When Chromebooks hit the market in 2010, they were a flop. Desperate to avoid significant losses, a savvy group of Google executives struck a deal with educators to provide Chromebooks to schools. “To help children build 21st century skills,” they said. Instead, we’re uncovering a growing number of harms and real-life tragedies caused by school devices.  

The problem? A Chromebook is essentially just a ‘browser in a box,’ giving kids unlimited – and often unsupervised - internet access. Meanwhile, the data collection behind these devices is unclear, with schools in charge of ‘opting in’ for our children. But does your school understand how this data is used? Do you

Andy Liddell of EdTech Law Center joins Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death to discuss the risks of school-issued devices and share ways parents can protect their kids from exploitative tech.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued tech

[Book] The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

[Book] Means of Control

[Book] Weapons of Math Destruction

About Andy Liddell:

Andy Liddell is a career federal courts litigator and technology attorney. Before joining the EdTech Law Center in early 2025, he spent 15 years helping clients resolve complex, multimillion-dollar disputes involving patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Andy is also a dedicated advocate for youth digital civil rights. As a longtime member of the Children’s Screentime Action Network, Andy has testified before state and federal legislators in support of bills designed to better protect children online. He has also worked to persuade regulators to more vigorously enforce the laws currently on the books to protect kids and families. As part of his legal practice, Andy has provided pro bono legal services to Fairplay, a nonprofit, independent voice for children, as well as to Frances Haugen, who exposed Facebook’s practices of putting profits over the lives of young people.

He is proud to join Julie, his wife and law partner, in the fight for the rights and wellbeing of students, parents, teachers, and school districts against exploitative technology companies. Andy strives to create a world where technology helps people flourish, using litigation to align corporate incentives with the things people need to thrive.

This episode is dedicated to the life of Avery Ping, forever 16.

Avery's dad, Aaron Ping, joins Nicki on Scrolling 2 Death to expose the dark reality of social media’s role in the fentanyl crisis, focusing on the devastating loss of Aaron’s son, Avery. Avery’s death was not a tragic accident—it was the direct result of drug dealers operating with impunity on Snapchat. In this gripping conversation, Aaron shares his painful journey through the legal system following Avery's death. Nicki and Aaron dissect the failures of the Snapchat platform, the broken bail system that allows dealers to walk free, and the urgent need for laws like the Kids Online Safety Act to hold tech companies accountable. This discussion is a wake-up call for parents, lawmakers, and anyone who believes social media should not be a hunting ground for criminals. The episode ends with a powerful call to action: it’s time to demand change before more lives are lost.

The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech.

Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week:

• Facebook Whistleblower Releases Tell-All Memoir (and Meta silences her)
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (a recap)
• Community Notes on Meta - What to expect
• [STUDY] Virtal TikTok Videos on ADHD Spread Misinformation
• State of Massachusetts Sues TikTok
• Former NYC Teacher Solicits Sexual Images from Children on Snapchat
• NYC Man Sexually Assaults 13-year-old He Met on Snapchat
• [STUDY] Your Brain on AI

This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies.

Learn about the Bark Phone.

Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids. *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF

Learn about the Bark Watch.

In this eye-opening episode, Nicki Reisberg and Denise Champney dive deep into the growing influence of technology in education—unpacking both its false promises and its perils. With schools increasingly reliant on screens and AI-powered tools, what’s being lost? From the risks of inappropriate content slipping through school devices to the hidden dangers of data collection and declining critical thinking skills, this conversation challenges the blind adoption of EdTech. 

Nicki and Denise advocate for a smarter, more balanced approach—one that prioritizes traditional learning methods, safeguards student privacy, and empowers parents to push back against excessive screen time. Could the key to better education be a return to paper, books, and real-world interaction? All signs point to yes.

Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued tech

Workgroups at Fairplay - Screens in School

Denise's Substack

About Denise Champney

Denise Champney is a school based speech language pathologist with over 25 years experience working in the public school setting supporting students in grades K-12. She is also the owner of a small private practice supporting children and adults with social skill development. Denise created the Educational Technology Industrial Complex timeline for Environmental Progress and is a work group member of the screens in schools action network through Fairplay. She writes about the negative impacts of big tech on education for her substack, From Someone Else's Shoes.

This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies:

Learn about the Bark Phone.

Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids.

*Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF

Learn about the Bark Watch.

In this episode, I sit down (virtually) with Lauren Paer, Programs Manager for Fairplay’s Screen Time Action Network, to unpack the complicated relationship between education and technology. We dive into the growing presence of EdTech in classrooms—how it’s shaping learning, where it’s helping (and where it’s hurting), and what parents really need to know.

Lauren and I tackle big questions: Is all this screen time actually making kids better learners, or is it just a distraction? What are the hidden risks—like data privacy concerns and the way certain tools impact focus and creativity? We also explore how AI is changing the way kids write, read, and think, and why empathy and human connection still matter in a tech-driven world.

Plus, if you’re a parent wondering how to push back against harmful tech in schools, we’ve got you covered. Lauren shares practical advocacy tips, including legal resources you can tap into if your child’s education is being compromised.

Tech-safe Learning Coalition (TLC) - Resources for parents related to school-issued tech

Who's Raising the Kids by Dr. Susan Linn

Workgroups at Fairplay

Screens & Learning Action Kit by Fairplay

Lauren is passionate about helping families raise healthy children in our screen-saturated society. As Programs Manager for Fairplay’s Screen Time Action Network, she supports the heart of the Network, its work groups and their impactful initiatives. Before joining Fairplay, she worked on screen time legislation and hosted the show, Screen Time Reset. Lauren studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania and worked on Wall Street in a previous life. She now splits her time between the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and her hometown of Honolulu, where she enjoys hiking, attending workshops/conferences on a wide array of topics, and spending time with her friends and family.

Meta has silenced Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, winning an emergency ruling to stop her from telling her story. 

Sarah worked directly with Facebook executives for 7 years and describes the dark realities of working at Facebook in her new book, Careless People. I was booked to interview Sarah here on Scrolling 2 Death this morning, March 13th, but the interview was canceled following the ruling. Since we are unable to hear from Sarah directly, I'm giving you a few highlights here and encourage you to purchase her book and hear her story first-hand. 

 Kate Doerksen, co-founder of Sage Haven, appears on Scrolling 2 Death to share insights from her research on tech challenges families are facing. After witnessing her family member suffer from a mental health crisis caused by bullying and harmful social media interactions, Kate interviewed hundreds of parents, youth, and child psychologists to try to find a solution to the harms of the current digital landscape.

Key themes indicate families struggle with screen addiction and screen-time disputes.  A surprising discovery shows that kids are messaging online as early as second grade. Despite not having a phone, they access YouTube and messages from family tablets and smartwatches. These activities may seem harmless, but parental supervision and guidance is key - especially at a young age.  

Kate believes parents need help creating a slow, safe onramp to technology for their children. That’s why Kate created Sage Chat, a new app that will give kids a safer way to message and empower parents to take a phased approach to supervising online activity. Tune in to hear more about Kate’s research and resources to help parents.

This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies.

Learn about the Bark Phone.

Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids.

*Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF

Learn about the Bark Watch.

Nicki Reisberg and Titania Jordan dive into the real impact of technology on parenting and kids’ mental health, sharing insight from a recent lecture by Jonathan Haidt they attended in Santa Barbara, CA. 

They also break down the biggest digital dangers kids face today though Bark's new Annual Report—like exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and online predators. With so many challenges, parents are left trying to figure out how to make the best tech choices for their kids. This conversation sheds light on safer solutions, including those from Bark Technologies, and encourages parents to take action in protecting their children while promoting healthier digital habits.

Bark Annual Report: https://www.bark.us/annual-report-2024/

[Book] The Anxious Generation: https://www.theanxiousgeneration.com

[Book] Parental Control: https://www.titaniajordan.com/resources/parental-control

This episode is sponsored by Bark Technologies. 

• Learn about the Bark Phone
• Learn about the Bark App for iPhones and Androids  *Use code SCROLLING2DEATH FOR 10% OFF
• Learn about the Bark Watch 

Many people ask if there’s a safer social media option. Until now, we’ve said no. But there’s hope on the horizon: ⁠scrollhappy.com⁠. Founded by Nick Rotola, who was appalled by the lack of ethics in big tech and concerned for his daughter’s future, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Up (the parent co of ⁠scrollhappy.com⁠) hired top engineers from Meta - who were equally concerned for their children's future -  to build a science-backed algorithm that will uplift users, not addict them. Their KPIs won’t be ‘maximize time spent’ but instead ‘maximize happiness.’ Clinical experts on his team are using brain scans to promote content that boosts mood and removes proven toxic content traps like porn, politics, anorexia, and unrealistic lifestyles.

While we don’t love the idea of our kids spending their time scrolling, we’d much rather them have an option to “scroll happy.” Tune in to hear Nick of Up and Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death talk more about this promising new social movement.

Nick Rotola is a Father, Husband, and Serial Entrepreneur. As a protective father of two young kids, Nick designed a science-backed algorithm to flip the script on doomscrolling. Instead of serving up negativity or sensationalized content, UP's Scroll Happy™ algorithm focuses on videos that genuinely make you feel good.

With a strict approval process for creators, UP is free from porn, political content, and unrealistic lifestyle pressures. Safety and happiness are embedded in its DNA, offering a complete redesign of social media that puts people before profit. Social media got you down? 

Get UP. Learn more at ⁠scrollhappy.com⁠.

Are you concerned about your child using AI chatbots? Research shows that face-to-face connection is vital for healthy brain development and mental well-being, yet companion bots continue to draw users deeper into a virtual reality. We recently covered the dangers of Character.ai, but there’s another troubling app on our radar: Replika. 

Marketed as an “AI companion who cares” and “is always on your side,” Replika uses deceptive tactics to target vulnerable people, such as those going through a breakup. Their claim to cure loneliness is misleading at best, and potentially harmful at worst. 

Like many apps, Replika thrives on user engagement - employing addictive strategies that fuel emotional dependence on the chatbot. And a premium subscription offers access to more intimate conversations and near-explicit content. 

Adam Billen ofEncode, a tech ethics organization, joins Nicki of Scrolling 2 Death to share why he filed an FTC complaint against Replika and why parents need to be aware of the risks these platforms pose. Tune in to learn more.