Online safety should go mainstream: a conversation with Nicki Petrossi on online harms to kids
AI and social media platforms are hurting kids – and this conversation should go mainstream. Nicki Petrossi, host of the successful “Scrolling2Death” podcast, is working to get this done. In her show, she interviews experts and other parents to bring online harms under the spotlight and advocates for online safety.
Nicki felt motivated to create her podcast after first learning about families who have been harmed or lost children to online harms – and especially when she heard Kristen Bride’s story.
“Once you get to know these kids, you think, oh God, that could be my kid if I’m not making safer choices at home. And so I wanted to create a safe, productive space where parents can tell these stories and in a way that inspires other parents and families to be safer.”
This time, we invited Nicki to a conversation with our CEO Imran Ahmed. Together they explore the harms of AI chatbots to kids, the lack of accountability structures for tech companies, and the urgent need for legislators to step up and protect kids online.
But Nicki also sees progress – parents are becoming more aware of online harms and realizing that their voices matter:
“Our voices actually matter. And there’s a lot of opportunity for us to get involved, whether it be petitions or just participating in surveys or protesting or calling our lawmakers. Our voices are the only thing that’s going to change the tide and take that power back from Big Tech.”
Nicki also believes the knowledge of how social media and AI companies are harming kids needs to reach other audiences, including celebrities and people who can call amplify this conversation even further.
Watch full conversation: