Why School Safety Experts Want Phone Bans
The Screenagers Podcast
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Delaney dives into a question that sparks debate among educators, parents, and safety experts: Is it safer for students to have their phones during a school lockdown, or could it do more harm than good? To tackle this complex topic, Dr. Ruston speaks with a school superintendent, two police officers, and Clayton Cranford, a retired school resource officer and founder of Total Safety Solutions. Cranford, who works with schools across the country to improve safety protocols, brings a wealth of real-world experience to the conversation. Our guests describe...
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Kids Using AI Chatbots: The Risks Parents Can’t Ignore
The Screenagers Podcast
Host Dr. Delaney interviews Natalie Foos, director of VoiceBox and lead author of the eye-opening report, “Coded Companions: Young People’s Relationships with AI Chat Bots." The discussion centers on the risks posed by AI chatbots in young people's lives, using examples like Snapchat’s My AI and the AI companion app Replika. The report provides concrete examples of deeply troubling things the AIs said to users during testing, conducted with young adults aged 18 to 24. They discuss concerning features, such as how My AI uses location tracking to target young users with ads and emphasize...
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The Sleep Crisis: Addressing Melatonin and Tech as Sleep Aids
The Screenagers Podcast
In this episode of the Screenagers podcast, Dr. Delaney explores the alarming rise of sleep deprivation among teens starting in 2012, coinciding with the rise of screen time. Featuring clips from Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition and insights from experts Lauren Hale, PhD, and Judith Owens, MD, the episode delves into new brain science around kids and sleep deprivation and health risks linked to melatonin. Listeners are provided practical advice on how to promote healthy sleep habits, including preventing dependency to digital devices and melatonin. Time Codes: 00:00...
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Tackling Problematic Social Media Use
The Screenagers Podcast
In this episode, host Dr. Delaney discusses problematic social media use with therapist and media addiction expert Tracy Markle. Tracy is the founder and co-director of the Digital Media Treatment and Education Center in Boulder, Colorado. Tracy explains the critical effects social media can have on teen mental health, particularly in girls and shares the therapeutic approaches she used in working with one teen girl in overcoming problematic social media. Markle employs a family system approach and shares insights on how she included the mom in the treatment approach. Resources: ,...
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How to Delay Social Media and Smartphone Use With Wait Until 8th
The Screenagers Podcast
Founder of the "Wait Until 8th" movement, Brooke Shannon, joins Dr. Delaney Ruston for a conversation. Brooke shares insights on the Wait Until 8th pledge, its community-based approach, and strategies for parents to manage digital exposure responsibly. The conversation also covers personal experiences, handling pushbacks, and practical steps for parents who have already given their kids smartphones and/or social media but decide they want to rein in their use. Time Code: 00:00 Introduction to Screenagers Podcast 00:31 Introducing Brooke Shannon and Wait Until 8th 02:47 How...
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Instagram Unfiltered: Teens Tell All (Encore)
The Screenagers Podcast
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...
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Parenting Tips from Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition
The Screenagers Podcast
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...
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How ZYN's Social Media Strategy is Driving Teen Nicotine Addiction
The Screenagers Podcast
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....
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How Smartphones Are Pushing Schools to Breaking Point
The Screenagers Podcast
In this episode of The Screenagers Podcast Dr. Delaney Ruston is joined by her film and Screenagers partner, Lisa Tabb, to discuss their '' 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 , also joins Delaney to discuss the negative impact of digital distractions on education. The...
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How A Teen Run Instagram Account Shook a School (Encore)
The Screenagers Podcast
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...
info_outlineOn today's episode of The Screenagers Podcast, Dr. Delaney Ruston dives into the world of teens, vaping, and the cunning tactics e-cigarette companies use on social media. We'll uncover the health hazards of vaping, examine how influencers glamorize it, and we will expose deceptive marketing strategies. Joining me are Dr. Pam Ling and Rob Jackler, featured in my latest film, Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age. They shed light on vaping's dangers and the industry's slick ploys to lure in young people. I also discuss how to empower our youth to see through these manipulations and protect themselves from the vaping industry's grasp.
Research References
Young adult responses to COVID-19 themed tobacco and nicotine product marketing on social media (British Medical Journal).
#ecig: How Social Media is Changing the Ad Game (Johnson & Wales University)
Effects of Social Media on Adolescents’ Willingness and Intention to Use E-Cigarettes: An Experimental Investigation (Nicotine and Tobacco Research)
New Approach to Decrease Smoking Among Young Adult Bar Patrons (Tobacco Induced Diseases)
Time Code
00:04 Introduction to the Podcast
00:10 Understanding the Vaping Industry and Its Influence on Teens
00:36 The Role of Social Media in Promoting Vaping
01:55 The Misconceptions about Vaping and E-cigarettes
03:22 The Dangers of Vaping and E-cigarette Chemicals
06:09 The Deceptive Marketing Strategies of Vaping Companies
07:47 The Impact of Influencer Marketing on Vaping
11:50 Activism and Its Role in Combating Vaping
14:57 The Role of FDA and Regulatory Loopholes
19:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts