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: Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts co-sponsors Sammy's Law New York Governor Kathy Hochul pushes through major social media legislation Remote Amazon tribe connects to Musk's Starlink and immediately becomes hooked on social media and porn TikTok is testing Snapchat like Streaks - article here New Study finds that internet addiction alters brain chemistry in youth Snapchat's latest campaign "Less Likes. More Love." [gaslighting] 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.

Parents have it rough. There are no perfect options when it comes to our kids and tech. But there is hope! Today's conversation features Josh Golin of Fairplay, who is working to enhance children's wellbeing by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and Big Tech. We discuss the reality of parenting in today's digital world, from tech in schools to social media concerns to kids online safety legislation. As with all conversations on Scrolling 2 Death, I hope you walk away feeling inspired to advocate for positive change in the digital world and with confidence in the power of your voice. Make your voice heard! 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 Josh Golin Josh Golin is Executive Director of Fairplay, which works to enhance children's wellbeing by eliminating the exploitative and harmful business practices of marketers and big tech. Fairplay holds companies accountable for their harmful marketing and platform design choices, and advocates for policies that both protect children when they are online and help young people get the offline time they need to thrive. Under Josh's leadership, Fairplay filed the Federal Trade Commission complaint that led to the FTC's settlement with Google for COPPA violations on YouTube and led the international campaign that stopped Meta from releasing a version of Instagram for younger kids. Earlier this year, Fairplay, along with David's Legacy Foundation, launched ParentsSOS - an initiative of families who have lost their children to social media harms and advocate for the Kids Online Safety Act. Josh’s media appearances include Good Morning America, NPR, and Fox & Friends and he’s regularly quoted in major publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. He has testified twice before Congress and regularly speaks to parents, professionals, and policymakers about how to create a healthier media environment for children and teens. He lives in Vermont with his wife Jennifer, their 15-year-old daughter and their hound, Jolene.

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.