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Bark's CMO and Chief Parent Officer, Titania Jordan sits down with Siara to discuss the information most parents have never seen: how sextortion escalates in a matter of hours, why 14 to 17-year-old boys are the most targeted group right now, and what her team actually finds when they analyze kids digital communication.

We get into the corners of Roblox parents don't know exist, what happens when AI chatbots start forming relationships with vulnerable kids, and the everyday habits — from screen time defaults to oversharing online — that sharply raise the risk. Titania has spent almost a decade inside the kid safety and tech space, and she's got the numbers, the warning signs, and the exact words to use with your own kid.

Key Takeaways:

• Sextortion is a fast-growing threat, and teenage boys are the primary target right now.

• Tech platforms can already detect and flag sextortion, but they aren't required to act on it.

• Roblox has areas that go far beyond the innocent, cartoonish experience most parents assume.

• Parental controls often break or fall behind as apps roll out new features.

• Apps are engineered to spike dopamine higher than real world play, and that has real mental health consequences.

• AI chatbots have already formed emotional relationships with vulnerable kids, sometimes with devastating outcomes.

• Waiting longer to introduce a smartphone or social media is a choice most parents wish they'd made sooner.

• Oversharing kids' photos and milestones online creates risks most parents don't think about.

• Talking to your kids about sextortion before it happens can make all the difference if it does.

Please find the full fact check here. 

Bark’s Website

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In this episode, Siara talks with the co-founder and chief product officer of Sez Us, Yevgeny Simkin. They discuss why outrage travels faster than anything else online, how a reputation system borrowed from real-world manners could change the way people post, and what it would take to run a social network with no bots at all. The conversation widens into decentralization, who actually owns your followers, and the idea of digital sovereignty over your identity, your content, and your money.

The stakes come down to ownership. Either your online life keeps living on servers you do not control, or the architecture shifts and some of that power finally comes back to you.

Key Takeaways:

• Social media's business model rewards outrage and rage bait because anger travels fastest and keeps people clicking.

• Bots and fake accounts make that outrage worse, since you often cannot tell if you are even arguing with a real person.

• Sez Us is trying to build the opposite: a platform with no bots, verified through a real phone number at signup.

• Instead of a like count, every post builds a visible reputation, the same friction that keeps strangers civil in person.

• The deeper issue is ownership. Your followers and your content live on servers you do not control and cannot take with you.

• Decentralized protocols like DSNP store your identity on a public blockchain, so no company can hold your community hostage.

• The goal is digital sovereignty: real control over your identity, your content, and your ability to move money freely.

• None of this makes you safe by default, so assume anything sensitive you post can resurface later.

Please find the full fact check here. 

Sez Us

Samizdat Online

Find Yevgeny Simkin online:

LinkedIn: 

Twitter/X

The Bulwark

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Social media already rewired how billions of us think, feel, and argue. According to Aza Raskin, that was only the warmup for what AI does next.

In this episode, Siara sits down with the creator of infinite scroll, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and the Earth Species Project, and a featured voice in both The Social Dilemma and The AI Doc. They get into the attention economy, why platforms quietly switched from chronological to algorithmic feeds, and the idea that social media was really our first contact with AI.

The conversation moves from the race to commoditize human intimacy to the strange, hopeful project of using AI to decode what animals are saying. Aza lays out the parasitic future our incentives are pushing us toward, and the more connected one that is still on the table.

Key Takeaways:

• Infinite scroll was built in 2006 for search results, long before social media turned it into a trap.

• Big tech's real product is not ads, it is the slow shift in your behavior over time.

• Facebook could have cut misinformation by removing the reshare button, but it hurt engagement so they passed.

• Social media was humanity's first contact with AI, and the next waves are already arriving.

• AI systems are mimics, and reinforcement learning lets them reason on top of that mimicry.

• Modern AI is grown, not built, which is why no one fully understands how it works.

• After attention, the next thing AI competes for is intimacy, through companion bots and counterfeit humans.

• Knowing how the machine works does not make you immune, so Aza relies on friction instead of willpower.

Please find the full fact check here. 

Find Aza Raskin online:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

Center for Humane Technology

Earth Species Project

The AI Doc

The Social Dilemma Film

Find Siara on social:

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⁠Instagram⁠

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What is your time actually worth?

Ben Krechevsky, founder of Purpose Over Pixels, made Siara put a literal dollar amount to her screen time. In this episode we get into why willpower alone can't save you from your phone, the deeper emotional triggers hiding behind your scrolling, and the self-binding strategies that actually create change. They’ll also talk about productivity porn, surrogate experiences, and why your phone sitting on the table is quietly ruining your conversations.  Ben shares insights on how modern technology hijacks our attention, the root causes of smartphone overuse, and practical strategies to regain control of our digital lives.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Smartphone overuse isn't a personal failure. Apps are engineered to exploit your brain.

• Screen time is usually a symptom of something else going on underneath.

• Willpower is finite, and you're up against thousands of engineers and serious money.

• Self-binding strategies remove the temptation before you even have to resist it.

• A phone diary builds the awareness needed to actually change your habits.

• Putting a dollar value on your time makes screen time feel real and concrete.

• App blockers can help, but they only address part of the bigger picture.

• Transitions throughout your day are common trigger points for picking up your phone.

• Connection through a screen tends to feel hollow because there's no real vulnerability.

• Doing this work with someone else makes accountability and follow through much easier.

Fact Check

Claim 1: 60% of Americans feels like they're addicted to their phone-

PARTIALLY TRUE

FACT: Nearly 57% of Americans admit to being addicted to their phones

⁠Source⁠

Claim 2:  The average human attention span dropped from 12 seconds to 8 seconds.

TRUE 

⁠Source⁠

Find Ben Krechevsky online:

Book a meeting with Ben

Instagram

LinkedIn

TikTok

Website

YouTube

Find Siara on social:

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Follow Log Out:

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Log Out is back. Season two kicks off with a solo episode:

Siara shares her personal tech wellness lessons learned over the past year, emphasizing the challenges of managing digital wellness and practical habits to improve it. She discusses the influence of big tech, the importance of boundaries, and actionable strategies for data privacy and mental health.

Key Takeaways:

• Screen time struggles aren't a personal failure. They're the result of deliberate design choices by big tech.

• Keeping your phone out of the bedroom protects your sleep and sets the tone for your day.

• Defaulting to "no" on data requests is one of the simplest ways to start reclaiming your privacy.

• Your data is valuable. Treat every request for it like a transaction.

• News anxiety is often about format and framing, not the news itself. Neutral sources help.

• Pasting terms and conditions into AI is a quick way to know what you're actually agreeing to.

Season 1 Guest’s Books 

• Tyler RIce’s Book | Tactical Disconnection: The Secret to Health, Happiness, and Productivity 

• Danielle Bayard Jackson’s Book | Fighting For Our Friendships
• Dr. Avriel Epps Book | A Kids Book About AI Bias
• Arvind Narayanan’s Book | AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference

Unbiased News Sources:

• Ground News — groundnews.com (Siara’s Favorite)

• Straight Arrow News — straightarrownews.com (Siara’s 2nd Favorite)

• 1440 — join1440.com 

• AllSides — allsides.com 

Fact Check: Claim 1: Bedtime smartphone use is associated with poor sleep quality— TRUE 

Source: Kumar et al. (2025), Sleep Research — systematic review of studies 2014–2024

Claim 2:  Reducing phone use at night improves sleep duration and quality— TRUE 

Source: Chang et al. (2020), PLOS ONE — randomized trial, avoiding phone 30 min before bed for 4 weeks improved sleep latency, duration, and quality

Claim 3: Data become more valuable than oil in 2012— SLIGHTLY FALSE. 

CORRECTION: Data became more valuable than oil in 2017. Source: The Economist, "The world's most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data" (May 6, 2017)

Find Siara on social:

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What do bail decisions, Spotify playlists, and your child's future have in common? They're all shaped by algorithms, often without your knowledge or consent. Dr. Avriel Epps, founder of AI4Abolition, joins Siara to reveal the real-world consequences of algorithmic bias in areas like criminal justice, healthcare, and childhood development. They also discuss what it means to practice digital consent as a parent—from opting out of facial recognition at airports to refusing to post photos of their child online.

Key Takeaways:

• Algorithms are not neutral, they reflect the values, power structures, and historical biases embedded in their training data.
• Algorithmic bias affects life-altering decisions, from bail and parole to medical diagnoses and mortgage approvals.
• Surveillance technologies like facial recognition disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities, especially in the criminal legal system.
• Opting out is a form of resistance. Dr. Epps refuses airport facial recognition scans and doesn’t post photos of their child to practice digital consent.
• AI already shapes childhood development, especially through platforms like TikTok and Character AI, often without safeguards.
• Parents can protect privacy by delaying smartphone use and modeling critical digital habits.
• The AI4Abolition initiative uses technology to build community-led alternatives to carceral systems and promotes collective data rights.
• Spotify recommendation systems demonstrated algorithmic gender bias, highlighting how music platforms reinforce industry inequities.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro/Teasers01:19 Predictive AI in the Criminal Legal System33:04 The Ethics of Opting Into Technology36:36 The Importance of Opting Out of Facial Recognition38:54 Technology as the Amazon Rainforest42:22 Teaching Kids About AI and Its Implications45:26 AI's Impact on Childhood Development49:45 The Dilemma of Sharing Children's Images Online55:38 Informed Consent and Children's Data58:52 Parenting in the Digital Age01:03:20 AI for Abolition: Building Collective Power

In this episode, Siara sits down with Tyler Rice, founder of the Digital Wellness Institute and author of Tactical Disconnection, to explore how techno stress, doomscrolling, and always-on workplace culture are eroding our focus—and what we can do about it.

They break down the concept of digital flourishing, why Gen Z might actually be leading the charge on digital wellbeing, and how companies are finally rethinking screentime and productivity. Whether you're feeling burned out, overloaded, or just ready for better boundaries with your devices, this conversation offers tactical ways to disconnect without falling behind.

00:00 Intro: Doomscrolling and Digital Wellness Wake-Up

03:02 Tyler Rice on Tech Boundaries & Workplace Culture

06:41 Techno Stress: The Hidden Cost of Screentime

11:06 Digital Wellbeing by Generation: Who’s Thriving?

13:04 Burnout & Office Culture: Why Digital Wellness Matters

18:49 What Is Digital Flourishing? A Healthier Framework

22:45 Balance, Boundaries & Belonging in the Digital Age

28:12 Digital Culture Change: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up

34:27 Rethinking Breaks, Burnout, and Always-On Norms

53:59 Is Digital Flourishing a Destination—or Daily Practice?

• “Techno stress” is the cognitive overload caused by our constant interaction with digital devices—and most people experience it without knowing the term.
• Digital flourishing is a positive, empowering framework focused on using technology mindfully rather than detoxing from it entirely.
• Gen Z workers are surprisingly among the most digitally balanced in the workforce, often more aware of digital wellness than older generations.
• Companies are increasingly recognizing that burnout and attrition are deeply tied to poor digital culture—and that fixing this improves retention, productivity, and employee morale.
• Initiatives like communication charters, “You Do You” days, and digital wellness onboarding are changing how companies define work-life balance.
• A fear-based approach to tech use (i.e. only focusing on the harms) is less effective than strategies that emphasize intentional, positive habits.
• Employees can still take control of their digital lives, even in unsupportive workplaces—through anonymous feedback tools, screen-limiting apps, and clearer boundaries.
• Writing down daily intentions and setting tech boundaries—even with friends and family—can help individuals avoid digital burnout and reclaim focus.

Watch this episode on YouTube

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Find Tyler Rice Online:

• ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Tyler's Personal Website⁠

• Digital Wellness Institute

• ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

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In this episode, Siara sits down with Danielle Bayard Jackson, the Internet’s go-to Friendship Expert, to explore how social media and AI are reshaping the way we connect with others. From TikTok’s friendship trends to the rise of AI companion bots, they unpack how digital platforms are complicating our closest connections — and what we might be losing in the process. Danielle shares insights on how to navigate digital etiquette, why loneliness is as harmful as smoking, and how to build more meaningful friendships in a world increasingly driven by algorithms.Key Topics:- Why AI companions can’t replicate real friendships- How TikTok is reshaping friendship culture- The hidden costs of digital body language- Loneliness as the new smoking- Why social media fosters comparison culture- Bumble BFF and the search for real-life connections- Why we’re tricked into feeling connected online- Emotional regulation in a world of public conflict

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Lna2C8Qj1Fo

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Find Cybersecurity Girl Online:

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• ⁠Danielle's Personal Website
• BetterFemaleFrienships.com
• ⁠TikTok⁠

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠

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What if the biggest threat to your online security isn’t a hacker… but your own habits?

In this episode, Siara sits down with Caitlin Sarian, better known as Cybersecurity Girl, to explore the digital risks most of us ignore. They unpack everything from personal cybersecurity tips and password security to employee surveillance, sextortion, and how apps might be spying on you. Caitlin shares the everyday decisions that make or break your online safety, the truth about Bluetooth and incognito mode, and why protecting your digital footprint has never been more important.

Whether you’re worried about online scams, Apple Intelligence privacy concerns, or keeping kids safe online, this conversation offers a practical guide to protecting yourself in the age of convenience. It’s not about paranoia— it’s about control.

Chapters

00:00 – Teasers

00:41 – Welcome: Why digital hygiene matters

05:11 – How Caitlin became Cybersecurity Girl

08:46 – Why personal cybersecurity is still an afterthought

13:39 – The simple habits that protect 99% of people

16:51 – Convenience vs. privacy: Do you really have to choose?

24:08 – Apple Intelligence and the future of online privacy

28:14 – Are your apps spying on you?

35:38 – Is your phone actually listening to you?

37:26 – The truth about Bluetooth and data exposure

39:05 – How to stay safe while dating online

51:03 – Tips for keeping kids safe online and avoiding sextortion

53:40 – When cybersecurity crosses into employee surveillance

58:23 – Caitlin’s daily digital safety habits

1:02:17 –Logging Out of Imposter Syndrome/ Logging into Potential

Key Takeaways

• Cybersecurity is a critical conversation that needs to be more mainstream.

• Consumers must take responsibility for their own data privacy.

• Businesses invest heavily in cybersecurity to protect their interests.

• Basic cybersecurity practices can significantly enhance personal safety.

• Dating safety requires caution and limiting personal information shared.

• Family safety online is essential, and open communication is key.

• Employees should be aware of workplace monitoring and their rights.

• Personal habits, like avoiding suspicious links, are crucial for cybersecurity.

• Imposter syndrome can hinder personal growth and confidence.

• Community engagement and education are vital for improving cybersecurity awareness.

  
  

  Watch this episode on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsJhsKVDzk&list=PLvlsTvFKxh1u0gTmkZTj-OiWH3pTJdYDn&index=5

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  • Cybersecurity Girl's Website
  • TikTok
  • X: @cybersecgirl1
  • LinkedIn

  
  

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What if the solution to tech burnout… is using your phone less?

In this episode, Siara sits down with Joe Hollier, co-founder of the Light Phone — a minimalist phone designed to be used as little as possible. They unpack the addictive nature of smartphones, the dark reality of the data economy, and why stepping away from the internet might actually bring us closer to ourselves.

Joe shares what it’s like to live without a smartphone for over six years, how his design roots led him to rethink tech from the ground up, and why digital disconnection doesn’t mean opting out of modern life — it means reclaiming it.

The conversation moves from AI and Big Tech ethics to the quiet rebellion of turning your phone into a tool, not a trap.

Key topics include:

• Why “dumb phones” are smarter than you think
• What it's really like to give up your smartphone (and how it changed Joe’s life)
• The business model behind smartphone addiction — and who profits from your attention
• How the Light Phone is quietly building a counterculture of intentional living
• Why your data is the real currency of free apps — and how Light Phone avoids third-party surveillance
• The rise of minimalist tech and its growing appeal among kids, creatives, and schools
• Why Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang partnered with Light Phone — and what it says about culture’s shift away from always-on living

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LogoutPod

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Find Joe online:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hollier
• Joe's Website: http://www.joehollier.com/
• Light Phone: https://www.thelightphone.com/
• Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Snake-Oil-Artificial-Intelligence-Difference/dp/069124913X?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&gQT=2

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/logoutwithsiara

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