Parents have a voice in the fight for kids' online safety. In the words of Congresswoman Kat Cammack, "At the end of the day, the Big Tech companies don't vote for me; parents back home vote for me. I want to do everything I possibly can to protect them and their families." In this conversation, we uncover the risks that social media poses to our children and what parents can do about it. Specifically, we get deep into what's happening with TikTok. Representative Cammack explains TikTok's ties to the Chinese Communist Part and emphasizes the need to regain control over our personal data. Parents - Use your voices! Reach out to your Member of Congress: house.gov Reach out to your Senators: senate.gov Meet Representative Cammack: Congresswoman Kat Cammack proudly serves Florida’s Third Congressional District, which includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Suwannee, and Union Counties in North Central Florida. During her first term in 2021-2022, she served as the youngest Republican woman in the 117th Congress. Kat is a third-generation commercial sandblaster who grew up on a cattle ranch outside Denver, Colorado, participating in local 4-H programs, the local rodeo, and sports. When she was younger, she had hopes of continuing the family business, but shortly before graduating from college at Metro State University Denver, an Obama-era housing program forced her family to lose their small cattle ranch and home. As a result, Kat was motivated to fight back against the failures of big government and has since dedicated her life’s work to fight big government and advance individual freedoms. Continued here.

Matt Capelouto lost his daughter Alexandra to a fentanyl poisoning from a fake pill she purchased on Snapchat. The dangers of fentanyl are real and they are in the hands of children like yours. Through this vulnerable story, parents will learn about the fentanyl epidemic and how you can protect your children through preparation and open conversations. Learn about Matt's organization called Drug Induced Homicide. If you're interested in supporting Alexandra's Law and live in California: Sign up for California ballot measure updates here. Help Matt hold legislators accountable here.

Jennie DeSerio lost her 16-year-old son Mason to suicide after he was served countless TikTok videos glorifying suicide. In this vulnerable discussion, Jennie warns parents against social media harms and describes several federal bills which would help protect our children online. To make your voice heard, contact your representative in the House and also your Senators: 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

I was honored to welcome Senator Marsha Blackburn for an important conversation about the safety of our children online. Together, we address the dangers of social media for children and the fight against sextortion. Senator Blackburn emphasizes the need for online safety legislation, accountability for social media platforms, and the importance of parental support in passing much-needed bills like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Our legislators can't do it alone. They need to hear from parents like us. Parents' voices are what's going to make a difference in the fight for our childrens' safety online. Contact your representative (both the House and the Senate) and tell them to support KOSA!  As a reminder, you have 2 Senators and a member of the House of Representatives of your district. Here are instructions on how to contact your specific representatives: 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  About Senator Marsha Blackburn U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn was sworn in to the Senate in January 2019. Before her election to the Senate, Marsha represented Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Marsha’s public service is dedicated to promoting opportunities for women and making America a more prosperous place to live. Marsha’s leadership philosophy is based on her experiences in the private sector as a small business woman and author, as well as being a mother and grandmother. More about Senator Blackburn here. 

In this interview, I welcomed Julie Scelfo, the Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA). Parents will relate to our candid conversation about the state of today's media-addicted world, and walk away with motivation and a plan of action to better protect your kids online. About Julie Scelfo: Julie Scelfo is Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), a grassroots movement of parents fighting back against media addiction and creating a world in which real-life experiences and interactions remain at the heart of a healthy childhood. She is an award-winning journalist, a former New York Times staff writer, a media ecologist, and a parent. Scelfo was moved to start MAMA after reporting on the youth mental health crisis and seeing suicidality affect children at ever-younger ages, and recognizing how a multitude of factors—including screen addiction and absent regulations—has created an unhealthy, unsafe media environment. Scelfo’s stories on mental health have been leading the national conversation for decades, from her coverage of suicidality and social media on college campuses, to increasing suicidality among tweens. In addition to her MAMA advocacy, Scelfo is the author of The Women Who Made New York, (Seal Press/Hachette), an inclusive collection of biographies revealing how it was women—and not just men—who built one of the world’s greatest cities. She is a frequent public speaker who has made numerous appearances on television, radio and podcasts, and invites you to join her coalition at JoinMAMA.or

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: Updates on the TikTok Divest-or-Ban legislation China to start censoring "wealth-flaunting" on TikTok Billionaire Frank McCourt's bid to buy TikTok More school boards sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta Meta shareholders protest over child safety concerns Maryland passes Maryland Kids Code Latest mark-up of KOSA and APRA The rising sextortion epidemic (how you can protect your kids) 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

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 former Waldorf educator Brooke Natzke. Brooke answers common questions such as: What is the origin of the Waldorf education? How does the Waldorf approach compare/contrast to public schools? Montessori schools? What is the Waldorf approach to technology use in the classroom? Does restricting technology through schooling cause the child to be behind when they enter college or career life? How can we communicate with our public schools if we're not happy with tech use? Here's the link to Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) which was mentioned in the episode.

Many parents ask the question; How does social media use really affect our kids? This is the question that is answered today with special guest Kris Perry of the Children and Screens Institute. Together, we explore many topics related to kids and media use, with an emphasis on the importance of unbiased research and desperate need for online safety legislation. About Kris Perry: Kris Perry currently serves as Executive Director for Children and Screens Institute, having previously served as Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Deputy Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency where she led the development of the California Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the expansion of access to high-quality early childhood programs. She led systems change efforts at the local, state and national levels in her roles as executive director of First 5 San Mateo, First 5 California and of the First Five Years Fund. Through it all, Perry has fought to protect children, improve and expand early learning programs, and increase investments in low-income children. Perry was instrumental in returning marriage equality to California after the landmark 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Hollingsworth v. Perry, which she wrote about in her book Love on Trial.

This is a conversation that parents should bring their teens into. Ava Smithing is a Gen Z adovcate for kid's online safety who is dedicated to making social media safer. Ava shares her vulnerable story of struggling with an eating disorder that was encouraged by social media, and gives parents invaluable insights into life as a Gen Z'er. "I learned through social media that I shouldn't be eating, how not to eat and how to hide it from my family." This episode is jam-packed with advice for parents on how to approach social media in their own homes, including: Federal child safety and privacy bills How social media affects body image Status of TikTok and its influence on our youth Snapchat's "less social media, more Snapchat" gaslighting campaign Dangers of AI chatbots Digital wellness revolution Loads of social media tips for parents Ava Smithing is the Director of Advocacy at the Young People's Alliance, her first role upon graduating with honors from Stevens Institute of Technology in May 2023, Majoring in Business Management and the History and Philosophy of Technology, with a Public Policy Minor. Since her graduation Ava has been committed to progressing legislation to making social media safer at the state and federal level, through advocacy, community organizing and public engagements. She is an affiliate in All Tech is Human's inaugural affiliate cohort and an advisor on behalf of YPA for the Student Action Network for Equity. Ava recently testified at the congressional subcommittee hearing Legislative Solutions to Protect Kids Online and Ensure Americans’ Data Privacy Rights.

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: FBI warns parents on sextortion; more teens are targeted Meta and Google spend $1M to fight New York child safety bills Two major hearings this week to discuss online safety bills An update on the TikTok divest-or-ban legislation Important update for parents related to our kids' access to fentanyl 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 Resources mentioned during this episode: Podcast interview --> Sextortion: Is your kid next? (with John DeMay) Podcast interview --> Sextortion and American Teenagers (with Titania Jordan) Podcast interview --> Protecting our kids from sextortion (with Paul Raffile) Press release --> FBI Warns Parents About Sextortion Media Link --> ABC 7 News Coverage of Snapchat Rally Check back on Fridays for everything that parents need to know about the platforms our children are spending hours on every day.