Scrolling 2 Death

Jenna Poste, a former tech executive, was once at the forefront of innovation at Blackberry, helping to build products during the rise of the “always on” movement – a time that felt brimming with excitement and productivity. However, as engagement metrics and data collection became the true engines of tech growth, Big Tech extended its reach beyond businesses and into childhood. The consequences a...

The Big Tech Gut Check is a weekly update for parents on all things social media and Big Tech.  Updates for this week:  Meta AI Wants to Access Your Camera Roll, Analyze Pics You Haven't Uploaded Leaked Documents Show Meta is Training Chatbots to Message You First, Remember Chats, Keep You Talking Former Facebook CEO says Site Should be Banned for Children MIT Study Shows Weakened Cognitive Capaci...

Don’t feel guilty—get angry. And then turn that anger into action. In this powerful episode, law professor and Unwired author  Gaia Bernstein  joins Nicki from Scrolling 2 Death to talk about the growing crisis of tech addiction—and how it’s impacting our kids. Gaia studied law and technology in the early 2000s, a time marked by great optimism about the promise of global connectivity.  As social m...

Summer’s here—and that means more sunshine, more free time… and a lot more screen time. In this episode, Nicki Petrossi sits down with Titania Jordan to talk about the ups, downs, and everything-in-between of parenting through summer break. They swap stories, explore why boredom is actually a gift, and share practical ways to help kids unplug, get outside, and build independence. From setting heal...

What happens when a Big Tech insider turns child advocate and parent educator? In this powerful conversation, Sarah Gallagher Trombley — former Snapchat executive — joins Nicki Petrossi to pull back the curtain on the hidden dangers kids face on social media. From Snapchat to TikTok, YouTube to Instagram, no platform is safe. Sarah shares the uncomfortable truth about what parental controls  can’t...

Lavanya Gupta, CEO and Founder of Silana Learning and a former Meta employee, is raising awareness about the hidden dangers of tech. With insight into the inner workings of Big Tech, she made the deliberate choice to keep her young daughters offline. But when the pandemic hit and remote learning became a necessity, she realized the inescapable - and often harmful - role that digital platforms can...

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 Launches on Apple Watch Snapchat Partners with McDonalds to Promote Snapchat+ Sign the Petition to Urge McDonalds to End Partnership with Snapchat Teenage girls’ TikTok skincare regimes offer little to no benefit, research shows New Study...

We often hear the most extreme stories - eating disorders, overdoses, suicides – linked to social media.  But in reality, many kids are struggling in silence, even while appearing to be okay. Gabriela Nguyen, a recent Harvard graduate and founder of Appstinence, is working to shed light on this issue.   Raised in the Silicon Valley during the rise of social media, Gabriela was hooked from a young...

Sextortion scams targeting teen boys are on the rise — and they’re happening through platforms parents trust, like Instagram, Snapchat and even Apple’s iMessage. In this eye-opening conversation, Scrolling 2 Death host Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner of Heat Initiative expose the devastating impact of these scams and the chilling truth about Apple’s inaction. Why hasn’t Apple built better protect...

"I’m convinced they hate us," says Luke Richey, co-founder of Gravity Jack, referring to gaming giants like Roblox and Fortnite - companies he believes knowingly endanger children for profit. His wife and co-founder, Jennifer Richey, adds that 63% of human trafficking involving Gen A and Gen Z now originates through gaming platforms. In 2023 alone, Roblox reported over 13,000 child explo...

In this powerful conversation, Nicki Petrossi and Rick Lane dive into the latest legislative moves to make the internet safer for kids. They break down the  Take It Down Act , a critical step in fighting back against non-consensual explicit content and AI deepfakes. But the work isn't done. Parents must continue the pressure to pass additional bills like The DEFIANCE Act, NO FAKES Act and the Kids...

In this explosive episode, I connected with Kelly Stonelake, a former Meta insider who spent 15 years at the company witnessing firsthand how the tech giant prioritizes growth at the expense of user safety. From early roles shaping the Facebook product to leading teams behind major launches, Kelly shares what finally pushed her to speak out. Most recently, she was involved in the development of  H...

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: President Trump Issues Executive Order to Advance AI Education for American Youth TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed Into Law Snapchat Test Account Shows Sexual Content Pushed to Teen Within 5 Minutes TikTok Expands Meditation Feature DEA 2025 National Drug Thr...

In this honest and heartfelt conversation, Nicki Reisberg sits down with Titania Jordan—chief parent officer at Bark—to talk about the emotional realities of navigating families changes and prioritizing mental health for both parents and children. Together, they unpack the pressures families face today, including rising rates of anxiety and depression among teens. From personal stories to professi...

Fifteen-year-old and co-founder of Lookupp , Atiksh Bhan, remembers when life was better. He and his friends would spend their afternoons biking, exploring the woods and playing games outside. But then, smartphones came along. = Instead of adventures, they’d spend their time sitting around, scrolling through TikTok. "We’d be huddled around one phone, looking over someone’s shoulder. It just w...

Tim Estes of AngelQ shares eye-opening new research on the growing screen time crisis—and introduces  AngelQ  as a powerful solution for families. In this episode, we're diving into the everyday tech battles parents know all too well—screen time struggles, endless scrolling, and the constant worry about what kids are seeing online. We break down some surprising new research on how tech is resh...

In this episode, Nicki Reisberg sits down with Vermont State Representative Angela Arsenault to talk about her groundbreaking Phone and Social Media Free Schools Bill. They explore how removing digital distractions from the classroom can support students’ academic growth, social development, and mental health. Rep. Arsenault opens up about navigating tech use with her own kids and addresses the co...

This week, I break down why I’ve filed a lawsuit against Seesaw, one of the most widely used EdTech apps in K–6 classrooms—and what every parent needs to know about how their child’s personal data is being harvested, stored, and shared without their consent. Seesaw claims to help track student learning progress. But what I discovered when I requested access to the data they’d collected about my ch...

Are phones ruining school?  One high school principal says yes, and he did something about it. At Bullard High in Fresno, California, students wandered the halls like zombies, glued to their screens. Lunchtime was silent. Classrooms were battlegrounds for attention. Test scores dropped. Anxiety soared. Principal Armen Torigian, a Bullard alumnus, took pride in his community and remembered a very d...

15% of High Schoolers say they know someone in their school who has had deepfake pornography made of them in the last year. In this eye-opening episode, Nicki Reisberg sits down with Adam Billen of  Encode  to unpack some of the most urgent and unsettling developments in AI—from the rise of chatbots to the explosion of deep fakes. They dive into what Meta is up to with its new chatbot rollout on I...

 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: Parents Who Lost Children to Online Harms Protest Outside Meta NYC Meta Tries to Help Parents Enroll More Teens into Teen Accounts Meta's Digital Companions Will Talk Sex with Users -- Even Children Snapchat Announces Family Safety Hub Snapchat...

Is screen time silently sabotaging your child’s health?  In this eye-opening episode, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Nidhi Gupta breaks down the hidden toll excessive screen use takes on kids' physical and mental well-being—from disrupted sleep and metabolic issues to rising anxiety and attention problems. She shares age-specific screen time recommendations, the dangers of early exposure to smartph...

What happens when parenting meets the digital age? In this episode, Nicki Reisberg sits down with family therapist Joanne Doucette to unpack the growing mental health challenges families face—especially when screens, gaming, and social media are part of everyday life. With over 25 years of experience supporting parents and kids, Joanne shares what she's seeing on the front lines: rising anxiet...

What’s really going on with Meta and what does it mean for kids? In this episode, Nicki Reisberg sits down with Titania Jordan—chief marketing officer at Bark Technologies—to unpack what the latest headlines actually mean for parents and kids. They dive into the ongoing struggle to keep children safe online, the loopholes predators still exploit, and why Meta’s so-called “safety measures” might no...

"My generation wishes we didn't get social media so young. Everyone regrets being allowed to access these platforms. Everyone wishes their parents put more restrictions on their phone. Everyone wishes that they got to enjoy a more carefree childhood." At 20, Maya Englehorn reflects on getting her first smartphone when she was a freshman in high school, but being allowed on Instagram – via tablet –...