Scrolling 2 Death

We saw The Social Reckoning—and we have a lot to say.

Sarah Gardner (of Heat Initiative) and I got an early look at The Social Reckoning, and even after everything we thought we knew about Meta, we walked away with a deeper understanding of how Facebook became so powerful, addictive, and harmful. We talk about what surprised us, the bravery of Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, what the film reveals about Meta’s decisions, and why this story matters so much to parents right now.

Stay tuned for a direct conversation with Frances Haugen on Scrolling 2 Death (coming soon).

When is your child ready for their first phone or watch—and how do you make that transition without handing over too much, too soon?

In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist Dr. Carrie Mackensen and Titania Jordan of Bark Technologies for a very real conversation about giving our kids their first devices.

We talk about the iPad that often comes before the first phone, why “educational” screen time isn’t necessarily harmless, and how devices can quietly become a crutch for both kids and parents.

I also get personal about my own daughter and her Bark Watch—and whether being able to reach me when she feels uncomfortable might actually be keeping her from developing confidence and independence. Dr. Carrie has some powerful advice for parents navigating that exact tension.

We also tackle the questions parents are asking right now: Bark Watch vs. Apple Watch. Bark Phone vs. iPhone. How much should we monitor? Should we track our kids? What happens when co-parents have completely different tech rules? And what do you do when your child desperately wants the same smartphone all their friends have?

Most importantly, we talk about how to introduce a device as a tool—not a portal to the internet—and how to protect the parent-child relationship as our kids gain more independence.

Because there is no perfect age or one-size-fits-all answer. But there is a way to be thoughtful about this transition—and to give our kids the tools they need without giving them more technology than they’re ready to handle.

⭐️ Phone Agreement Template from Dr. Carrie

When it's time for your child to have a device, please choose the safest option for kids -- a Bark device:
⭐️ Get the Bark Phone! ‍
⭐️ Get the Bark Watch!

What happens when Big Tech gets to decide what our kids learn?

Technology companies have worked their way into our schools—not just providing the devices and software, but influencing curriculum, training teachers, lobbying lawmakers, and shaping what educators are told our kids need to succeed.

In this episode, I sit down with NY Times journalist Natasha Singer, author of Coding Kids, to unpack how the tech industry sold America on the idea that every child needed to code—and how that same playbook is now being used to push AI into our classrooms.

We talk about the viral video featuring Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates that helped launch the coding movement, the billions of dollars and political influence behind computer science education, tech companies recruiting teachers as brand ambassadors, and what happens when the companies building the technology also help decide how it's taught.

And then we get to AI. Are we asking whether AI actually benefits kids—or are we simply being told that an “AI-first future” is inevitable and our schools need to prepare for it.

Natasha also introduces a powerful alternative: Tech Civics—teaching kids not just how to use technology, but how to question it. Who built it? Who profits? Who benefits? Who could be harmed? And what happens when technology becomes too powerful to challenge?

This conversation isn't about keeping technology out of schools. It's about making sure kids—not technology companies—are at the center of decisions about their education.

What happens when two parents who have spent years saying “not yet” to devices finally decide their kids are ready?

In this conversation, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner share their very personal experiences giving their oldest children a first device — the Bark Watch — and why they chose a tool designed for communication without opening the door to social media, browsers, games, or endless scrolling.

Joined by Bark Technologies’ Titania Jordan, they talk honestly about what parents are really trying to solve when they give a child a device: staying connected, managing anxiety around pickups and activities, traveling apart, and giving kids a little more independence — without handing them a smartphone.

But the conversation goes much deeper. They explore whether constant access to parents can actually get in the way of building resilience, when a watch should become a phone, why delaying smartphones is becoming more normalized, and the uncomfortable reality that even adults struggle to resist addictive technology.

They also discuss Apple, addictive design, the need for regulation, and what a healthier relationship with technology could look like for both kids and parents.

Most importantly, the three moms share the advice they would give before handing a child their first device — including one message every child should hear: If something goes wrong online, come talk to me. I won't be mad.

Because the goal isn't to keep our kids away from technology forever. It's to give them the least amount of technology necessary to solve the problem at hand.‍

‍Get the Bark Phone! 
Monitor your child's iPhone with the Bark App.
Get the Bark Watch!

What can parents actually do when their child's school is using too much technology?

In the final episode of our Ask the Experts: School Tech Edition back-to-school series, I'm joined by Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant, a former middle school teacher, parent, author, and longtime advocate for healthier technology use in schools.

Using questions submitted by parents, we tackle some of the biggest challenges families are facing: excessive screen time, school-issued laptops, i-Ready and other EdTech platforms, YouTube access, AI embedded in school devices, opting out, student privacy, and what to do when a school simply says no.

Emily offers practical advice for parents who want to push back without making teachers' jobs harder—and challenges us to rethink the way we approach school technology.

Instead of asking schools, "Can I opt out?", she suggests a different approach:

"I decline this technology until you can show me that it is effective, safe, legal, and better than teacher-led instruction—and that the evidence is independent, verifiable, and replicable."

We also talk about why hearing "no" from your school doesn't have to be the end of the conversation, how parents can organize with other families, when to take concerns to the school board, and why incremental change matters.

And Emily makes an important distinction: she isn't anti-technology. She's pro–technology education, not educational technology. Children need to learn how technology works, how to think critically about it, and how to use it responsibly—but that doesn't mean they need unrestricted access to technology throughout their childhood.

As Emily puts it, "The best preparation for a digital future is an analog childhood."

If you've been wondering how to protect your child's childhood and education in an increasingly digital school environment, this episode is for you.

Emily's Substack: First Fish Chronicles 
Emily's Unplug EdTech Toolkitl
Scimago Journal Ranking Tool
How to Vet Screentime Research: A 7-Step Checklist from Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath
Substack: What a Recent FTC Amicus Brief Means for EdTech
How to Vet Screentime Research: A 7-Step Checklist from Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath
The Reckoning-- essay about Alpha
Get your copy of The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney-Horvath here.
7 Ways to Advocate for a Tech-Safe School Year (A Parent Action Guide)
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You can find dozens of parent templates for school tech advocacy at Tech-Safe Learning.

This is the final episode of our four-part Ask the Experts: School Tech Edition mini-series, where we've brought your biggest back-to-school questions to leading experts in neuroscience, education, online safety, and child development.

This special series is made possible through a generous donation from Buckets Over Bullying, a nonprofit organization committed to eliminating cyberbullying among children and teens. For additional resources, parent guides, and tools to help you advocate for healthier technology in schools, visit techsafelearning.org.