Scrolling 2 Death

Nicki Petrossi
  • 4.7 (51)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 18h ago

    How AI Is Impacting Kids: What Every Parent Needs to Know (with Titania Jordan)

    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!

  2. 6d ago

    The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: The Evidence (with attorney Previn Warren)

    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

    The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: The Evidence (with attorney Previn Warren)

  3. Jul 6

    The Heat is On...DC: How many more? (with parent survivor Amy Neville)

    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.

    The Heat is On...DC: How many more? (with parent survivor Amy Neville)

  4. Jun 29

    The Heat is On...Snapchat (One Week on Snapchat as a 7th Grader)

    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 friendsSexualized comments on videos featuring childrenDrug sellers and explicit creators suggested to minorsContent promoting self-harm, violence, and disordered eatingConcerns 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

    The Heat is On...Snapchat (One Week on Snapchat as a 7th Grader)

  5. Jun 22

    Is the iPhone Finally Safe for Kids? (with Titania Jordan & Chris McKenna)

    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!

  6. Jun 15

    The Heat is On...Apple (powered by child sexual abuse)

    Apple has built its brand on privacy, trust, and innovation. But when it comes to protecting children, has the company done enough? In this episode of The Heat Is On, hosts Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner examine Apple's long and controversial history with child safety. While Apple recently announced new parental controls and family safety features at WWDC 2026, critics say the company continues to ignore one of the most urgent child protection issues on its platform: the presence of known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in iCloud. Sarah shares her decade-long experience pushing Apple to address the problem, including behind-the-scenes conversations with the company, Apple's abandoned 2021 CSAM detection initiative, and the ongoing debate between privacy and child protection. The discussion also explores Apple's role in hosting AI nudify apps, concerns about App Store safety, and the direct-action campaigns that have brought survivors, advocates, and national media attention to Apple's doorstep. Sign the petition asking Apple to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material. The hosts break down Apple's latest child safety announcements, what they could mean for families, and why advocates say parents should wait for independent testing before assuming the new protections will work as promised. If one of the world's most powerful technology companies can't find a way to protect both privacy and children, what does that mean for the rest of the tech industry? In this episode: Apple's history of refusing to detect known CSAM in iCloudWhy child safety advocates supported Apple's abandoned 2021 detection planThe scale of online child sexual abuse material and its impact on survivorsApple's App Store, AI nudify apps, and deepfake child exploitation concernsThe direct-action campaigns pressuring Apple to changeA breakdown of Apple's newly announced parental controls and safety featuresWhat parents should know before trusting Big Tech's safety promises The Heat is On is a Scrolling 2 Death production in partnership with Heat Initiative. Editing provided by Jacob Meade.

    The Heat is On...Apple (powered by child sexual abuse)

  7. May 25

    New Data Exposes the School Tech Crisis (with Titania Jordan)

    When schools hand children Chromebooks, iPads, Google accounts, and Microsoft Teams access, what’s really happening behind the screen? In this eye-opening conversation, Titania Jordan joins Nicki Petrossi to reveal alarming new data from Bark Technologies’s monitoring of school-issued technology used by millions of students across the U.S. The findings are staggering: 12% of children encountered cyberbullying 3.74% encountered instances of depression7.46% encountered discussion or content related to suicidal ideation, imminent suicide or self-harm39.83% of students encountered violent content22% were exposed to drug-related content10.77% encountered sexual content11.64% encountered medically-concerning content2.69% encountered hate speech0.23% encountered body image content1.79% encountered anxiety-related content They discuss how students are using Google Docs like disappearing-message apps, why schools are struggling to keep up, and what parents can do right now to better protect their children. This episode is a wake-up call for parents, educators, school administrators, and policymakers about the unintended consequences of putting addictive, poorly protected technology into children’s hands. Get Bark for Schools (for free!) Get the Bark Phone Parents Templates and Resources at Tech-Safe Learning

  8. May 18

    The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: Beyond the Headlines (with Kaley’s lead attorney Mark Lanier)

    Legendary trial attorney Mark Lanier joins Nicki and Sarah for an emotional, behind-the-scenes look at the landmark social media addiction trial that ended in a jury verdict against Meta and YouTube. For nearly two months, we sat inside the Los Angeles courtroom documenting every moment — filling 589 pages of notes as grieving parents, advocates, reporters, jurors, and teams of attorneys battled over one central question: did these platforms knowingly build products that addict children, like Kaley? In this deeply personal interview, Mark breaks down exactly how the case was won, why Snapchat and TikTok settled just before trial, and what the jury ultimately decided about Kaley, the young woman at the center of the case. He also reveals shocking moments the public never saw — defense witnesses backing out, chaos inside the courthouse, the strategy behind avoiding a billion-dollar “runaway verdict,” and the cross-examinations that changed everything. The episode also revisits some of the most unforgettable lines from the trial, responding directly to claims made in court by executives and attorneys from Meta and YouTube. But this conversation is bigger than one verdict. It’s about children, addiction, grief, corporate power, and the parents fighting back against trillion-dollar tech companies. Mark shares what he believes this case means for the future of Big Tech accountability, why he calls it a defining trial of the 21st century, and the message he hopes families around the world take away from Kaley's story. The episode closes with a powerful discussion about parenting, love, and why human connection may be the strongest defense families have against platforms designed to exploit vulnerability. If you followed this trial in real time — or if you’re just beginning to understand what these platforms are doing to children — this is an episode you won’t forget. Here's a link to the actual verdict forms that the jury completed. Video Editing expertly provided by Jacob Meade.

    The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial: Beyond the Headlines (with Kaley’s lead attorney Mark Lanier)
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4.7
out of 5
51 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicki Petrossi
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    323
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicki Petrossi
  • Show Website
    Scrolling 2 Death

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