Podcasts about commercial free childhood

Are you feeling unsure about how to guide your teen in the world of artificial intelligence? Have you wondered what your child is really doing with AI and how it's shaping their digital and emotional world? In this timely and eye-opening episode, I talk with Teodora Pavkovic, Director of Wellbeing at Linewize and a global thought leader in digital wellness. We explore the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and how it's showing up in your teen's daily life—from schoolwork to entertainment to emotionally intimate chatbot relationships. Teodora shares how character-based bots are not just tools for creativity but are becoming substitutes for real connection, offering nonjudgmental, always-available companionship that teens may prefer over human relationships. We also dig into how AI can help or hinder development, and why curiosity, open conversations, and family tech agreements are more critical now than ever. Teodora Pavkovic is the Director of Wellbeing at Linewize, where she leverages her decade-plus of experience as a youth psychologist, parenting coach and digital wellness practitioner to provide guidance and advice to parents, teachers and school administrators on topics concerning mental health, responsible and safe use of technology, tech ethics, parenting in the digital age and child development. A prominent figure in the global digital wellness community, Pavkovic is a member of both the American and British psychological associations, co-chair of Fairplay's (formerly Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood) parenting professionals' group and an advisory board member of several educational and mental health organizations. Here are three key takeaways from this conversation: Awareness before fear. Many parents underestimate how much their kids are already engaging with AI, often in emotionally meaningful ways. Curiosity—not control—is your most powerful parenting tool when it comes to understanding and guiding their AI use. AI is a new kind of “relationship.” Teens are forming connections with AI bots that feel empathic, safe, and nonjudgmental. This raises critical questions about how to maintain real-world emotional and social development. Confidence is key—for both parent and teen. Parents don't need to be tech experts, but they do need to be engaged. When both you and your teen feel confident and supported, you're more equipped to set healthy digital boundaries and ensure AI serves your family's wellbeing—not the other way around. Learn more at: https://www.teopcoaching.com/ https://www.linewize.com/ Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/psycoachtp/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Teacher Tom's Podcast, which is all about taking play seriously. In each episode, Teacher Tom inspires early childhood educators, parents, and other listeners with information, techniques, and best practices to provide children an authentic play-filled childhood.Kisha Reid is an educational consultant and advocate of developmentally appropriate play-based education for young children.“I don't want you thinking your child's gonna sit down and do worksheets all day. I don't want you thinking you're gonna get report cards or anything that looks like what our school system looks like.”  — Kisha ReidKisha Reid has been in the early-childhood field for 28 years. She's a true veteran and continues to actively work in the classroom. She's been a tenacious advocate of developmentally appropriate play-based education for young children for decades and has collaborated with the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, Explorations Early Learning, and many other initiatives. She sits on the board of Defending the Early Years, which is an early-childhood advocacy group. “Teacher Tom” Hobson is an early childhood educator, international speaker, education consultant, teacher of teachers, parent educator, and author. He is best known, however, for his namesake blog, Teacher Tom's Blog, where he has posted daily for over a decade, chronicling the life and times of his little preschool in the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest corner of the USA.For nearly two decades, Teacher Tom was the sole employee of the Woodland Park Cooperative School, a parent-owned and operated school knit together by Teacher Tom's democratic, progressive play-based pedagogy. Teacher Tom came into teaching through the backdoor, so to speak, having enrolled his own child in a cooperative preschool, where he began working daily in his daughter's classroom as an assistant teacher under the tutelage of veteran educators — although he'll be the first to tell you that most of what he learned came from the children themselves. When it was time for his daughter to move on, he “stayed behind.”Today, Teacher Tom shares his play-based pedagogy through online e-courses for early childhood educators; produces online early childhood conferences; consults with organizations about his “Family Schools” program; and inspires early-years audiences around the world (Greece, UK, Iceland, Australia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Canada, and across the US) both virtually and in-person with his engaging views on early childhood education, play, and pedagogy.He was pressured by his blog readers into authoring his first book, aptly named Teacher Tom's First Book, and is thrilled about the 2023 release of Teacher Tom's Second Book.Resources mentioned in this episode:MiraseeTeacher Tom's website: TeacherTomsWorld.comKisha's website: DiscoveryNaturalLearning.comFor show notes, visit The Power of Play (Kisha Reid)Credits:Host: Teacher Tom HobsonProducer: Michi LantzSupervising Producer: Cynthia LambAudio Editor: Marvin del RosarioExecutive Producer: Danny InyMusic Soundscape: Chad Michael SnavelyMaking our hosts sound great: Home Brew AudioMusic credits:Track Title: Blueberry Jam JamArtist: Simen AndreasWriter: Simen KnudsenPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: Childlike WonderArtist: ReveilleWriter: Brendan St. GelaisPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONTrack Title: Tick TockArtist: Ivy BakesWriter: Erick PenaPublisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTIONSpecial effects credits:24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.To catch the great episodes coming up on Teacher Tom's Podcast, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It's the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.Episode transcript: The Power of Play (Kisha Reid) coming soon.

Dr. Susan Linn Ed.D | Psychologist | Author | Award Winning Ventrilogquist | Expert on Creative Play | BIO: Susan Linn, Ed.D, a psychologist, an author, and an award-winning ventriloquist, is a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of tech and commercial marketing on children. She is a Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Research Associate at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Linn's books have been praised in publications as diverse as The Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, and The New York Times, which called her most recent book Who's Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business and the Lives of Children, “Engrossing and Insightful.” A passionate advocate for children, Dr. Linn was Founding Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay) from 2000-2015. Why You Should Listen: Susan's insights into the impact of big tech, large corporations, and consumerism on our kids are eye-opening. Discover how marketers are waging a battle for our children's attention, aiming to keep it for a lifetime. As parents strive to set limits, Susan sheds light on how marketing executives work tirelessly to entice with irresistible messages. Join us to understand how our children grow up in a hyper-commercialized culture that promotes buying more as the path to happiness. Susan delves into the severe consequences of this commercialism on children's well-being and offers actionable suggestions for families. As a psychologist, she provides a unique perspective on the importance of creative play and the effects of tech and big business on our children. Highlights Learn about the fierce competition among marketers to capture and maintain our children's attention, which Susan describes as the ultimate corporate payoff. Understand the challenges parents face as they try to set limits at home while marketing executives tirelessly work to undermine those efforts. Explore the hyper-commercialized culture in which our children are growing up, where happiness is often equated with buying more toys, games, and screen time. Delve into the research on the serious consequences of commercialism on children's well-being and public health outcomes. Discover actionable insights from Susan's latest book, "Who's Raising The Kids: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children," and learn how families can navigate the impact of tech and big business on their children's lives. LINKS: Susan's website: CLICK HERE Susan's books: CLICK HERE

Susan Linn is a psychologist, and award-winning ventriloquist, and a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of tech, media, and commercial marketing on children.  She was founding director of the children's advocacy group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay), and is currently Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical school.  On today's episode we discuss her newly published book, Who's Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children, reminisce about her time spent working with Mr. Rogers, and dive into understanding why our kids are targeted by big tech.

In a live Zoom event in conjunction with the American Museum of Tort Law, we welcome back Claire Nader, author of “You Are Your Own Best Teacher” and Susan Linn, author of “Who's Raising the Kids?” for a lively panel discussion moderated by child advocacy legal expert, Robert Fellmeth, on the ongoing corporatization of childhood. We also hear from audience members but not just old people talking about “kids today.” A thoughtful seventh grader gives us a young person's perspective.Robert Fellmeth is the Price Professor of Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego and the Executive Director of the Center for Public Interest Law. He is also Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Institute, which authored The Fleecing of Foster Children: How We Confiscate Their Assets and Undermine Their Financial SecurityWe have one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in the history of the world, which basically equates corporations with individuals. It equates corporate entities with private citizens. And they're not the same thing…You cannot have the Citizens United-type case that equates the two and still have a democracy.Robert FellmethDr. Susan Linn is an author, psychologist, and award-winning ventriloquist. She was the Founding Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now known as Fairplay), and she is a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of media and commercial marketing on children. Her latest book is Who's Raising The Kids? Big Tech, Big Business and the Lives of Children.I think what people don't understand is that these beloved characters are used to sell things to kids. And that there is really almost no place in media—including public media, today— where children can go, where someone is not trying to sell them something.Dr. Susan Linn, author of Who's Raising The Kids? Big Tech, Big Business and the Lives of ChildrenClaire Nader is a political scientist and author recognized for her work on the impact of science on society. She is an advocate for numerous causes at the local, national and international level. As the first social scientist working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, she joined pioneering initiatives in energy conservation and the multifaceted connections between science, technology and public policy. Her latest book is You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination and Intellect of Tweens.[How children suffer due to corporate predators] scares me to death, as a matter of fact. I want to run away from the lives of children under these conditions. But I can run to a different atmosphere for children—if you will— and that's what I try to put in my book.Claire Nader, author of You Are Your Own Best Teacher! Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination and Intellect of Tweens Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

(This interview is dedicated to my friend Randy Lee, a dedicated public health nurse, who passed away earlier this week.)   Justin Smith in his book published earlier this year, The Internet is Not What You Think It Is, argued the internet is addictive, its use of algorithms leaves our lives warped and impoverished and despite these problems there is little or no federal regulatory oversight.  Concerning the internet's effects on children, Dr. Linn argues in her recently published work, Who's Raising the Kids, that our digital landscape essentially invades children's privacy in order to use their personal information to drive endless consumerism.  Children's screen use, that amounts to upwards of 7.5 hours on average per day - substantially longer for poor and minority children - is having profound negative effects on children of every age.  Generally by threatening childhood development and more specifically Dr. Linn noted by, for example, driving childhood anxiety, conflictual relationships with parents and family stress, depression, diminished language development, eating disorders, erosion of creative play, materialistic values, obesity, precocious sexuality, sleep disturbances, underachievement in school and youth violence.During this 35 minute interview Dr. Linn begins by explaining how Mattel's Aristotle (never commercially launched) and Epic's Fortnite are designed to drive revenue.  She discusses how digital games erodes or undermines children's creative play, how the use of various marketing tools or approaches drive every digital experience leading to a purchase, for example, by creating "frictionless" online experiences.  She discusses the influence corporations have in formal education programming via Sponsored Education Materials (SEMS), discusses what parents can do to monitor children's screen use, what federal policies have been proposed to protect children's privacy and regulate how digital game design and what action the American Psychological Association has taken.               Dr. Susan Linn is currently a Research Associate at Boston Children's Hospital and Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  She has lectured on the importance of creative play, the impact of media and marketing on children and the use of puppetry as a therapeutic tool in venues throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.   From 2000 to 2015 Dr. Linn was the Founding Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.  Dr. Linn and her puppets appeared in several episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  She has written and appeared in a number of video programs designed to help children cope with issues ranging from mental illness to death and loss. This Secret Should Be Told, a syndicated TV program for children about sexual abuse won her a coveted Action for Children's Television and earned Dr. Linn a New England Emmy Award.  With Fred Rogers' production company, Dr. Linn created the acclaimed educational video series Different and the Same: Helping Children Identify and Prevent Prejudice.  Different and the Same has been used in classrooms in all 50 states and won numerous awards including the two top prizes from the International Communication Film and Video Competition and the Media Award from the Association of Multicultural Educators.  Her book, Consuming Kids helped launch the movement to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers.  Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Today, Sixty Minutes, Dateline, The Colbert Report, and the acclaimed documentary The Corporation.  Among other honors, Dr. Linn received an UNIMA-USA citation for excellence; a special award for puppet therapy from Puppeteers of America; A Champion of Freedom Award from the Electronic Privacy Information Center; The Creative Leadership Award from the Puppet Showplace Theater; and, a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for her work on behalf of children.Information on Who's Raising the Kids is at: https://thenewpress.com/books/whos-raising-kids.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com

This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Catalyst. To virtually tour Catalyst and claim your space on campus, or host an upcoming event: CLICK HERE---Episode Overview: In a digital-heavy world coupled with the youth mental health crisis, our next guest has made it her life's work to protect every child's digital journey. Teodora Pavkovic, a prominent figure in the global digital wellness community, and the Director of Community Engagement at Linewize, joins us to discuss her inspiring work and mission and how she and her team are working tirelessly to build the industry-leading safety management system for the academic setting. Additionally, Teodora shares how parents can be more positively involved in their kids' technology and digital lives.Join us as we discuss this timely and important topic with a passionate and dedicated expert helping lead the charge for positive change in cyber safety. Let's go! Episode Highlights:How Teodora became passionate about digital wellnessWhy it is important to implement digital wellness in the academic settingWhy Teodora became involved with LinewizeTeodora's vision for a safer and healthier digital lifestyle for allAbout our Guest: Teodora Pavkovic is the Director of Community Engagement at Linewize, where she leverages her decade-plus of experience as a youth psychologist, parenting coach and digital wellness practitioner to provide guidance and advice to parents, teachers and school administrators on topics concerning mental health, responsible and safe use of technology, tech ethics, parenting in the digital age and child development. A prominent figure in the global digital wellness community, Pavkovic is a member of both the American and British psychological associations, co-chair of Fairplay's (formerly Campaign For a Commercial-Free Childhood) parenting professionals' group and an advisory board member of several educational and mental health organizations. She has dedicated herself to helping people preserve and protect their wellbeing and relationships in this increasingly digital world, teaching them to use technology mindfully, intentionally and humanely. Pavkovic has her master's in clinical psychology and has trained in both psychotherapy and coaching. She has lived in nine different countries and is a sought-after public speaker, thought leader and media expert who has spoken at conferences like TEDx in Singapore, Human After All in New York City, and HUMANITECH, the first virtual digital wellness conference that she both organized and moderated.Links Supporting This Episode:Linewize website: CLICK HERETeodora Pavkovic LinkedIn page: CLICK HERETeodora Pavkovic Twitter page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK HEREVisit our website: CLICK HERESubscribe to newsletter: CLICK HEREGuest nomination form:

Most kids' today are very tech savvy, whether they're playing video games, watching streaming services, interacting on social media, or even — as the pandemic quickly showed us — attending school virtually. Tech companies have become a huge part of kids' lives, but at what cost? Who benefits and how does technology and consumer capitalism affect child development? Susan Linn, one of the world's leading experts on the impact of technology on children, is working to find the answers to these questions. There's a growing body of research detailing the harms of excessive immersion in the unregulated, powerfully seductive, profit-driven world of the “kid-tech” industry. In Who's Raising the Kids? Susan Linn explores the roots and consequences of this monumental shift toward a digitized, commercialized childhood. She identifies specific impacts on kids' values, relationships, and their learning experiences. Even before the pandemic and the boom of online learning, kids have been important consumers for a range of tech, media, and toy companies. Linn delivers compelling evidence that consumer capitalism and technology marketed to enhance children's lives actually negatively impacts kids. Together at Town Hall, Seattle's renowned literary figure (and Linn's sister!) Nancy Pearl, talks with Linn about the context and impact of technology on today's children. Susan Linn is a psychologist, award-winning ventriloquist, and a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of media and commercial marketing on children. She was the Founding Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay) and is currently research associate at Boston Children's Hospital and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Susan and her work have been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Colbert Report, Dateline, NPR's Marketplace, The New York Times, The Washington Post, POLITICO, TIME, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and many other outlets. The author of Consuming Kids, The Case for Make Believe, and Who's Raising the Kids? she lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. Nancy Pearl is a librarian, best-selling author, literary critic and the former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library. Inspired by her childhood librarians, she received her MLS from the University of Michigan in 1967 and worked in the public library systems in Detroit, Tulsa, and Seattle. She is the creator of the internationally recognized community reads program, which began in 1998 as “If All Seattle Read the Same Book” and was the inspiration for the Archie McPhee “Librarian Action Figure.” Her many awards and honors include the Women's National Book Association Award in 2004; the Librarian of the Year Award from Library Journal and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association in 2011; and the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community by the National Book Foundation in 2021. Pearl is a frequent speaker at literacy organizations, libraries, and community groups throughout the world, and comments on books regularly on KWGS, Tulsa, Oklahoma Public Radio. Book Lust with Nancy Pearl is her monthly book show on the Seattle Channel. She authored the popular Book Lust series, four titles filled with recommendations of good books to read. She is also the author of George & Lizzie (Touchstone Books, 2017) and co-authored The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (HarperOne, 2020). Who's Raising the Kids?: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children (Hardcover) Third Place Books

Ralph does a deep dive into the commercialization of childhood with Dr. Susan Linn, psychologist, and author of “Who's Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children.” Plus, Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, fills us in on their campaign to end the tenure of Louis DeJoy, the Trump-appointed Post Master, who is trying to dismantle the US Postal Service.Dr. Susan Linn is an author, psychologist, and award-winning ventriloquist. She was the Founding Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now known as Fairplay), and she is a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of media and commercial marketing on children. Her latest book is Who's Raising The Kids? Big Tech, Big Business and the Lives of Children.The combination of this incredibly compelling and sophisticated and seductive technology and unregulated capitalism is already terrible for children— and it's going to get even more terrible. And one of the things that I think it's important for people to remember is that commercialism, or advertising and marketing— which is what all these devices we love so much were basically made for— that it doesn't just sell products. It sells values and behaviors. And the values of commercial culture— “me first”, materialism, image is more important than anything else—those values are so harmful to society.Dr. Susan LinnIt's enraging — at a time when books are being banned, teachers and librarians are being silenced and can't talk to kids about important things— that the tech companies are pretty much unregulated and can say basically anything they want to children.Dr. Susan LinnEvery major religion in the world, thousands of years ago, warned their adherents not to give too much power to the merchant class. Because the commercial motive is relentless and all-encompassing. It will destroy or co-opt other civic values that are far more important for society to sustain.Ralph NaderRobert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the President of Public Citizen, Weissman has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy.You can't cut [the USPS] down to save it, you have to expand it and make it more robust. Its significance in American history and its future depends on it being a network that connects all of us and does so efficiently. So, the more you reduce it, the less chance it has to be relevant to the lives of Americans.Robert WeissmanSupport for the government and federal agencies is stronger than people realize, among the public. Most of the public supports most of what the federal government does— at least when they do it well. But support for the Postal Service is through the roof. And it's in significant part, because it may be that a lot of the “elite opinion makers” themselves don't personally rely on as much on the postal service and the post offices around the country as regular people do.Robert WeissmanDeJoy is playing the Republican game: You undermine public services as the reason to argue for corporatizing them.Ralph Nader This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ralphnader.substack.com

We interview Susan Linn about her new book, Who's Raising the Kids: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children. It turns out we've all been indoctrinated from a young age to value buying things due to the United States' lax child protection policies for advertising. Susan Linn is a psychologist, award-winning ventriloquist, and world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of media and commercial marketing on children. She was the Founding  Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (now called Fairplay) and is currently a research associate at Boston Children's Hospital and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The author of Consuming Kids, The Case for Make Believe, and Who's Raising the Kids?  Susan and her work have been featured on the stage of  TED, as well as on “TODAY”, “Good Morning America,” “60 Minutes,” “The Colbert Report,”  “Dateline,” NPR's “Marketplace,” The New York Times, The Washington Post, POLITICO, TIME, The  Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and many other outlets. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. Find her at consumingkids.com or on twitter at @drsusanlinn.00:00 IntroAnne and Alison talk about kids and tech these days including Ryan Kaji, "The Boy King of YouTube," and the Wren Eleanor controversy. We talk about "the Britney Spears effect," in which kids are growing up thinking they have to be successful at a very young age. We compare and contrast Madonna's 80's fame with Britney's 90s fame.11:37 Interview with Dr. Susan LinnShow notes.Audio mastering by Josh Collins.Music by Próxima Parada.

Did you know that child-targeted marketing and excessive screen time undermines kids' health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Josh Golin, Executive Director of the non-profit, Fairplay: Childhood Beyond Brands (formerly the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood). Golin describes the mission and recent activities and concerns of Fairplay, and strategies to help children thrive despite our increasingly commercialized, screen-obsessed culture. He discusses the impact of social media, branded food and toys and AI on children's health. Related website:  www.fairplayforkids.org 

Join Melanie in Part 2 of her conversation with Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child. Dr. Freed is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of technology on children and speaking on parenting in the age of digital technology. He is also on the advisory board of ScreenStrong and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's Children's Screen Time Action Network, and a contributor to the Huffington Post. In this episode, Dr. Freed introduces solutions and what to watch out for in your elementary through high school age children. Dr. Freed describes the two characteristics of authoritative parenting, which science backs as the best way to parent your children. Melanie and Dr. Freed discuss how technology displaces the family bonds, and thus, the primary solution is to bring your child back to the family and away from toxic technology use. He discusses how dependency on screens can look for children in elementary, middle, and high school, and what problems or issues that arise and are red flags to parents. This episode touches on gender differences in technology use, extrinsic versus intrinsic motivators, and suggestions on how to replace screens with a focus on family and community.Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong! Sign up to be notified about our Kids' Brains & Screens Course releasing this November.Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our ScreenStrong Challenge.Need extra support? Join our ScreenStrong Families Facebook Group.Interested in being a podcast guest? Email us at: team@screenstrong.com.Use code STRONG at GabbWireless.com for a discount on a talk & text only phone for teens.

Dr. Richard Freed, author of our book of the month, Wired Child, is a practicing Clinical Psychologist and supervisor studying the effects of children's technology and speaking on parenting in the age of digital technology. He is also on the advisory boards of Families Managing Media and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's Children's Screen Time Action Network as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post.In part 1 of 2 interviews, Melanie and Richard share a passionate conversation about the lies and myths being promoted by the tech industry and how it has manipulated the way we have parented over the last 15+ years. They discuss how under the guise of “empowerment” and “getting ahead,” the tech industry sold us myths that we grabbed hold of and continue to cling to as technology exploded with popularity in our culture.  In actuality, the effects of toxic screen use and media exposure is constantly undermining the two most important factors in our children's well-being: family connections and school engagement. This episode is one that you will want to listen to at least twice and inspire you to join us in reading Dr. Fred's book, Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age. Stay tuned for Part 2 when Melanie and Richard talk about solutions. Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help spread the word. Stay Strong! Visit ScreenStrong.com to learn more about becoming a ScreenStrong Family and to take our ScreenStrong Challenge.Need extra support? Join our ScreenStrong Families Facebook Group.Interested in being a podcast guest? Email us at: team@screenstrong.com.Use code STRONG at GabbWireless.com for a discount on a talk & text only phone for teens.

Creating a World where Children's Choices are not made by Corporate Profits Fairplay, formerly known as Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood works to create a world where children's lives are shaped by what's best for them, not by corporate profits. One of their key projects, The Children's Screen Time Action Network is a global membership organization, born out of the needs of educators, pediatricians, and other professionals working with children and the families they serve who are concerned about childhood tech use. You can listen to this episode at the bottom of the page or wherever you listen to podcasts. Enjoy!

A bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to drop company plans for a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Monday.The attorneys general in the letter said they are concerned about social media's effects on the physical and emotional well-being of children, the potential for increased cyberbullying, possible vulnerability to online predators, and what they called Facebook's "checkered record" in protecting children on its platforms."It appears that Facebook is not responding to a need, but instead creating one, as this platform appeals primarily to children who otherwise do not or would not have an Instagram account," said the letter, signed by the attorneys general of 40 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories.Children under 13 are technically not allowed to use the Instagram app in its current form due to federal privacy regulations. But Facebook in March confirmed a report by Buzzfeed News, saying it is "exploring a parent-controlled experience" on Instagram."It's shameful that Facebook is ignoring the very real threat that social media poses to the safety and well-being of young children in an attempt to profit off of a vulnerable segment of our population," Healey said in a statement.Facebook in a statement Monday said it is exploring Instagram for kids to give parents more control over what children who are already online are exposed to, will make every effort to protect children, and will not show advertising on the platform."We are developing these experiences in consultation with experts in child development, child safety and mental health, and privacy advocates," the company said. "We also look forward to working with legislators and regulators, including the nation's attorneys general."Facebook also pointed out that it is a founding sponsor of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, launched in March to study the effects of digital technology on kids' "brains, bodies, and behaviours."The effort of the attorneys general is backed by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood."Facebook faces a critical choice: will they plow ahead with their ill-conceived plan to ensnare young children, or will they listen to the growing chorus of parents, experts, advocates, lawmakers and regulators who are telling them that an Instagram kids' site will undermine young children's healthy development and right to privacy?" Executive Director Josh Golin said in a statement.Facebook faced similar criticism in 2017 when it launched the Messenger Kids app, touted as a way for children to chat with family members and friends approved by parents.

National Geographic's "Secrets of the Whales" explores the distinctive cultures of different whales around the world. Underwater photographer Brian Skerry joins us. And, 44 attorneys general have come out against Facebook's plan to make an app for kids called Instagram Youth. The executive director for the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood shares his concerns.

Anyone that has spent time around young kids and cell phones probably knows how adept children are at using social media apps. That’s part of the reason why executives at Instagram announced last month that they are developing a new version of the app for children under the age of 13. They say it will keep children safer from bullying and sexual predation. But a coalition of 35 children’s and consumer groups are pushing back on that idea, saying that 10- to 12- year olds will be unlikely to switch to the kid’s app, and it could hook even younger children into the more toxic aspects of Instagram’s culture. “While collecting valuable family data and cultivating a new generation of Instagram users may be good for Facebook’s bottom line,” the groups, led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in Boston, said in the letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, “it will likely increase the use of Instagram by young children who are particularly vulnerable to the platform’s manipulative and exploitative features.” Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the controversy around Instagram’s potential children’s app. Are you the parent of a young child? What are your thoughts? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or comment below. Guests: Ryan Mac, senior technology reporter at Buzzfeed News; he tweets @RMac18 Yalda T. Uhls, adjunct professor of child psychology at UCLA and founder of The Center for Scholars & Storytellers, a think tank dedicated to bridging the gap between academia and the entertainment industry; she is also the author of "Media Moms & Digital Dads: A Fact-Not-Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age" (Routledge, 2015); she tweets @DrYaldaUhls

The reality of remote learning is here, and it's led teachers and families to re-evaluate what school means during COVID-19.  Josh Golin and Seth Evans, both of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, speak to us about their recent policy statement EdTech and Education Policy During the Pandemic and the importance of getting online learning right.

Alliance for Quality Education report: Set Up to Fail: How Cuomo’s School Cuts Target New York’s Black & Brown Students For more information on AQE’s planned 9/12/20 actions on school funding, contact  Maria@aqeny.org  News on Albany school cuts  and Schenectady layoffs Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood’s statement urging schools to minimize screen time and ed tech Also: CCFC petition on this issue and an article on the subjectThe Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy, created by CCFC and the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy  

When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initially asked for comments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule, it likely didn't expect the issue to get as big as it has become. But though now tasked with sifting through a deluge of creator and "industry" comments, those are not the only voices directed at the FTC. What are some of the things that COPPA's fiercest advocates are saying? What can we learn from the rhetoric and self-selected targets of organizations like the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood? And how can that better inform our understanding of COPPA, the FTC, and the current enforcement debate? You can't win a fight you don't know you're in...in Virtual Legality. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT: https://youtu.be/VPPENG6nt6Q #YouTube #COPPA #FTC *** Discussed in this episode: "Comments of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood" FTC COPPA Rule Comments - December 11, 2019 https://commercialfreechildhood.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CCFC-COPPA-comments.pdf Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule Comments FTC - 2013 https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/2012-31341.pdf "Let’s Pretend the FTC is Right! Is a YouTube Content Creator's COPPA Compliance One Button Away?" YouTube Video - November 20, 2019 - Hoeg Law https://youtu.be/SiA-WYi_DNs CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION 15 USC 91 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/chapter-91 PART 312—CHILDREN'S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION RULE https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=4939e77c77a1a1a08c1cbf905fc4b409&node=16%3A1.0.1.3.36&rgn=div5 *** FOR MORE CHECK US OUT: On Twitter @hoeglaw At our website: https://hoeglaw.com/ On our Blog, "Rules of the Game", at https://hoeglaw.wordpress.com/

Josh Golin, Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, fights a corporate culture of consumerism and surveillance that has ensnared our kids.

Roy Bahat talks about the meaning of work and how that can change with advances in technology. Melissa Campbell from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood describes the impact advertisements have on children and ways to eliminate marketing from a child's environment. Tom Mole from the University of Edinburgh goes into the life of books and the value of tangible reading. Madeline Levine gives advice for parents to let kids do things themselves and avoid "snowplowing" paths for their children.

“Who is interested in shaping your child’s attitudes around money?” That is the first question posed by this week’s Mom Enough children and money guest, Nathan Dungan, financial advisor and founder of Share, Save, Spend.   The answer to that question – and examples of how our culture lures our kids to spend, spend, spend – should make us all sit up and take notice! But we do not need to be powerless; from 5-minute family money meetings to teachable moments at the grocery store, restaurant or ATM, this Mom Enough episode is packed with ways to clarify your own values about money, instill those values in your children and give your kids voice and choice in family money decisions.   What practical ideas did you get from this Mom Enough discussion about children and money? How are these tips different from what you currently do and what next steps could you take to build your children’s money wisdom?   For tips for igniting money conversations, click here. For the Share Save Spend blog, click here. For Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, click here.  

Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown - Tuesday, February 6, 20184:20 pm: McKay Coppins of The Atlantic joins the show to discuss how there is already talk in Washington D.C. of making Mitt Romney a member of Senate Leadership4:35 pm: Angela Rachidi, a poverty studies research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss why she says the Trump administration is missing the mark by refusing to restrict sugary drinks and candy from the SNAP program in Maine6:05 pm: Shawn Teigen, Research Director at the Utah Foundation, joins the show to discuss his latest report on K-12 education spending6:20 pm: Kyle Smith of National Review joins Rod to discuss his piece in the New York Post in which he writes there is a male backlash against the #metoo movement on the way6:35 pm: David Monohan, manager for the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, joins the show to discuss the group’s opposition to Facebook’s new messenger app for children

Facebook says it built Messenger Kids, a new version of its popular communications app with parental controls, to help safeguard pre-teens who may be using unauthorized and unsupervised social-media accounts. Critics think Facebook is targeting children as young as 6 to hook them on its services. Facebook's goal is to “push down the age” of when it's acceptable for kids to be on social media, says Josh Golin, executive director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview with Diane Levin. Diane is internationally recognized expert helping professionals, parents and policymakers understand and respond to the impact of various societal forces-such as violence and sexualization, and media and commercial culture-on children's development, learning and behavior. She is a founder of 3 advocacy organizations:T.R.U.C.E—Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment, which helps professionals help parents deal with the impact of media and promote quality play;Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which works to end the commercial exploitation of children; and, Defending the Early Years, which advocates for appropriate early childhood practice that counteracts inappropriate aspects of many recent school reform mandates. Levin is a Professor of Early Childhood Education at Wheelock College and her 9th book, Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood: Teaching Young Children in the Media Age. this episode Q&A includes: • carotene rich foods for eye health must be cooked,frozen, soaked in oil- no consumed raw.. • poke berries- joint swelling.. • heat in the liver- chinese 5 element theory.. • basis of all true spirituality is time spent alone in nature.. • false positive and false negative test results statistics.. • modern medicine is made for normal American's eating the standard American diet and watching 3-4 hours of television a day.. • folic acid added to foods increases chances of colon cancer.. • chronic Lyme's disease- bacteria to virus- astragalus, hypericum, teasel, Japanese knotweed, boneset..  

Guest Josh Golin, Executive Director, Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, discusses how marketers target children at home and school, and the challenges parents face raising healthy children in a screen culture.Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

Ever wonder why we've become so materialistic? Commercialism has kidnapped our childhood, and it gets worse each year. Even the Girl Scouts of America sold little girls' souls to Mattel and now promotes Barbie as the ideal they should aspire to - instead of wholesome values. Today's guest, Dr. Susan Linn, EdD, co-founder and director of The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, describes tactics companies use to invade our kids' schools, spaces, and minds, and the disastrous impact this is having on our future.

In a world of screens, parents face some tough questions: To limit or not to limit? By how much and when? How different is Candy Crush from Codeacademy? And what is all the new tech doing to our children? In this episode, we dive into the conundrum with the techies themselves -- the parents who code the apps and create the devices on your desk or in your pocket. We want to find out if they know something the rest of us civilians don't. We'll hear from Sameer Ajmani, a Google software engineer, who deployed some evidence-based parenting and experimented with screen time extremes for his seven year-old. It didn't go so well as you might imagine, but the lessons were probably worth it. “The reality is that [tech execs] actually have a better understanding of where tech can go wrong than most non-tech parents do,” Nick Bilton. Nick Bilton, tech columnist for the The New York Times, joins Manoush to swap stories after informally surveying tech execs in Silicon Valley about their family rules. It seems the parents most entrenched in the tech world are the ones most weary of what they've created.  This episode will leave you thinking about your own house rules, whether or not you have kids. If you've figured it out, even just a little bit, we'd love to hear from you in the comment section below. If you like this episode, why not subscribe on iTunes here, or on Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, or anywhere else using our RSS feed. It only takes a few clicks and helps us a bunch. Thanks.     Resources mentioned in this episode:  OpenDNS is the tool Nick Bilton mentions to control what websites work in your house and at what hours is. Here are those rules Manoush mentions from the American Academy of Pediatrics about screen time for kids. Heard in this episode:  “Anything that you do in excess is probably not good for you,” Nick Bilton. “No parents in history have ever had to cope with the unprecedented convergence of a ubiquitous sophisticated alluring habit-forming screen technology and unfettered unregulated advertising," Susan Linn, founder of The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. “Addiction in the 60s was about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. The response in the 80s was safe sex education, say no to drugs, and the commoditization of popular music. This generation, the addictions are games, social media, and upbuzzclickbaitworthy articles.  What's the response?” Sameer Ajmani, parent and programmer.   

Guest Josh Golin, Associate Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, discusses the challenging media and screen environments in which our children live, and how parents can reclaim their children from corporate marketersCCFC

Commercials pervade modern society. While most of us may feel immune to their influence, they still can powerfully influence behavior, especially in children. On this program, Dr. Susan Linn from Harvard University discussed creating a commercial free childhood.