Scrolling 2 Death

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already woven into nearly every part of our children's digital lives—from Google searches and school-issued devices to Snapchat, Instagram, voice assistants, and AI chatbots. In this episode, Nicki Petrossi brings in Bark Technologies' Titania Jordan to unpack where kids are accessing AI, the growing risks parents should understand, and how families can navigate this rapidly changing technology.

Together, they explore the rise of AI companions like Character.AI and PolyAI, the concerns surrounding tools such as Snapchat's My AI and Meta AI, and the impact AI may have on critical thinking, creativity, emotional development, and real-world relationships. They also discuss how schools are introducing AI into classrooms, what parents should know about AI on school-issued devices, and why children may be particularly vulnerable to misinformation and emotional manipulation from AI systems.

Most importantly, Nicki and Titania share practical steps families can take today—from delaying access and setting boundaries to having ongoing conversations that help kids use technology as a tool rather than a replacement for human connection.

This isn't a conversation about fear—it's a conversation about preparation. As AI becomes an increasingly permanent part of modern life, parents have an opportunity to help shape how the next generation engages with it safely, thoughtfully, and responsibly.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
WATCH: ‍The AI Doc
Join our email list: scrolling2death.com/heat
Learn about Sammy's Law
‍‍Get the Bark Phone! 
Monitor your child's iPhone with the Bark App.
Get the Bark Watch!

The courtroom battles are still unfolding, and the evidence continues to grow.

In this episode of The Heat is On: Big Tech on Trial, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner chat with attorney Previn Warren, co-lead counsel on thousands of federal lawsuits brought against TikTok, YouTube, Meta, and Snap. They discuss the landmark case brought by Kayley (KGM), who won her lawsuit after evidence showed that Meta and YouTube contributed significantly to her anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, as well as the recent settlement in the Brethitt County Schools case just days before trial.

As more families, school districts, and states take social media companies to court, one thing has become clear: the evidence uncovered through these lawsuits is too important to stay buried in court filings. Previn joins the show to make a major announcement about a new effort to organize and make this evidence more accessible to the public.

What did these companies know about the harms their products could cause?
What have years of litigation revealed?
And how can parents, educators, journalists, and policymakers learn from the growing body of evidence?

The trials are continuing, the stakes couldn't be higher, and the evidence is finally coming into view.

The Social Media Evidence Library

This week, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner take listeners to Washington, D.C., following an emotional and powerful Social Media Victims Remembrance Day (SMVRD)—a day dedicated to honoring the children lost to social media harms and the families fighting to prevent more names from being added to the memorial each year.

The episode explores why families, advocates, and lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill to demand action, and why so many parents believe the burden of protecting children online can no longer rest on families alone. Nicki and Sarah reflect on the growing national awareness of social media harms, the momentum created by the ongoing addiction trials, and the frustration of watching meaningful reform continue to stall.

They also break down two major developments in Washington: reports that tech CEOs may avoid a highly anticipated Senate hearing on social media harms, and the passage of the controversial Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), which critics say prioritizes Big Tech interests over child safety.

Later, parent survivor and Alexander Neville Foundation founder Amy Neville joins the show to share why she and Kristen Bride created SMVRD, what this year’s event meant to impacted families, and why keeping courthouse doors open and holding platforms accountable remains critical to protecting future generations.

Plus, Nicki and Sarah discuss the growing global movement to raise the age of social media access, why age-gating alone won’t solve the problem, and the one change experts believe would make the biggest difference: eliminating the addictive features that keep children hooked.

Because remembrance without action isn’t enough.

Here's a letter-writing tool to contact your Senators. Ask them to Vote "No" on the KIDS Act that passed in the House of Representatives. 

The Heat is On is an investigative mini-series by Scrolling 2 Death in partnership with Heat Initiative. Thank you to our expert editor, Jacob Meade.

What really happens when a 13-year-old joins Snapchat?

In this episode, we break down a disturbing new investigation from ParentsTogether Action and Heat Initiative that followed two avatar accounts posing as 7th graders on Snapchat for just one week — and what researchers found is deeply alarming.

The report claims Snapchat recommended hundreds of unsafe videos to the teen accounts, including drug content, sexual material, self-harm videos, violent content, and connections to strangers who appeared to be adults. Researchers say the accounts were shown unsafe content at an average rate of about one video per minute, often without searching for it.

We unpack the most shocking findings:
Adult strangers recommended as friends
Sexualized comments on videos featuring children
Drug sellers and explicit creators suggested to minors
Content promoting self-harm, violence, and disordered eating
Concerns around live location sharing for young teens

This episode explores what the report reveals about algorithmic recommendation systems, platform safety promises, and the growing concerns parents are raising about social media and children.

THE REPORT: One Week on Snapchat as a 7th Grader
PETITION: Stop Teen Exploitation & Abuse on Snapchat

Apple wants parents to celebrate its latest parental control updates. But child safety advocates aren't buying the hype.

In this episode, I brought in Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies and Chris McKenna of Protect Young Eyes to separate PR from reality. They discuss why Apple's changes arrived only after mounting lawsuits and legislative pressure, what the company still isn't doing to protect children, and why many of the announced features amount to little more than shifting responsibility back onto parents.

If Apple truly prioritizes child safety, why can children still receive explicit content, easily workaround parental controls and use a device designed primarily for adults?

Before you trust the headlines, listen to what the experts have to say.

Safer options for your child: 
Get the Bark Phone! 
Monitor your child's iPhone with the Bark App.
Get the Bark Watch!