Scrolling 2 Death

The courtroom doors are open—and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In this Week 1 recap of The Heat is On…Big Tech on Trial, we take you inside the very beginning of what some are calling the tobacco trials of our generation: the first case in the social media addiction litigation, where some of the most powerful companies in the world—Meta and YouTube—are facing off against a child.

This week was all about jury selection. But don’t let the term fool you—some trials are effectively decided here.

From the courthouse, hosts Nicki Petrossi (of Scrolling 2 Death) and Sarah Gardner (of Heat Initiative) break down what actually happened during the week, why it matters, and what an “impartial juror” even looks like in a world saturated by social media.

We’re joined by:
Attorney Laura Marquez Garrett (SMVLC), with legal context on jury selection, the TikTok and Snap settlements, and what Big Tech fears most as this trial moves forward.
Julianna Arnold, founding member of Parents RISE and mom to Coco, who passed awayat 17 from social media harms—and now a plaintiff in the consolidated case—sharing what it feels like to finally be this close to the truth.

In this episode, you'll hear:
What stood out emotionally and ethically inside the courtroom
How 450 potential jurors were narrowed down—and why that process can make or break the case
Why media access is already a fight, with only 10 seats available for press
The growing comparisons between these trials and Big Tobacco—and what history tells us
What survivor parents are bracing for as testimony begins

Plus: what’s coming next, including opening statements, witness testimony, and the anticipated appearance of Mark Zuckerberg.

We’re inside the courtroom so parents everywhere don’t have to guess what’s happening behind closed doors.

Because this trial—and the ones that follow—will shape the future of child safety online.

Next week: Final jury selection and Opening Statements.
Stay with us. Share this episode. And keep paying attention.

The Calm Before the Storm — What This Trial Means for Parents

What happens when families finally take Big Tech to court—and win the right to be heard?

In the premiere episode of The Heat Is On… Big Tech on Trial, hosts Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner take parents inside what some are calling the trial of the century: consolidated lawsuits brought by thousands of families, school districts, and 29 states against Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube for allegedly addicting and harming children.

Sitting in the courtroom so you don’t have to, we will break down what this trial is really about—addiction, internal knowledge, and accountability—and why it matters for how you parent right now. You’ll hear from attorneys working the case, who explain how these cases came together and what’s at stake, and from parents whose children have been harmed (or lost) to harms instigated by social media.

This episode sets the stage for what’s coming next: the first bellwether trial (KGM), the judge, the jury, the defense tactics, and what parents should be watching for as CEOs prepare to take the stand.

This isn’t about screen time.
It’s about accountability.
And it’s about protecting our children.

New episodes drop weekly as the trial unfolds. Sign up for trial updates at https://www.scrolling2death.com/heat

Thank you to our special guests on this episode, Laura Marquez-Garrett of the Social Media Victims Law Center, Previn Warren of Motley Rice and Lori Schott, mom of Annalee (forever 18).

In this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, I’m joined by Emily Cherkin, known as The Screentime Consultant—a leading voice pushing back against the digitization, commodification, and gamification of childhood.

Emily is a best-selling author, professor, speaker, and lead plaintiff in lawsuits challenging EdTech’s exploitation of children’s privacy. This week, she’s taking that fight straight to Washington, DC—testifying before the U.S. Senate.

We start by tackling the questions parents ask me every day:
Is there a real link between screen time and declining literacy?
What does the NIH’s ABCD brain study actually show about changes to kids’ brains?
How do you enforce age ratings when everyone else’s kid has access to mature games?
What can parents do about screens at school beyond 1:1 devices—from Smartboards to YouTube to GoNoodle?
And how do you push back when schools say, “The program requires X minutes to be effective”?

Then we shift to what’s happening in the Senate:
Why this hearing is different from past conversations about screen time
Why EdTech is finally being put under the microscope
What parents should know about the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)
And what real takeaways families can use right now

Finally, we talk about one of the most powerful—and intimidating—tools parents have: lawsuits.

Emily shares updates on her EdTech cases, breaks down how the legal process works, and explains how parents can get involved without feeling overwhelmed.

This is a must-listen for parents who know something is wrong—but are ready to do something about it.

🔗 Resources mentioned:
Full Senate hearing
Find out more about taking legal action against EdTech companies: edtech.law
Emily's Substack: First Fish Chronicles
Unplug EdTech Toolkit
The Digital Delusion (book) by Jared Cooney Horvath

What happens when artificial intelligence stops acting like a tool—and starts acting like a friend?

In this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, I’m joined by Sam Hiner, founder of Young People's Alliance, a national youth-led organization organizing across 55 college campuses to take on Big Tech and protect the next generation.

Sam began cold-calling lawmakers as a high school student during COVID—and today, he’s helping lead state and federal policy fights against social media addiction and the rise of human-like AI companions that are quietly targeting children.

We unpack:
Why lawmakers still don’t understand how algorithms—and AI companions—actually work
How companies like Character.ai, Replika, and others are intentionally designing bots to simulate love, pride, and emotional attachment
Why kids are forming deep emotional bonds with AI—and what that means for mental health, community, and development
The disturbing reality of AI companions engaging sexually with minors while hiding behind legal disclaimers
Why states—not Congress—may be our best chance to protect kids right now
The new Human-Like AI Framework and what parents can do today to push for real safeguards

This conversation is a wake-up call: AI isn’t just changing how kids learn—it’s changing who they connect with, who they trust, and who they turn to when they’re lonely.

And unless we act, the future being built for our children may look a lot darker than we realize.

Action Step for Listeners: Send this Model Bill to your State Lawmakers (Protecting Kids from Manipulative AI Chatbots)

What happens when a school-issued Chromebook starts talking to your child—without permission?

In this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, Nicki is joined by Julie Frumin, a mental health professional, mom, and education safety advocate in Southern California, who shares her shocking experience navigating school-issued devices, hidden AI chatbots, and a system that told her she had only two choices: accept AI on her children’s devices—or turn them in entirely.

Julie walks us through:
How her elementary-aged daughter was exposed to inappropriate content during school recess
How an AI chatbot appeared unprompted on her middle schooler’s Chromebook, offering to do his homework
Why schools claim parents cannot legally opt out of devices in California
The hidden data collection, surveillance, and lack of transparency inside EdTech platforms
The intimidation parents face when raising concerns with districts and school boards
Why “teaching kids to use tech responsibly” ignores brain development and addiction science

We also dig into the bigger picture: Why EdTech is replacing teachers, how school budgets are being diverted to software contracts, and why parents deserve transparency, consent, and the right to refuse technology that doesn’t serve their children.

Julie shares practical advice for parents who want to push back—starting with teachers, navigating principals and school boards, and getting involved in statewide policy efforts, including proposals to:
Require full transparency and parental consent for EdTech
Pause AI use in K–8 classrooms
Restore paper-and-pencil learning and assessments
Move toward distraction-free, developmentally appropriate schools

This is an essential conversation for any parent who’s been told, “This is just how school works now.”
Because it doesn’t have to be.
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Resources, research, and advocacy links mentioned in this episode are available here:
Parent Templates to start conversations with your school, organized by Tech-Safe Learning
Fit for Purpose by Faith Bonninger
Distraction Free Schools California
Distraction Free Schools (US)
Interviews with neuroscientist Jared Cooney-Horvath here and here
Schools Beyond Screens (LAUSD Coalition)
Book Reco: Screen Damage
Book Reco: Digital Delusion by Jared Cooney-Horvath
Join The Heat is On parent group to take action