Scrolling 2 Death is a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. Through interviews with parents and experts, we explore smartphone use, screen ti...
A Therapist's Guide on Screens (with Tessa Stuckey)
In 2015, Tessa Stuckey noticed a troubling trend as teenagers began flooding her therapy office. Their grievances were no different than those she faced as a teen - failing tests, feeling left out, disappointing mom and dad – but their discomfort was leading straight to thoughts of self-harm and suicide. A correlation between rising harms and screen time became clear to her.As a mom of four, Tessa was all-in on iPads as a “babysitter” when they went to restaurants or a quick fix for tantrums. However, after researching social media and screen addiction, she saw the undeniable impact on youth’s mental health. She vowed to make a change for her family and help spread awareness to others. Tune in to hear Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death and Tessa share how they successfully scaled back screens in their homes and the changes they saw in their families. As a seasoned family therapist, parenting coach, and mental health expert, Tessa offers helpful advice for parents rooted in professional expertise and personal experience.About Tessa StuckeyTessa Stuckey is a seasoned family therapist, parenting coach, and mental health expert with over 10 years of experience in the field. She is the author of the acclaimed book, For the Sake of Our Youth: A Therapist's Perspective on Raising Your Family in Today's Culture, which provides invaluable insights into navigating the challenges of modern parenting. As a dedicated mother of four, Stuckey combines professional expertise with personal experience to offer practical, compassionate guidance to families.In addition to her clinical work, Stuckey is the co-founder of the nonprofit LookUp, an organization dedicated to helping families address the growing concerns of social media and screen addiction and their impact on youth's mental health. Her work has empowered countless parents to build strong, healthy relationships with their children while addressing the complex dynamics of today's society.Get connected with Tessa here.
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47:10
EdTech is Failing our Kids (with Andy Liddell)
When Chromebooks hit the market in 2010, they were a flop. Desperate to avoid significant losses, a savvy group of Google executives struck a deal with educators to provide Chromebooks to schools. “To help children build 21st century skills,” they said. Instead, we’re uncovering a growing number of harms and real-life tragedies caused by school devices. The problem? A Chromebook is essentially just a ‘browser in a box,’ giving kids unlimited – and often unsupervised - internet access. Meanwhile, the data collection behind these devices is unclear, with schools in charge of ‘opting in’ for our children. But does your school understand how this data is used? Do youAndy Liddell of EdTech Law Center joins Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death to discuss the risks of school-issued devices and share ways parents can protect their kids from exploitative tech.Resources mentioned in the episode: Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued tech[Book] The Age of Surveillance Capitalism[Book] Means of Control[Book] Weapons of Math DestructionAbout Andy Liddell:Andy Liddell is a career federal courts litigator and technology attorney. Before joining the EdTech Law Center in early 2025, he spent 15 years helping clients resolve complex, multimillion-dollar disputes involving patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.Andy is also a dedicated advocate for youth digital civil rights. As a longtime member of the Children’s Screentime Action Network, Andy has testified before state and federal legislators in support of bills designed to better protect children online. He has also worked to persuade regulators to more vigorously enforce the laws currently on the books to protect kids and families. As part of his legal practice, Andy has provided pro bono legal services to Fairplay, a nonprofit, independent voice for children, as well as to Frances Haugen, who exposed Facebook’s practices of putting profits over the lives of young people.He is proud to join Julie, his wife and law partner, in the fight for the rights and wellbeing of students, parents, teachers, and school districts against exploitative technology companies. Andy strives to create a world where technology helps people flourish, using litigation to align corporate incentives with the things people need to thrive.
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52:02
Snapchat's Deadly Failure (with Aaron Ping)
This episode is dedicated to the life of Avery Ping, forever 16.Avery's dad, Aaron Ping, joins Nicki on Scrolling 2 Death to expose the dark reality of social media’s role in the fentanyl crisis, focusing on the devastating loss of Aaron’s son, Avery. Avery’s death was not a tragic accident—it was the direct result of drug dealers operating with impunity on Snapchat. In this gripping conversation, Aaron shares his painful journey through the legal system following Avery's death. Nicki and Aaron dissect the failures of the Snapchat platform, the broken bail system that allows dealers to walk free, and the urgent need for laws like the Kids Online Safety Act to hold tech companies accountable. This discussion is a wake-up call for parents, lawmakers, and anyone who believes social media should not be a hunting ground for criminals. The episode ends with a powerful call to action: it’s time to demand change before more lives are lost.
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42:39
Big Tech Gut Check (week of March 17, 2025)
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:Facebook Whistleblower Releases Tell-All Memoir (and Meta silences her)Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (a recap)Community Notes on Meta - What to expect[STUDY] Virtal TikTok Videos on ADHD Spread MisinformationState of Massachusetts Sues TikTokFormer NYC Teacher Solicits Sexual Images from Children on SnapchatNYC Man Sexually Assaults 13-year-old He Met on Snapchat[STUDY] Your Brain on AIThis 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% OFFLearn about the Bark Watch.
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We Need to Rethink EdTech (with Denise Champney)
In this eye-opening episode, Nicki Reisberg and Denise Champney dive deep into the growing influence of technology in education—unpacking both its false promises and its perils. With schools increasingly reliant on screens and AI-powered tools, what’s being lost? From the risks of inappropriate content slipping through school devices to the hidden dangers of data collection and declining critical thinking skills, this conversation challenges the blind adoption of EdTech. Nicki and Denise advocate for a smarter, more balanced approach—one that prioritizes traditional learning methods, safeguards student privacy, and empowers parents to push back against excessive screen time. Could the key to better education be a return to paper, books, and real-world interaction? All signs point to yes.Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued techWorkgroups at Fairplay - Screens in SchoolDenise's SubstackAbout Denise ChampneyDenise Champney is a school based speech language pathologist with over 25 years experience working in the public school setting supporting students in grades K-12. She is also the owner of a small private practice supporting children and adults with social skill development. Denise created the Educational Technology Industrial Complex timeline for Environmental Progress and is a work group member of the screens in schools action network through Fairplay. She writes about the negative impacts of big tech on education for her substack, From Someone Else's Shoes.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% OFFLearn about the Bark Watch.
Scrolling 2 Death is a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. Through interviews with parents and experts, we explore smartphone use, screen time, school-issued devices, social media use and so much more.
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