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