Jill explores one of the most urgent parenting challenges of our time: the dangers hidden inside our kids’ devices. From algorithm-driven eating disorders to sextortion scams run like global businesses, today’s threats don’t hide outside the house; they live inside apps, platforms, and anonymous accounts. Inspired by the podcast Left to Their Own Devices, Jill shares four essential insights every parent needs to understand, plus why talking about these uncomfortable realities is now part of true death readiness.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Our Kids Are Growing Up in a Completely Different World

• Today’s kids carry danger in their pockets: algorithms designed to addict, track, shape, and trap.
• Teen brains are still developing; they can’t self-regulate the way adults can.

Sextortion Has Become a Multi-Million-Dollar Industry

• Sextortion is sexual extortion; predators obtain a nude image and weaponize it.
• Organized cybercriminal networks (including the “Yahoo Boys”) specifically target teen boys.
• Sextortion cases have surged 18,000% in two years.
• Snapchat receives 10,000 sextortion reports every month.
• The responsibility isn’t on kids to outsmart scammers; it’s on us to talk to them early and often.

Algorithms Are Not Neutral

• Algorithms detect hesitation, scrolling patterns, zooms, and replays—then feed more of what hurts.
• They’re designed to maximize profit, not protect mental health.
• A teen’s developing prefrontal cortex is no match for a machine built to keep them hooked.
• “Outrunning” the algorithm isn’t a fair fight; it moves faster than teen impulse control can.

Death readiness means facing uncomfortable truths. 

• It’s not just documents. It’s talking about the hard things before a crisis hits.
• It’s about protecting our kids in a world very different from the one we grew up in.
• Because silence is far more dangerous than another awkward conversation with your teen.

Resources & Links

Left to Their Own Devices Podcast hosted by Ava Smithing. A powerful, honest exploration of what teens face in today’s digital world. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/left-to-their-own-devices/id1840912030

Connect with Jill:

• Website: DeathReadiness.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Learn more about Jill’s solutions
• Subscribe to the Death Readiness Dispatch!
• Submit a question for Tuesday Triage

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This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.