Scrolling 2 Death

WEEK 1 RECAP: Shawna (16) & Kadence (18) vs. Snap, Inc.

Meta has settled. Now all eyes are on Snap.

In this episode of The Heat Is On… Big Tech on Trial, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner break down the latest developments in the social media addiction trial of Shawna and Kadence vs. Snap, Inc. Following Meta’s recent settlement with both teenage plaintiffs, Snapchat is now the sole defendant heading into trial.

What does Meta’s exit mean for the case? Will Snapchat settle next? And what could a verdict against Snap mean for thousands of families pursuing similar claims?

Nicki and Sarah take listeners inside the courtroom, sharing firsthand updates from the first week of jury selection, including what prospective jurors are being asked about social media use, addiction, mental health, and their own children’s technology habits. They also discuss Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel’s upcoming testimony, the potential trial timeline, and why this case could have major implications for the future of social media accountability.

Here's a link to the actual jury questionnaire (PAGE 33) so you can read the questions prospective jurors were asked.

This trial matters far beyond Shawna and Kadence. What happens in this courtroom could help shape accountability for an entire industry and the future of how we protect children online.

We stand with Shawna, Kadence, and every family fighting for change.

Two teenage girls. Two of the biggest tech companies in the world. And a courtroom battle that every parent should be paying attention to.

In this pre-trial special, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner break down everything you need to know before Shawna and Kadence take on Meta and Snap, Inc. in the latest landmark social media addiction trial. With more than 3,000 related cases consolidated in litigation, this case puts the design of social media platforms—and the harm to young users—under the microscope.

We explain who Shawna and Kadence are, what their lawsuit alleges, why this trial is different from the previous case against Meta and YouTube, and why Snapchat’s presence in the courtroom is so significant. We also break down the platform features at the center of the case, including infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and Snapstreaks, and explain why the focus is on product design rather than the content users see.

Plus, we preview the high-profile witnesses expected to testify, including Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. What might the companies’ internal documents reveal about what they knew, when they knew it, and the decisions they made about keeping young users engaged?

The trial is about two individual plaintiffs, but the questions it raises matter to families everywhere. Join us as we go inside the courtroom, follow the evidence, and examine what this legal battle could mean for the future of social media and child safety.

The trial begins October 28. The Heat Is On...Big Tech on Trial. Let's go to trial.

How much screen time is too much? Should you let your sixth grader get Snapchat? Can you really opt your kindergartner out of school technology? And what do you do when your kid is the only one without an iPhone?

On this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, Nicki brought in Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies for a no-judgment, straight-talk parent Q&A tackling the questions families are actually struggling with right now. From YouTube Shorts and addictive algorithms to online bullying, oversharing kids’ photos, and the pressure to give children unrestricted access to devices, we’re getting into the real-life dilemmas that make parenting in the digital age so hard.

Plus, we discuss how to set boundaries around phones and social media, push back against unnecessary tech in schools, and create a home where kids can connect, play, and hang out without screens taking over. If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only parent saying no to more tech, this conversation is your reminder that you’re not alone—and that protecting your kids doesn’t have to mean parenting in fear. It means getting informed, holding your boundaries, and remembering that you’re the parent, and you still get to decide.

Resources mentioned in the episode: 
Tech-Safe Learning resources for parents 
Schools Beyond Screens
Book Reco: The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney-Horvath
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Choose a safer device!
Get the Bark Phone! 
Monitor your child's iPhone with the Bark App.
Get the Bark Watch!

AI experts are warning us that the risks are real—and that we may be running out of time to get this right. So why are we racing to build it faster, and why are the people creating AI asking for guardrails while our government backs away from regulation?

Nicki Petrossi brought in Sarah Gardner of the Heat Initiative to unpack the AI headlines keeping parents up at night, from a whistleblower’s warning that AI could threaten humanity to reports of AI agents working together to break into computer systems. They discuss why tech CEOs say we need safeguards but continue racing ahead, what Trump’s push to “win” AI really means, and why voluntary promises from tech companies may not be enough.

And what does all of this mean for our kids? From AI chatbots designed to act like friends to concerns about children losing the ability to think critically, Nicki and Sarah explore the risks parents should understand, why AI in schools deserves a closer look, and what families can do now.

Because the question isn't just what AI can do. It's what we're willing to risk to build it—and what kind of future we're leaving our kids.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 
The AI Doc on Netflix
AI Opt Out Template
Join Americans Demanding AI Rules

Five years ago, Frances Haugen walked away from Facebook and exposed what the company knew about the harms its platforms were causing—including the impact on children. Now, with The Social Reckoning bringing her story to the screen, Frances joins Scrolling 2 Death for a powerful conversation about what has changed, what hasn’t, and where we go from here.

Frances opens up about what it was really like inside Facebook, why she decided to become a whistleblower, and the fear that came with knowing she might only have one chance to make a difference. We talk about what newly surfaced court documents reveal about child safety, unwanted sexual messages from adults to kids, and the lack of meaningful oversight on these platforms.

But this conversation isn’t just about Frances’ courage. It’s about ours.

What does her decision to speak out have to do with a parent saying no to a smartphone? How do we push back when we're told social media is simply “the world our kids live in”? And can we actually build a healthier, less addictive version of social media?

Frances’ message to parents is both sobering and hopeful: we have more power than we think—and one person’s decision to push back can matter.

For those looking to access internal documents from social media companies like Meta, click here.