How do you raise kids who grew up with smartphones in hand? A parent of three shares the challenges and lessons of guiding children through today’s social media landscape. We explore how rules, balance, and open communication can shape healthy habits — and compare these real-world experiences with what research says about development, sleep, and risk-taking online. Monitoring, modeling, and meaningful conversations matter more than time limits alone.

Is the “like” button rewiring our brains? In this episode, we talk with someone who’s been immersed in social media for years. They share what it’s like to chase notifications, compare themselves to others, and try to find balance in a digital world. We connect their story to studies about dopamine, reward systems, and how social validation affects self-image. Social media can be both addictive and empowering — the key is recognizing which side we’re feeding.

What’s it like to grow up without constant notifications or likes? This conversation dives into life with limited access to social media — the benefits, the frustrations, and the freedom. We connect this personal story to research on focus, learning, and memory, which shows that while social media doesn’t directly harm attention, being offline can still change how we think and interact. Living offline doesn’t mean being out of touch — it can mean being more in control.

Can your phone make your heart race — or calm it down? In this episode, we hear from a young adult who’s experienced anxiety and panic attacks while navigating the world of social media. Together, we explore how scrolling can both soothe and spark anxiety, and whether research that shows no clear link between social media and mental health matches real experience. It's not always about how long we’re online — but why we’re online and how it makes us feel.

What happens when a generation grows up online before their brains are fully developed? In this introductory episode, host Aubrey Groenendal breaks down key research on how social media affects attention, emotion, and learning in adolescents. Discover what scientists really say about dopamine, focus, and mental health—and why the evidence isn’t as clear-cut as most people think. Understanding the science helps us separate fear from fact about how digital life shapes growing minds.