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By Delaney Ruston, MD
4.7
119119 ratings
The podcast currently has 44 episodes available.
In recent days, Instagram has launched a range of new features designed to protect teens who are using the platform. Today we revisit this episode of the Screenagers podcast where Dr. Ruston spoke with three teen girls from middle school, high school, and college about their experiences, both good and bad, with Instagram.
They discuss why they joined the platform, how they use it, and the types of content they see, including ads and influencer posts. The conversation delves into the emotional impact of social media, including issues of comparison, curated posts, and the prevalence of ads. In addition, they touch on issues of subliminal messaging and the risks and benefits of posting about one’s true emotional state. This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Time Code
00:00 Introduction to the Screenagers Podcast
01:20 Meet the Teen Guests
02:31 First Impressions of Instagram
04:54 The Allure and Pitfalls of Instagram
09:16 Ads and Influencers: A Deep Dive
13:10 The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
22:35 Likes, Comments, and Posting Etiquette
27:18 Final Thoughts and Farewell
In this episode of the Screenagers podcast, physician/filmmaker Dr. Delaney Ruston gives some parenting highlights from her new movie Screenagers: Elementary School Edition. Key topics include handling meltdowns during screen time transitions, promoting open communication around social media, and mitigating the negative impacts of violent media. Practical parenting strategies and the importance of active mediation are emphasized, alongside insights from child psychologist Lizz Dexter-Mazza, PsyD, and media researcher and psychologist Doug Gentile, PhD.
00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote
00:49 Meet Delaney Rustin and Screenagers
00:57 Overview of Screenagers Elementary School Edition
01:49 Parenting Solutions for Screen Time Meltdowns
02:08 Understanding and Managing Meltdowns
03:37 The Importance of Consistency
04:33 Seeking Help for Persistent Issues
04:52 Safety First: Encouraging Open Communication
07:31 Active Mediation vs. Co-Viewing
10:48 Motivational Interviewing with Teens
11:43 Conclusion and Additional Resources
There was JUUL. Now there is ZYN. Big Tobacco is continuing to make its business model addiction, and its customer base teens and young adults.
In today’s episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks with Dr. Robert Jackler, an expert on how Big Tobacco targets teens with slick and deceptive advertising and misleading products.
Dr. Jackler, a professor at Stanford, talks about ZYN, the small flavored nicotine pouches that are going viral on social media. Created as a so-called safer means of harm reduction for vapes and cigarettes, ZYN packs a powerful punch of nicotine, making them just as harmful.
Dr. Jackler, who conducted research on pouch nicotine for the World Health Organization, shares how ZYN is being deceptively marketed to teens, how they lead to nicotine addiction, and what parents and teens can do to help those who are hooked.
This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Featured Expert
Dr. Robert Jackler
Research References
Stanford Research into The Impact of Tobacco Advertisin
Additional Links
Quit The Hit
Hope Lab
UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
Truth Initiative: This Is Quitting
Time Code
00:00 The Rise of Nicotine Addiction
00:28 Introduction to the Screenagers Podcast
00:45 Expert Insights with Dr. Robert Jackler
01:10 The Dangers of Nicotine Pouches
03:07 Tobacco Industry Tactics
06:16 Marketing Strategies Targeting Teens
09:14 Flavors and Their Appeal
14:16 Quitting Nicotine: Strategies and Support
17:42 Conclusion and Resources
In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast Dr. Delaney Ruston is joined by her film and Screenagers partner, Lisa Tabb, to discuss their 'Away for the Day' campaign, which aims to remove smartphones and smartwatches from students during school hours to improve their academic and social well-being.
They explore the campaign's benefits, the rapid rise of this challenge in elementary schools, and myths surrounding phone policies. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the current NY Times bestselling book The Anxious Generation, also joins Delaney to discuss the negative impact of digital distractions on education.
The episode highlights the global movement towards phone-free schools and urges listeners to support the initiative by visiting awayfortheday.org. The episode also includes an exciting announcement about the upcoming new Screenagers film, which will be released in September called Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition.
Show Notes
Featured Expert
Jonathan Haidt
Research References
Away For The Day
Additional links
Movies: Screenagers Movies
Time code
00:00 Introduction and Exciting Announcement
01:01 Special Episode: Away for the Day Campaign
02:20 Benefits of Phones Away for the Day
03:52 Global Adoption of Away for the Day Policies
11:38 Challenges and Pushbacks
17:51 Student Perspectives and School Experiences
20:43 Interview with Jonathan Haidt
29:29 Conclusion and Call to Action
We're revisiting this poignant episode that highlights how important it is for parents to regularly check-in with their kids about their online activity and behaviors. Dr. Delaney Ruston interviews journalist Dashka Slater about her book, Accountable, where she writes about the true story of a social media account run by a small group of teens who posted racist memes. The account spread quickly and got edgier as it went. The book follows the account’s profound effect on the teens, friends, and high school.
Slater dives into issues like what compels teens to do things they know are out of bounds, such as acts of racism, the difference between guilt and shame, and transformative justice. Slater discusses methods of communicating with children about preventing doing such acts, and Dr. Ruston provides strategies for them to use when they encounter friends who do, and shares advice for parents and teens on dealing with the repercussions of online racism and the complexities of forgiveness and empathy.
Here is a link to Dashka Slater’s website, where you can find a link to her book and much more.
Here is Slater’s Substack, where she has lesson plans, too.
00:04 Introduction and Overview
01:04 The Epidemic of Online Racism
01:43 Unveiling the Story of 'Accountable'
02:42 The Impact of Racist Online Activities
03:01 The Discovery and Consequences of the Racist Account
08:34 The Role of Video Games in Promoting Offensive Language
10:10 The Creation and Spread of the Racist Account
11:35 The Bystander Effect and Group Dynamics
18:52 The Impact on the Victims
21:38 Understanding Different Types of Justice
24:56 The Role of Restorative Justice in Schools
44:43 The Power of Forgiveness and Healing
47:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In this episode of the Screenagers podcast, Dr Ruston talks with three teen girls from middle school, high school, and college about their experiences, both good and bad, with Instagram. They discuss why they joined the platform, how they use it, and the types of content they see, including ads and influencer posts. The conversation delves into the emotional impact of social media, including issues of comparison, curated posts, and the prevalence of ads. In addition, they touch on issues of subliminal messaging and the risks and benefits of posting about one’s true emotional state. This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Time Code
00:00 Introduction to the Screenagers Podcast
01:20 Meet the Teen Guests
02:31 First Impressions of Instagram
04:54 The Allure and Pitfalls of Instagram
09:16 Ads and Influencers: A Deep Dive
13:10 The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
22:35 Likes, Comments, and Posting Etiquette
27:18 Final Thoughts and Farewell
How do we get our kids to make healthier choices when it comes to resisting junk food, smoking, or social media? In today’s podcast episode, Dr. Ruston talks with David Yeager, a leading researcher in the science of youth behavior change, motivation, and the power of mindsets, which are essentially our beliefs.
Yeager studies show what happens when youth — who don’t like to be manipulated — are taught about companies’ manipulative tactics.
This episode also features segments from our movie, Screenagers Under the Influence, which address the impacts of deceptive marketing by e-cigarette companies like Juul. This episode is intended for adult and youth audiences.
Featured Expert
David Yeager, PhD
Research References
Harnessing adolescent values to reduce unhealthy Snacking (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)
Values-Alignment Messaging Boosts Adolescents' Motivation to Control Social Media Use (Child Development)
Additional links
Book: "10 to 25, The Science of Motivating Young People," by David S. Yaeger
Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
Robert Jackler, MD
Movie: Screenagers Under The Influence
The Influence of the National truth® Campaign on Smoking Initiation
Time code
00:00 Introduction to Screenagers Podcast
00:36 The Art and Science of Communicating with Teens
01:22 Interview with Researcher David Yeager
02:26 Screenagers Under the Influence: Vaping and Juul
06:44 The Junk Food Industry's Manipulative Tactics
19:04 Impact of Anti-Smoking Campaigns
21:56 Conclusion and Call to Action
Featured Expert
David Johnson Ed.D LMHC
Show Notes:
00:00 Introduction: The Impact of Parental Trauma on Parenting
01:16 Meet Dr. David Johnson: Insights on Trauma and Parenting
02:10 Understanding Trauma: Definitions and Effects
04:57 Trauma Responses and Their Impact on Behavior
08:15 Screen Time Conflicts: Analyzing Parental Reactions
10:41 The Power of Insight and Intention in Overcoming Trauma
27:58 Family Dynamics and Counseling: Strategies for Healing
30:32 Conclusion and Invitation to Engage
Is social media, smartphones, and the sheer amount of time that young people are on screens really the main reason for the rise in mental health problems of today’s youth? On today’s episode, we delve into this pressing issue with Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, and author of the current New York Times bestselling book, "The Anxious Generation". His insights provide a clear and compelling explanation of why this indeed is likely the case. Beyond just correlational studies, what do actual experiments show us about the link between teen mental health and screen time? Why is the time of puberty particularly concerning when it comes to handing over smartphones and social media? Why does social media seem to impact girls more negatively than boys? These are just some of the questions that today’s episode addresses. In addition, Haidt offers two solutions for improving teen mental health. This episode is not just for adults but also for teens who are directly affected by these issues. Of note, suicidal ideation is mentioned briefly in the episode.
Featured Expert
Jonathan Haidt, PhD
Research References
Links to research discussed in the episode
Additional Links
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Time Code
00:00 Introduction to The Screenagers Podcast 00:23 Meet Jonathan Haidt, Author and Social Psychologist 01:29 The Anxious Generation: Key Insights 02:06 Impact of Social Media on Mental Health 03:52 Gender Differences in Mental Health Trends 05:57 Correlational and Experimental Studies on Screen Time 09:04 The Natural Experiment of Facebook's Rollout 12:31 The Hidden Dangers of Social Media 16:59 Aggression and Social Cruelty Online 19:25 Proposed Solutions and Parental Involvement 21:21 Conclusion and ResourcesIn today’s episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks with author Peggy Orenstein about a media-fueled risky sexual practice that is happening among some teens today — choking, also called sexual strangulation. Orenstein, who has spent many years researching sexuality among youth for her books “Girls and Sex” and “Boys and Sex,” investigated the topic of sexual choking for a New York Times article that was published last month. Today, Orenstein shares some of her findings from that investigation, including the influence of pornography and other media on this new trend. What are the psychological and physical risks of this practice? And what are ways to have productive conversations with young people on this and related topics? This episode also includes a 19-year-old discussing her concerns about sexual choking. This episode is intended for adult audiences.
Featured Expert
Peggy Orenstein
Research References
The Troubling Trend in Teen Sex -New York Times Article by Peggy Orenstein
What is rough sex, who does it, and who likes it? Findings from a probability sample of US undergraduate students (Archives of Sexual Behavior)
Additional Links
Yes Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know about Today’s Teens and Sex, by Debby Herbenick
Sex, Teens, and Everything in Between, by Shafia Zaloum
Want Me by Tracy, by Clark Flory
Girls and Sex, by Peggy Orenstein
Boys and Sex, by Peggy Orenstein
Time Code
00:00 Introduction to the Screenagers Podcast
00:17 The Shocking Reality of Choking in Sexual Encounters Among Youth
01:18 Mainstream Media's Role in Normalizing BDSM and Choking
02:02 Insightful Conversation with Peggy Ornstein on Sexual Strangulation
05:42 The Alarming Data on Choking Among College Students
07:42 The Influence of Media and Social Media on Sexual Behavior
13:24 Addressing the Risks and How to Talk About Them
20:56 Empowering Youth to Speak Out and Advocate for Safety
24:12 Concluding Thoughts and Resources for Challenging Conversations
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