Social Media

Sam Chapman is the father of Sammy Chapman (forever 16) and CEO of The Parent Collective Inc., a California non-profit operating in the areas of social media harm and fentanyl poisoning education and activism. The Parent Collective also provides grief support for those left behind. Sammy Chapman died the night he took a counterfeit pill that was laced with fentanyl. He bought this pill on Snapchat. More and more drug dealers are using Snapchat as their preferred platform to sell. The conversation has never been more critical - talk to your kids about only using medication prescribed by their own doctor and purchased from a licensed pharmacy.

As a former social media executive turned social media reform advocate, Nicki Reisberg, hosts Scrolling to Death, a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. It's a safe space to amplify stories of harm while educating parents on how to keep their kids safe in a world that is trying to addict and manipulate them. In this episode learn all about the broken system of tech in our schools and the new threat of Character AI. Listen now!

Dr. Ashley Harlow is a dad of four who definitely understands the complexities of parenting with healthy boundaries around screen time. As a licensed child and adolescent psychologist at Children's Nebraska in Omaha, he has practical tips that can empower families to create a balanced approach. On this episode we talk about social media, chatbots and warning signs of depression to look out for. Listen now!

"Snap is …. a hub for these drug dealers" ~ Amy Neville

Sarah Gallagher Trombley is on a mission to help parents navigate the digital world with and for their kids by providing insight, advice, and practical tips. Her work and messages cover a wide range of digital topics, including social media, new tech, and apps. As a former Snapchat executive, she saw firsthand how tech companies make decisions about child safety. (spoiler alert: it’s dismal) On today’s episode she shares what she knows about parental controls, setting them up, and finding good solutions for families in our digital age.

Tweens and teens are flooding beauty counters after watching skinfluencer skin care regimens and make up tutorials. With over 15 years in the natural product and nutrition industries, Kimberly Grustas has an advanced knowledge of the dangers of even trace levels of estrogenic chemicals during the delicate transformation from girlhood to adult, AKA: puberty. On this episode, we talk about skinfluencers, young girls and best skincare practices.

The UnPlugged Hours is the story of one woman’s journey to creativity, self and family. After recognizing how much tech was affecting her creative process and stripping her imagination, Hannah Brencher committed to intentionally taking a 1,000 hour break from technology. She did not intend to write this book - her process started as a commitment for self-improvement and became so much more. Hannah is a writer, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. Named as one of the White House’s “Women Working to Do Good,” she works to encourage tech-less connection and creativity. Listen now!

Todd and Mia Minor are parents who have become a powerful force in awareness building and education of online challenges. The Minor's lives changed forever when Matthew, their 12-year-old son, died accidentally through participation in a social media challenge known as the Choking Challenge. In this episode, learn about online challenges and how they are being perceived by kids. Listen now!

Recognizing that being on social media felt like an unwanted requirement for him to socialize as a teen and young adult, Sean Killingsworth created: Reconnect Movement. Looking to combat what Killingsworth calls the “social wasteland” created by a generation’s overuse of tech, ReConnect Movement builds in-person communities to detox from distractions, make friends, and just hang out. Reconnect Movement serves to provide offline balance for those who don't want to be on social media.

The FBI is warning parents, caregivers, and teens about increased sextortion crimes across the country. Sextortion is a kind of scam where the suspect gets children to share some sexually explicit material usually by coercing them, making them think that they're also someone that age and they're going to be exchanging nude images. Once the suspect has that image, then they extort the child/minor for money or more images of sexually explicit content. The primary target is boys ages 14-17 and sadly, suicide rates due to sextortion are on the rise. Listen to this episode to find out the best ways to educate your family about sextortion.

Michael Jacobus figured out how to get more magical summer camp days out of his life by combining his knowledge of digital wellness with his experiences as a camp director for over 40 years. In the summer of 2018, he started the world's first clinical summer camp program for teens and adolescents suffering from unhealthy screen time, social media use, and gaming addiction. Reset Summer Camp is a camp for digital detox and life skills. Michael’s book: UnHappy Campers is a great read and a fantastic resource for families who want to implement more structure around tech in their home. In this episode we discuss the book, the camp and the ReSet app Listen today!

Tessa Stuckey, AKA:The Mom Therapist, works with families navigating the digital, tech-filled world that our kids are growing up in. Tessa takes on today’s negative cultural effects on our kids’ mental health from the perspective of a therapist but with the heart of a caring mother. In this episode we talk about creating a healthier and positive lifestyle for the whole family through anxiety management, understanding online harms, necessary limits of screen use, and the need for healthy connection. Listen now!

Jo Piazza failed at being a momfluencer. She is a bestselling author, journalist and creator of Under The Influence podcast, Her hilarious, and frankly a little horrifying, take on how social media influences so much of our lives and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone ( but mostly girls, women and mothers) a little insane is on point. We dive into all of the good things in this episode- including the screen practice that Jo says she’ll never give up…..like, ever.

KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act) provides families with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against threats to children’s health and well-being online. The legislation would require social media platforms put the interests of children first by requiring these platforms to make safety the default. Contact your Senators to urge Senate Majority Leader Schumer to bring KOSA (The Kids Online Safety Act) to the floor for a vote. Do it today!

Since 2013, the Children and Screens Institute @childrenandscreens has been a leading curator of experts in the field of digital media and children's health. This week, I got to talk to the executive director: Kris Perry. I asked Kris questions like: - Is digital media enhancing or impairing children's abilities to live happy, healthy, productive lives? -What does research show regarding the effects of screen use on children's cognitive development or social emotional development? -What can parents do to help enact legislation enforcing guardrails on tech platforms? She had insightful, amazing answers. If you use technology, if you have any interaction with children, if you are interested in the effects of digital media, you need to hear this episode!

As the current National Advisor for Health Education and Media Literacy at Media Literacy Now @medialiteracynow, Tamara Sobel is deeply committed to helping parents and schools gain healthy screen habits. The founder of the Girls Women and Media Project, she led one of the first organizations focused on activism and education to raise awareness and improve images of girls and women in the media. She's a certified sexuality educator and a regular columnist for Psychology Today. ( Maybe you've already read some of her work!) Our conversation covers a variety of topics surrounding Media Literacy and a great healthy screen habit.

Aniko Hill made a career of mastering marketing and social media. Fast forward to pandemic times when we all were living online and she recognized that the same techniques she used professionally were keeping her son hooked on tech. Aniko took a deep dive into the digital wellness pond and co-founded DopaMind, an upcoming non-profit whose mission is to educate kids about brain science and let them be their own heroes. Listen now to learn about the science behind the “turn it off” meltdowns and more!