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  • Five Arguments for Posting Kids Online, and Why I Disagree

    Five Arguments for Posting Kids Online, and Why I Disagree
    2026/09/30
    “I won’t go faceless.” Sarah has been sent a growing number of posts from parents defending the decision to keep showing their children online, even as AI makes it easier to copy and manipulate a child’s image. In this solo episode, she takes on five of their most common arguments, including the claim that keeping children off social media somehow makes them invisible. Sarah explains why audience, frequency, identifying details, and monetization matter, and why a child’s right to privacy deserves more weight as AI makes images easier to misuse. She also examines the incentives that reward parents for turning intimate moments into content, offers five questions to ask before posting, and makes the case for normalizing a more private childhood. If someone sends you a post arguing that children are being “erased” when parents stop sharing them online, send them this episode. It’s a way to start a thoughtful conversation without giving the original post more engagement and if this episode helped you rethink what belongs online, share it with another parent who might be asking the same questions. Chapters (01:45) — The “I Won’t Go Faceless” Posts. (05:00) — “The offender is responsible, so parents shouldn’t have to change” (09:05) — “The internet isn’t the only place children can be harmed” (12:28) — “Not posting children makes them invisible” (17:00) — “You’re judging parents for a normal family photo” (21:00) — “You can’t eliminate every risk, so why change anything?” Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 分
  • Growing Up Online with Youth Advocate Hanna Grover

    Growing Up Online with Youth Advocate Hanna Grover
    2026/09/23
    Adults spend a great deal of time talking about what young people experience online, what they need and how we should protect them. But how often do we stop talking about young people and actually listen to them? In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah speaks with Hanna Grover, a youth advocate, researcher and recent high school graduate from British Columbia. Hanna is also the founder of Poet2Poet, an award-winning nonprofit that provides young poets with a safe space to share their writing, connect with one another and support their emotional well-being. Hanna offers something especially valuable to the conversation about children and technology: lived experience. She shares what it was like to enter high school during the pandemic, feel behind as friends received smartphones and watch social media become central to her generation’s friendships and identities. She also takes parents inside parts of the digital world they may not see, from relentless group chats and social pressure to graphic algorithmic content, online exploitation and the growing use of AI chatbots for companionship and mental health support. Sarah and Hanna discuss why conversations about online safety need to move beyond screen-time limits and address what children are actually encountering on their screens. Hanna also reflects on British Columbia’s school cellphone restrictions, explaining how putting phones away created more meaningful conversations and helped students become more present during the school day. Finally, they examine Canada’s proposed approach to restricting social media for children under 16. Hanna explains why many young people recognize that platforms can be harmful but remain wary of blanket bans, and why safer design, corporate accountability and meaningful youth participation must be part of the solution. If adults want to build a healthier digital world for young people, we need to stop speaking only about them and start including them in the conversation. More about Hannah Hanna Grover, is a youth advocate, researcher, and public speaker driven by a commitment to health and wellbeing equity, children’s rights, and youth empowerment. Her journey began with a simple belief: that young people deserve a seat at every table where decisions about their wellbeing are made. Today, that belief shapes everything she does, from founding Poet2Poet, a youth-focused organization that merges poetry with mental health, to working with national health organizations to create more equitable healthcare systems. Through Poet2Poet, Hanna has helped thousands of youth across 70+ countries use writing as a tool for healing, connection, and advocacy. Alongside her many personal initiatives, she serves and collaborates with a range of organizations, advisory councils, academic teams, and advocacy platforms on projects that center youth voices for systems-level change. She has had the privilege of speaking at national conferences and panels, often serving as the youngest voice in rooms filled with fellow policymakers, researchers, and professionals with a hope to empower others like her. Her advocacy has been recognized through awards like Canada’s Top 10 Under 18 Changemakers, British Columbia's Medal of Good Citizenship, and Surrey’s Top 25 Under 25. Connect with Hanna Poet2Poet: https://www.poet2poet.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanna.grover_/ Connect with Sarah Adams: Website Instagram TikTok Podcast Podcast Instagram Podcast TikTok Chapters (00:00) Why adults need to listen to young people (01:27) Growing up online during the pandemic (05:36) Social media, screen-time rules and feeling left behind (10:54) What parents would see inside a teenager’s phone (13:49) Group chats, bullying and the pressure to stay connected (18:40) Graphic content, algorithms and desensitization (22:36) What parents should discuss beyond screen time (25:15) How teenagers are using AI and chatbots (28:42) Hanna’s experience with school cellphone restrictions (30:57) What policymakers are missing about social media bans (41:07) What young people need from their parents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 分
  • How to Talk to Kids About Porn with Chris McKenna

    How to Talk to Kids About Porn with Chris McKenna
    2026/09/16
    Research from Common Sense Media found that nearly three in four teenagers have been exposed to online pornography, with the average first exposure happening around age 12. For many children, however, exposure happens even earlier, sometimes accidentally and through places parents would never expect. So how early should parents begin talking about pornography? What can we say without giving young children information they aren’t ready for? And what should we do if our child tells us they have already seen something? In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah speaks with Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes and author of Five Habits of the Tech-Ready Family: Raising Self-Led Kids in a Screen-Driven World. Chris explains why families need to move away from the idea of one intimidating “porn talk” and toward short, age-appropriate conversations that begin early and continue as children grow. He shares simple language parents can use with younger children, including “put it down and tell someone” and explains when it may be helpful to introduce the word pornography. Sarah and Chris also discuss how children can encounter explicit content through social media, gaming platforms, group chats, school-issued devices, in-app browsers and other people’s phones. Chris explains why filters alone are not enough and walks parents through his layered approach to online protection, beginning with the parent-child relationship. Most importantly, they discuss how a parent’s first reaction can determine whether a child feels safe coming back. Children who encounter pornography need calm, connection and reassurance, not shame or panic. These conversations don’t need to be perfect, graphic or fear-based. They simply need to begin. More About Chris: Chris McKenna is the Founder of Protect Young Eyes and President of The Better Tech Project. Author of 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family, and leading voice on digital safety, he testified before the U.S. Senate in 2019, sparking more than 20 hearings on online child protection. Under his leadership, Protect Young Eyes earned the Dignity Defense Award and the Phase Alliance Child Safety Award. He co-authored the Child Device Protection Bill, now law in Utah and Alabama, requiring devices to activate content filters for minors. Chris serves as a technical advisor and represents the Human Change Movement, speaking globally—including at the World Economic Forum—while collaborating with advocates, tech leaders, and legislators. Featured in the film Childhood 2.0, Protect Young Eyes equips families with practical safety tools. Book: https://www.techreadyfamily.com/ Website: https://protectyoungeyes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectyoungeyes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mckenna-75962211/ Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠Podcast⁠ ⁠Podcast Instagram⁠ ⁠Podcast TikTok⁠ Produced and distributed by Women in Media Network. Chapters: (00:00) Why parents need to talk about pornography (02:23) Why the conversation needs to begin early (05:42) Where children are encountering pornography (07:46) The “10 Before 10” approach (09:11) What to say to a four- or five-year-old (11:48) When to introduce the word “pornography” (14:23) Moving through parental shame and discomfort (18:28) Why smaller conversations work better (20:59) How to respond when a child discloses exposure (24:16) What pornography can teach a developing brain (27:59) Pornography in mainstream online culture (31:14) Building a proactive family safety plan (32:18) The Pyramid of Protection (35:03) Six high-risk locations for digital harm (36:47) Five habits of a tech-ready family (39:10) Where overwhelmed parents should begin (40:57) What every child needs to hear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 分
  • Inside Meta’s Landmark Settlement with Nicki Petrossi

    Inside Meta’s Landmark Settlement with Nicki Petrossi
    2026/09/09
    Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle lawsuits brought by nearly every U.S. state over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to keep young people engaged while exposing them to serious harm. It’s being called a historic victory, and even Big Tech’s “Big Tobacco moment, “ but Meta admitted no wrongdoing, billions of dollars are conditional, many of the new protections can be overridden by parents, and thousands of other lawsuits remain unresolved. In this episode, Sarah welcomes back former social media executive turned digital safety advocate Nicki Petrossi to break down what Meta actually agreed to, which changes could meaningfully help teenagers, and where the settlement falls short. They also clarify the different legal cases involving Meta, including the New Mexico verdict, the K.G.M. trial in Los Angeles, state lawsuits, individual plaintiffs, and cases brought by school districts. Most importantly, Nicki explains why this settlement is not an “all clear” for parents, and why meaningful protection will require enforceable, industry-wide standards that don’t expire after ten years. More About Nicki: Nicki Petrossi is a former social media executive turned social media reform advocate. In late 2023, Nicki launched Scrolling 2 Death, a podcast for parents who are worried about social media. It’s a safe space to elevate the human experiences of children online and educate parents on how to keep them safe. In 2025, Nicki launched Tech-Safe Learning Coalition, which supports parents related to issues with school tech, and The Heat is On, an investigative mini-series and parent movement to hold Big Tech accountable for harm to children. Nicki also travels the world as an event speaker, inspiring families, educators and lawmakers through online safety education and awareness. Connect w/ Nicki: Founder & Host, Scrolling 2 Death Podcast Co-Founder, Tech-Safe Learning Coalition Founder, S2D Foundation Resources and links Motley Rice Social Media Evidence Library Meta’s settlement explained The Tech Transparency Project Connect with Sarah Adams: Website Instagram TikTok Podcast Podcast Instagram Podcast TikTok Chapters: (00:00) Why Meta’s settlement matters (02:04) Disturbing advertisements uncovered on Meta’s platforms (05:29) Are social media companies suppressing their critics? (08:05) The case against Meta and why it settled (11:19) Is this a victory for children or a favourable deal for Meta? (14:49) Breaking down the settlement money (16:40) The new restrictions planned for teen accounts (18:17) Why parents can override many of the protections (20:46) Can this be called accountability without an admission of wrongdoing? (22:38) Is the financial penalty large enough to change Meta’s behaviour? (23:48) Individual, state, and school-district lawsuits explained (26:30) Meta’s appeals and what happens next (27:33) Is this Big Tech’s “Big Tobacco moment”? (29:15) What the settlement means for parents (31:28) Is any social platform truly safe for children? (32:37) What gives Nicki hope (34:51) The next fight: Big Tech inside schools (36:48) Where to follow Nicki and access her parent resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 分
  • Raising Kids Online: Generative AI & Parental Surveillance with Dr. Devorah Heitner

    Raising Kids Online: Generative AI & Parental Surveillance with Dr. Devorah Heitner
    2026/09/02
    Technology has changed dramatically in just a few years, but has our approach to parenting kids online kept up? This week on Parents Uncharted, Sarah sits down with Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public and Screenwise, for a nuanced conversation about raising kids in an increasingly connected, tracked, and AI-powered world. Devorah explains why the explosion of generative AI has created new challenges for families, particularly as chatbots increasingly simulate friendship and emotional connection. But she also cautions against making fear, avoidance, or delay our only parenting strategy. Kids need opportunities to build judgment, independence, digital literacy, and the ability to navigate technology when parents aren’t watching. Sarah and Devorah also explore the growing culture of parental surveillance: location tracking, reading texts, monitoring grades, and receiving constant updates about children’s lives. While technology can sometimes support healthy habits, Devorah argues that having access to information doesn’t necessarily mean parents need to see it, and that too much monitoring can increase parental anxiety while undermining children’s independence. The conversation also gets practical, covering group chats, phone etiquette, location sharing, digital reputation, comparison culture, device boundaries, and the conversations families should be having as kids head back to school. Ultimately, this episode isn’t about being anti-tech. It’s about shifting from monitoring kids to mentoring them, and helping children develop the skills they need to eventually navigate the digital world without us. More About Dr. Devorah Heitner Dr. Devorah Heitner is the author of Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World and Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN Opinion. She has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology & Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul and Northwestern. She is delighted to be raising her own teenager and she lives with her family in Chicagoland. Connect w/ Dr. Devorah Heitner Website Substack Instagram Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted⁠ Chapters: 00:00) Introduction (00:59) What has changed since Growing Up in Public? (01:31) The explosion of AI in kids' lives (04:27) When AI starts acting like a friend (05:54) The problem with AI being a constant “yes person” (08:35) Why parents feel so anxious about technology (10:05) Why delaying technology isn't enough (12:13) Mentoring vs. monitoring kids online (15:42) Is tracking actually making parents more anxious? (20:11) Back-to-school digital conversations families need (22:16) Device zones, bedtime, and healthy tech habits (23:50) How kids can navigate toxic group chats (27:40) Teaching tweens and teens phone etiquette (30:16) Snapchat, Instagram, and location sharing (31:54) Teaching kids about digital reputation and privacy (34:42) Why kids, and adults, should periodically clean up their feeds (36:21) Comparison culture, achievement, and college admissions (39:02) One digital habit parents should stop (41:59) What gives Devorah hope about this generation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 分
  • The EdTech Takeover: What Parents Need to Know About Screens in School with Emily Cherkin

    The EdTech Takeover: What Parents Need to Know About Screens in School with Emily Cherkin
    2026/08/26
    How much of your child's school day is actually happening on a screen, and is that technology helping them learn? This week on Parents Uncharted, Sarah sits down with Emily Cherkin, former middle school teacher, author of The Screen Time Solution, founder of The Screen Time Consultant, and writer behind First Fish Chronicles, for a conversation about the rapid expansion of EdTech in schools. Emily explains why giving children more technology isn't the same as teaching them how technology works, what may be displaced when lessons move onto Chromebooks and digital platforms, and why parents should be asking harder questions about effectiveness, privacy, student data, literacy, and the growing integration of AI into classrooms. They also discuss the difference between EdTech and tech education, the loss of long-form reading, why teachers can become trapped inside technology ecosystems they didn't choose, and what parents can realistically do if they want a more tech-intentional education for their children. If you've spent years thinking about screen time at home but haven't considered how much technology your child is using at school, this episode is an important place to start. Chapters (00:00) – How Much of the School Day Is on a Screen? (02:33) – The Screen Time Parents Aren't Thinking About (04:26) – What Actually Counts as EdTech? (06:41) – Why Is YouTube Being Used in Classrooms? (08:25) – How EdTech Became the Infrastructure of School (11:55) – Is There Evidence EdTech Improves Learning? (13:48) – Is It Effective, Safe, Legal, and Better Than a Teacher? (17:16) – Why Parents Should Care About Student Data & Privacy (20:47) – What Are Screens Displacing? (22:21) – AI Chatbots Are Already Entering Classrooms (23:21) – EdTech, Teacher Workload & the Promise of a Quick Fix (27:12) – EdTech and the Literacy Crisis (32:35) – Are Adults Modelling the Behaviour We Want From Kids? (36:07) – EdTech Is NOT Technology Education (39:40) – Can Parents Actually Opt Out of School Technology? (41:16) – The Question Parents Should Ask Their School (43:52) – Emily's Unplug EdTech Toolkit (45:30) – What Emily Wants Every Parent to Know More About Emily Cherkin Emily Cherkin, M.Ed., The Screentime Consultant, is leading the fight for a Tech-Intentional™ childhood. Emily works with schools, families, policymakers, and advocacy organizations to ensure the future of education prioritizes skills, safety, and relationships over screens, EdTech, and A.I. Emily is an author, speaker, consultant, and associate professor of public policy at the University of Washington. She is also co-chair of Fairplay’s Screens in Schools Action Network and the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against one of the largest EdTech companies in the world. Emily is also the creator of the UnPlug EdTech Toolkit. Connect with Emily Cherkin Website: www.thescreentimeconsultant.com Instagram: @thescreentimeconsultant LinkedIn: @emily-cherkin Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 分
  • Back-to-School Hauls, Influencer Culture & the Pressure to Have More

    Back-to-School Hauls, Influencer Culture & the Pressure to Have More
    2026/08/19
    Back-to-school season used to mean pencils, notebooks and maybe a new pair of shoes. Now, open TikTok or YouTube and you can find kids displaying hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars worth of clothes, makeup, skincare and accessories in elaborate “back-to-school hauls.” But this episode isn't really about one teenager with a pile of shopping bags, it's about the culture we've created around our kids. In this solo episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah explores the growing intersection of childhood, consumerism and influencer culture, and how social media has transformed advertising from something that interrupts entertainment into the entertainment itself. Kids aren't simply being sold products. They're absorbing messages about what success looks like, what their bedrooms should look like, what they should wear, what they should own and, increasingly, what a “good life” is supposed to look like. At the same time children are being encouraged to constantly buy more, replace more and keep up with the next trend, they are also growing up amid climate change, extreme heat, wildfires and environmental instability. From fast fashion and textile waste to a culture that normalizes buying things we already own simply because a new version is trending, this episode asks whether the values being reinforced online are compatible with the future we say we want for our kids. Because underneath the hauls, affiliate links, TikTok trends and endless packages is a much bigger parenting question: what do we want our children to believe a good life looks like, and is the version we're modelling compatible with the world they're inheriting? Chapters (00:00) — When Back-to-School Became a Haul (02:15) — Wanting vs. Needing: What Are Kids Learning? (05:55) — Social Media Supercharged Consumerism (07:25) — When the Advertisement Becomes the Entertainment (10:35) — Materialism, Happiness & Well-Being (11:10) — Parents Are Part of This Culture Too (13:30) — The Environmental Cost of “More” (17:45) — What Parents Can Actually Do (18:30) — Teach Kids to Recognize the Sales Pitch (20:45) — Shop Your House Before Shopping the Store (22:55) — Look at Their Feed—and Yours (24:25) — Model What “Enough” Looks Like (26:00) — What Do We Want Kids to Value? (27:25) — Raising Kids for the World They're Inheriting Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 分
  • Why Strangers Online Feel Like Friends: Dr. Jess Maddox on Parasocial Relationships, Kidfluencers & Social Media

    Why Strangers Online Feel Like Friends: Dr. Jess Maddox on Parasocial Relationships, Kidfluencers & Social Media
    2026/08/12
    Why can watching someone online begin to feel like knowing them, and when does that attachment become unhealthy? In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah speaks with Dr. Jess Maddox, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Georgia and founding editor-in-chief of Creator and Influencer Studies. Jess explains what parasocial relationships actually are, why they are not inherently harmful and how social media has intensified them by making interactions with creators feel increasingly reciprocal. Together, Sarah and Jess explore how influencers and platforms cultivate intimacy to build engagement, loyalty and profit. The conversation examines why family content creates especially powerful attachments. When audiences watch children grow up and are invited into intimate family moments, they may begin to feel like relatives or stakeholders in that child’s life, even though the child never chose that relationship. Sarah and Jess discuss “TikTok aunties,” the anger audiences sometimes express when parents remove their children from social media, and how children themselves form parasocial relationships with kidfluencers. Young viewers may struggle to distinguish friendship from entertainment and advertising, especially when content is designed to feel casual and authentic. They also explore Reddit snark communities and “anti-fandom,” where intense dislike can begin to resemble fandom and escalate into harassment, surveillance or stalking. The episode concludes with practical guidance for parents and creators: teach children that the people they follow are not their friends, remind them that social media is a curated representation of reality, advocate for stronger digital literacy education and always prioritize a child’s dignity and safety over audience growth. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (01:32) What Does “Parasocial” Actually Mean? (03:38) Why Parasocial Relationships Are Not Always Bad (05:26) When Online Attachment Becomes Unhealthy (07:05) The “1.5-Way” Social Media Relationship (09:04) Influencer Fandom, Loyalty and Online Teams (10:15) How Creators Cultivate Parasocial Relationships (12:49) How Platforms Encourage Emotional Attachment (14:12) Why Family Content Feels So Intimate (16:33) When Viewers Feel Entitled to Parenting Decisions (17:18) The Difference Between Intimacy and Exploitation (20:38) Can Parents Ethically Build Parasocial Relationships Around Children? (24:26) What Happens When Parents Remove Their Children Online (25:03) “We Made You Famous, You Owe Us” (26:19) The Problem With “TikTok Aunties” (28:01) Comparison, Aspiration and Consumerism (29:33) How Algorithms Exploit Vulnerable Moments (30:46) When Children Confuse Advertising With Friendship (33:05) Signs a Child’s Attachment May Be Becoming Unhealthy (34:47) Reddit Snark and Anti-Fandom (38:19) When Snark Becomes Harassment or Stalking (40:53) Why Fans Sometimes Become Haters (42:03) What Parents Should Teach Children About Dr. Jess Maddox: Jessica Maddox is an Associate Professor of Media Studies in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on content creators, influencers, and social media platforms. She is the author of Anatomy of an Internet Scandal: How Content Creators and Audiences Fuel the Outrage Machine (University of California Press, 2027) and The Internet is for Cats: How Animal Images Shape Our Digital Lives (Rutgers University Press, 2023). Since 2023, she has been involved in a U.S. federal policy coalition for child social media labor laws, and has testified in numerous states on child influencer protection bills. She is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Creator & Influencer Studies and is on the academic advisory circle of the American Influencer Council. Connect with Dr. Jess Maddox: TikTok: @drjess21 Instagram: @jessmaddox21 Threads: @jessmaddox21 Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 分