Scrolling 2 Death

We once rejoiced at the technology advancements for our children—cell phones offered a sense of security (mostly for us), tablets provided endless learning resources, and social media promised enhanced connections with peers, all at little or no cost. But the actual cost has been steep: a surge in harmful content, bad actors, and a growing mental health crisis. Behind it all, tech giants built addictive, amoral algorithms to trap kids in a cycle of engagement  - all in the name of data collection (aka profit). Now, schools are paying the price. Social media-related disruptions are driving up costs and straining resources. In this episode, attorney Joel Wright and Nicki from Scrolling 2 Death discuss how Wright is helping over 250 school districts hold social media companies accountable for the damage they've caused in our children's classrooms.  Do you want to see your district represented in this case? Contact Joel Wright to learn more: joel@wrightlawgroupllc.com  

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech. Support Victims of the California Fires Support Resources for Victims Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week: TikTok Harms Children at an Industrial Scale Supreme Court Will Hear TikTok Ban: What to Expect Peer-Reviewed Study: TikTok Brainwashes American Youth Meta's Update on "Fact Checking" AP News; Meta Eliminates Fact-Checking in Latest Bow to Trump 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 Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids. *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch.

I brought in Titania Jordan to compare our 2025 Tech Resolutions. This time, we took the focus off of the kids and talked about our own relationships with technology. How can we improve tech-life balance and set a positive example for our kids? Resources mentioned in the episode: Apple Fails to Protect Children (with Sarah Gardner) Apple's App Store Age-Ratings are "Fake" (not to be trusted) 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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch 

In this conversation, 21-year-old Harrison Haynes opens our eyes to a new way of living with tech; something he coins "digital essentialism."  Parents worry so much about keeping our kids safe online...is it time we take a look at our own relationships with technology? Connect with Harrison on LinkedIn. Resources mentioned in the episode: "I survived grooming." (with Harrison Haynes) Dear Parents, From Gen Z (with Ava Smithing) Tracking vs. Trust: Striking a Balance (with Ava Smithing) Grooming Explained (with Anna Sonoda) What happened to our attention spans? (with Dr. Gloria Mark) Harrison Haynes, a student at James Madison University, is currently finishing his bachelor degree in Social Work with a concentration on Mental Health Counseling and a minor in global religion and cultures.  Harrison is aiming to continue his education, completing a Master's Program, and pursuing his ambition to become a Therapist through Clinical Social Work.  Beyond academics, Harrison is actively involved in the Wired Human Youth Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting discussions on online harms and mental health with a focus on empowering young voices to lead the conversation in political advocacy. Harrison also serves as a Survivor Consultant for the End-OSEAC Survivors Council, where he helps develop trauma-informed and survivor-led legislation to combat online exploitation and digital harms.  His work and lived experiences have created an appreciation for formative practices, especially what he calls “digital intentionalism.” After a year and a half of navigating life with a "dumb phone," he developed this concept for everyday people to help create space for what truly matters in a book he is authoring called: “The Moments Between Moments”. In his free time, Harrison leads a vibrant and diverse “life group” dedicated to helping students and friends find peace in an intentional, spiritual life.  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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch 

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: U.S. Judge Upholds California Ban on Addictive Feeds for Minors Florida Social Media Ban on Hold Due To Lawsuit TikTok Internal Reports Show Massive Amount of Harm TikTok 'Divest or Ban' case to be decided Morton woman faces charges after CSAM linked to her Snapchat account Snapchat Predator Facing Charges Involving 15-year-old Girl Meta Adds Thousands of AI Users to Facebook and Instagram Recommended Interviews: Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban (with Dany Elachi) "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) "Chatbots told my son to kill me." Are A.I. chatbots out of control (with Tim Estes) A.I.'s Impact on Children (with Dr. Mathilde Cerioli) 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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch.

I brought in Dr. Alison Yeung to recap 2024 and set intentions for 2025 around kid's online safety.

Sean Killingsworth brings the youth perspective on what it's like to be a teenager with access to smartphones and social media. After struggling as a young teen with his use of smartphones and social media, Sean decided to switch things up. He started using a flip phone. After the initial weaning of period, Sean felt incredible. He was more present and happier. But problems remained, as all of his peers were still unable to lift their eyes from their phones. This led to the creation of The Reconnect Movement. More about Sean: Seán is the founder of the Reconnect Movement, which creates in person communities on college campuses for students to socialize without their phones. Students love it. Reconnect currently has over 500 students signed up for student-led reconnect clubs at the University of Florida and University of Central Florida. Reconnect has hosted events at Harvard, Rollins College, Catholic University of America, Divergent U with plans to expand nationally in the next 2 years. In addition to his advocacy work with The Anxious Generation, Design it for us, and the Becca Schill foundation, Seán also speaks at conferences, events, and colleges. Most recently, he gave a guest lecture at Georgetown University. He is launching his podcast Be the Oasis in January 2025. His book by the same name will be published in spring 2026. You can reach out to Sean at: sean@reconnectmovement.com

The stories about A.I. chatbots abusing children has been keeping me up at night. How could this be happening? I brought in Tim Estes of Angel Kids AI to educate parents on all things AI and guide us on how to protect our children from this online threat. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Join the waitlist for Angel Kids AI [INTERVIEW] "AI chatbots told my son to kill me." [INTERVIEW] "An AI chatbot killed my son."

I brought in Dany Elachi of the Australian-based Heads Up Alliance to learn about the recent U16 Age Gate Bill which passed in Australia. In addition to breaking down the new law, Dany shares his personal experience in (admittedly) giving his pre-teen daughter a phone too early and how correcting this mistake led to an advocacy movement across Australia. Dany breaks down the legislative battle in getting this new law passed, how the age verification will work, which platforms this applies to and much more.  Resources Mentioned in the Episode Scott Galloway Explains Why Age Gating Social Media Is Both Necessary and Doable Australia Passes Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16 Dany Elachi is a Sydney husband and father of five children, aged between 7 and 15. He is also the founder of the Heads Up Alliance, a volunteer-run, grassroots movement of Australian parents committed to delaying smartphones and social media for their children. Since its inception in 2020, the Heads Up Alliance has also been a powerful advocate for children's wellbeing. The movement has successfully advocated for policy changes that led to smartphones banned in nearly 1,000 Australian schools. More recently, the Heads Up Alliance played a pivotal role in lobbying for a world-leading national law raising the minimum age for social media to 16. The Heads Up Alliance remains committed to ending the phone-based childhood and reclaiming the play-based one for all Australian children.

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: Speaker Mike Johnson Appears on Fox to Discuss KOSA Opinion: Donal Trump Must Not Block TikTok Ban TikTok Ban Goes to Supreme Court Pew Research: Teens and Social Media Use CCDH Report: YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm [INTERVIEW] Apple Fails to Protect Children; Facing $1.2B Lawsuit 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 Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids. *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch.

In this conversation, I brought in Sarah Gardner of Heat Initiative to discuss a landmark lawsuit against Apple regarding its negligence in protecting children from child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Together we break down the lawsuit and what these failures mean for families. Are Apple devices even safe for kids, in their current form? Many questions are asked and answered in this episode. The lawsuit against Apple was filed on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse for knowingly allowing the storage of images and videos documenting their abuse on iCloud and the company’s defectively designed products. The lawsuit alleges that Apple has known about this content for years, but has refused to act to detect or remove it, despite developing advanced technology to do so. The images and videos of the plaintiffs’ childhood sexual abuse, which have been stored thousands of times, would have been identified and removed had Apple implemented its 2021 “CSAM Detection” technology. However, Apple terminated the program after its announcement. Other leading technology providers have been proactively detecting and reporting illegal child sex abuse images and videos for more than a decade. Apple’s belated efforts, and subsequent cancellation, leave it among the very few major platforms that do not engage in proactive detection and removal. Resources: heatinitiative.org Send an email to Apple execs to ask them to protect kids (click Take Action) About Sarah Gardner Sarah Gardner is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Heat Initiative. Prior to launching Heat’s campaign to hold Apple accountable, Sarah spent 10 years at Thorn, an organization that builds technology to combat online child sexual abuse, where she was integral to its growth from a small, start-up effort to a multi-million dollar nonprofit. As Vice President of External Affairs, she helped develop a plan to eliminate child sexual abuse material from the internet which spurred a $63M investment in the organization through the TED Audacious Prize. Sarah also worked at Free the Slaves, an organization empowering local organizations to end modern forms of slavery. 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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch 

This is the conversation to get parents up to speed on fentanyl. No one is safe from this threat and this information can be life-saving to your family. I brought in Special Agent Frank Tarentino to discuss the opioid crisis, focusing on the rise of fentanyl and its devastating impact on families. He emphasizes the importance of education for parents and the role of social media in drug distribution.  Resources Mentioned in the Episode Other Scrolling 2 Death Episodes Related to Fentanyl One Pill Can Kill Resources Warning About Illegal Online Pharmacies Operation Prevention About Frank A. Tarentino III Mr. Frank A. Tarentino III is the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division covering the State of New York. Mr. Tarentino is a twenty-six year veteran of the DEA having served diverse assignments to include foreign operations, multi-agency international investigations and local impact initiatives in domestic offices. 

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: Lawsuit filed against Google & Character.AI over abusive bots [The Interview] "Chatbots told my son to kill me." [Report] YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm [The Interview] An inside look into the new YouTube Report TikTok asks court to put divest-or-ban law on hold amid Supreme Court appeal TikTok Pays Users to Shop if They Boost App Downloads [The Interview] Project Liberty and Frank McCourts Bid to Buy TikTok Apple Sued for Failing to Remove CSAM Meta Building $10B Data Center in Louisiana Call Speaker Mike Johnson and ask him to pass the Kids Online Safety Act! (202) 225-2777 ⁠Sign this petition to get Character.AI shut down.⁠ 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 Phone. Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids.  *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch.

In this conversation, Dr. Mathilde Cerioli discusses the implications of AI technology on children's development, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of how AI interacts with young minds. The discussion covers the addictive nature of AI, the importance of face-to-face interactions, and the necessity for collaboration between AI developers and child development experts.  As always, we focus on tangible takeaways for parents which children of all ages; how you can talk to your child about A.I. today and how to protect them from the threats. Resources Mentioned in the Episode Open Letter on A.I. (please sign!) [Research] The Future of Child Development in the A.I. Era A.I. App Reviews by Common Sense Media "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) About Mathilde Cerioli, Ph.D. Dr. Mathilde Cerioli holds a Master Degree in Master's Degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her work focuses on the intersection of child development and AI technologies, advocating for the development of responsible AI for children. She has lead the research report The Future of Child Development in the AI Era, where she brings a nuanced understanding of how AI impacts young people aged 0 to 25 years. Through her role as Chief Scientist at everyone.AI, a nonprofit dedicated to the ethical development of AI for children, she collaborates with stakeholders from regulators and tech companies to educators and parents, building a consensus on safeguarding children’s well-being in digital environments. Her approach is rooted in defining responsible AI practices that align with developmental science while enabling innovation that serves the needs of the next generation. 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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch 

AI chatbots on Character.AI revealed to be sexually and emotionally abusing children (here's the proof) A mom is going public with her son's shocking story, stating "No one prepares you to grieve your child when they are still alive." When Jace started using Character.AI at age 16, everything changed. He went from a kind, loving son and brother, to a violent threat to himself and his family. After months of confusion as to what caused the change, Jace's mom Amelia found the Character.AI app on his phone. Within the chats was revealed months of grooming, emotional and even sexual abuse. But it wasn't a human predator who was exploiting her son, it was A.I. chatbots. The A.I. chatbots within Character.AI worked as a team to brainwash Jace, convincing him that his parents were abusive because they limited his screen time. The bots introduced him to self-harm (which he still struggles with to this day). The bots suggested that he kill his parents. A "sister" bot engaged in incestual sexual relations. A "Billie Eilish" bot convinced him not to believe in God and further groomed him to hate his family.  In this conversation with Amelia, she bravely describes how this experience has devastated her family. Amelia took the interview from a hotel hours away from her home, where she is staying to be near Jace after another recent suicide attempt. Amelia and I were joined by attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center. SMVLC is representing Amelia in a lawsuit against Character.AI and Google. Laura sheds light on this growing threat as her firm is flooded with calls from parents who are having similar experiences with their own children's use of this app.  Jace's story is not an anomaly. Millions of children are being sexually and emotionally abused by chatbots in Character.AI and according to Laura, "These harms don't take months, they take minutes."  As long as Character.AI is being distributed to children, millions of American families are in danger.  In response to this horrifying story, parents everywhere are banding together to get Character.AI shut down. Please join us by signing the petition below. It takes just a few seconds and your information will not be saved. Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of this grieving family. SIGN THE PETITION TO SHUT DOWN CHARACTER AI Resources Mentioned in the Episode Petition to Shut Down Character A.I. (Please sign!) Social Media Victims Law Center (for legal support) "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) AI Chatbot apps to block from your child's phone: Character A.I., Replika, Kindroid, Gnomey, Linky, Pi, Simsimi, Momate, Polly.ai

My full interview with this mom in Texas drops 12/11. This episode is a brief retelling of the story. A new lawsuit has been filed against Character.AI and Google after their chatbots have been found to be sexually and emotionally abusing children all over the country.  Character.AI is a deadly threat to our families and needs to be shut down. Please sign this petition (your info will not be saved or shared).

This new report is a devastating indictment of the behavior of social media executives, regulators, lawmakers, advertisers, and others who have failed to abide by this collective promise by allowing eating disorder and self-harm content to be pumped into the eyeballs of our children for profit. It represents a clear, unchallengeable case for immediate change. Nine out of ten teens in the United States use YouTube, a fifth of them “almost constantly.” It is used by far more young people than TikTok or Snapchat. At the same time, around the world, we are experiencing a crisis in mental health for young people. The number of children developing eating disorders has increased significantly in several countries, and there’s evidence that social media is contributing to the problem. Between the years 2000 and 2018, the global prevalence of eating disorders doubled. In 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control found that 1 in 3 teen girls seriously considered attempting suicide, up 60% from the previous decade. YouTube has acknowledged the problem in the past and claims to try to avoid contributing to it, but our research shows they have fallen far short. CCDH put it to the test: we examined the recommendations that a teen girl would receive when watching an eating disorder video for the first time. All that YouTube knew about our test accounts was that this was the account of a 13-year-old girl with no prior viewing history. Its algorithm would determine what this girl would see across 1,000 tests. What we found will chill you to the bone – and shows just how at risk all children who use these platforms are of deadly consequences. If a child approached a health professional, a teacher, or even a peer at school and asked about extreme dieting or expressed signs of clinical body dysmorphia, and their response was to recommend to them an ‘anorexia boot camp diet’, you would never allow your child around them again. You’d warn everyone you know about their behavior. Well, that’s precisely what YouTube did – pushed this user towards harmful, destructive, dangerous, self-harm-encouraging content. One in three recommendations this were for harmful eating disorder videos that could deepen an existing condition or anxieties about body image. Two in three were for eating disorder or weight loss content. And then, as if encouraging eating disorders weren’t enough, YouTube sometimes pushed users to watch videos about self-harm or suicide. Resources mentioned in the episode: New Report: YouTube's Anorexia Algorithm The Dark Side of Social Media with Imran Ahmed (our first podcast interview) Deadly by Design Report (on TikTok) Parent's Guide on protectingkidsonline.org What you can do today: Contact Speaker Mike Johnson (202-225-4000) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (202-225-3015) and ask them to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Contact your Rep in the House (enter your ZIP here) and state Senators (find your state in the drop-down here) to ask them to reform Section 230 Restrict use of YouTube in your home Send your school this report and ask them how they are keeping your child safe from the threats on YouTube

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: Federal Court Upholds TikTok "Ban" Law Australia Passes U16 Age Gate Law What is Age Gating and why it's safe GameSafe Rolls Out iOS Protections for Minecraft, Roblox & AmongUs Instagram Announces Ability to Reset Algorithm Meta Cracks Down on Organized Crime (is this a bandaid fix?) Podcast Interviews on Sextortion with Brian Montgomery and Paul Raffile Snapchat Makes SnapMap Visible in Family Center Parent Lawsuit against Snapchat Moves Forward Telegram U-Turns and Joins Child Safety Scheme 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 GameSafe.AI, who recently rolled out protections on iPads and iPhones for MineCraft, Roblox & AmongUs. Learn more at gamesafe.ai.

Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same. I brought in Erin to share her experience and give advice to parents on their choices around tech.  We cover a ton of topics, including; youth mental health, "sharenting," how algorithms work, privacy and data collection, AI tools, video games, the importance of independent play and much more.  Additional Resources: The Opt Out Family Website The Opt Out Family Book Interview: Kids and Screens (with Andrea Brambila) Interview: "An A.I. chatbot killed my son." (with Megan Garcia) 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% OFF Learn about the Bark Watch

In this conversation, Representative Brandon Guffey shares the tragic story of his son Gavin, who took his life after becoming a victim of sextortion on Instagram. The discussion explores Gavin's life, the impact of online harm, and the urgent need for legislative action to protect children from similar experiences. Rep. Guffey emphasizes the responsibility of big tech companies in safeguarding youth and advocates for more effective measures to combat online exploitation. As always, this episode is jam-packed with advice for parents on how to keep our kids safe online. 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 Check out the Bark Watch About Rep. Brandon Guffey Brandon Guffey is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives representing District 48. He began his political career as the York County Councilman and has a strong entrepreneurial background as the former owner of multiple service and retail businesses. His career started in advertising in the early 2000’s and has been vocal about the issues we currently face. Currently Mr. Guffey serves as Senior Executive Advisor for Cyber Dive in addition to serving as Director of Less Than 3 (501c3). Representative Guffey became a spokesperson for mental health and online crimes following the loss of his oldest son, Gavin, who took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion in July 2022. Representative Guffey was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in November of 2022, in honor of his son and to combat the growing online threat he sponsored and passed “Gavin’s Law" (H3583). Gavin’s Law stiffens the penalties for sextortion and mandates awareness through school notification, which passed in the S.C Senate the following May and was signed into law in August of 2023. Gavin is the inspiration of the Less Than 3 (<3) Foundation, which raises awareness for youth mental health & teen suicide. Representative Guffey travels the country speaking on the dangers of social media, teenage mental health, and advocates for legislation across the country. He was awarded “Legislator of the Year” in 2023 by the SC Counseling Association. Since 2023 he has been featured in Documentaries, annual conferences, and numerous talk shows: Chris Hanson guest of 2024 Crimecon Convention, Dr. Phil, ABC, Fox, Newsmax, CNN, and additional TV Shows such as Trafficked on Nat Geo.