the greatest heartache any parent could—the suicide of a child following a sextortion scam. Now he is using his pain as fuel to keep parents informed, to keep victims from losing hope, and to bring predators to justice. Montgomery is a Greenville native and now resides in Starkville. He attended Mississippi State University and has a Bachelor’s degree in Ag Pest Management and a Master’s degree in Forestry, emphasizing Remote Sensing. He is a co-founder of Alliance Ag Risk Management. Brian has been married to his wife Courtney for 25 years, and they have four children Caralyne,20; Walker,16; Bennett,14; and Sarah,13. His son Walker attended Starkville Academy, where he excelled in academics and football. Walker enjoyed running heavy machinery and working on the farm with his family. He had a tremendous work ethic. He had an innate and boundless appreciation and love for the outdoors, and he particularly loved bow-hunting with his father. Walker ended his own life in 2022 after falling victim to a sextortion scam. The event would turn the Montgomery’s life upside down and give Brian a new mission to use Walker’s life-and-death to shed light on the growing epidemic of sextortion.

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: Links Between TikTok Use and Teen Suicide Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Moves Forward in the Senate Meta Announces New Efforts to Fight Sextortion DEA Releases 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment Sinaloa Cartel Leader Arrested by U.S. Officials 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. These days, parents have access to a safer smartphone for kids called the Bark Phone. Check out the Bark Phone Check out the Bark App (10% off with promo code SCROLLING2DEATH)