Content warning: this episode discusses online harms to children, including suicide, self-harm, and online predation. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Nicki Petrossi spent fifteen years in social media marketing before she walked away and launched Scrolling 2 Death, a podcast for parents worried about what screens are doing to their kids. She joins The Ryan Vet Show to map the harms hiding beyond social media, and to make the case that the responsibility sits with the companies, not just the parents.
Nicki takes host Ryan Vet past the usual social media conversation into the traps most parents are not watching: Roblox and online gaming, encrypted chat apps like Discord, and the fast-rising world of AI companion bots built to befriend, isolate, and addict young users. She walks through the cases that changed how she sees this fight, including chatbots that groomed and isolated children, and explains why the common excuse, my kid will be left out, gets the risk backwards.
They dig into the velocity gap, the reality that technology is accelerating faster than our morality and wisdom can keep up, and what is finally shifting: more than 1,500 school districts suing, court cases turning on internal documents, and Australia and the UK moving to raise the minimum age to 16. Most important, Nicki offers hope and a plan, from newborns to teens, grounded in the single most powerful thing a parent can do, which is to stay a safe, open place a kid can always come back to.
In this episode:
- Why the my-kid-will-be-left-out excuse gets the risk backwards
- The online dangers beyond social media: gaming, encrypted chat, and AI companions
- How AI chatbots have groomed and isolated children, including the Sewell Setzer III and Adam Raine cases
- Why responsibility sits with tech companies, not just parents, and what safe by design means
- What is finally moving: state and school-district lawsuits, injunctive relief, and Australia’s and the UK’s age limits
- Why YouTube, and even YouTube Kids, is not the safe educational tool many parents assume
- Practical, non-shaming steps for parents who worry it is too late, and a blueprint for new parents
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nicki Petrossi?
Nicki Petrossi is a former social media executive turned online child-safety advocate and the host of Scrolling 2 Death, a podcast for parents worried about social media. She has produced more than 300 episodes and reaches over a million parents a week.
What online dangers exist beyond social media?
Nicki points to online gaming platforms like Roblox where kids connect with strangers, encrypted messaging apps like Discord that predators exploit, and AI companion bots designed to befriend, isolate, and addict young users.
Are AI companion chatbots safe for children?
Nicki says no. She cites cases where chatbots groomed and isolated children, including ones tied to the deaths of Sewell Setzer III and Adam Raine, and recommends keeping AI companions away from minors entirely.
Is YouTube Kids safe for kids?
Not reliably. Nicki notes that harmful user-generated content slips through YouTube Kids' automated filters, only about 4 percent of YouTube videos are assessed as educational, and internal documents show the platform was engineered for addiction.
Is it too late to change my child's screen habits?
No. Nicki points to brain neuroplasticity and says it is never too late to set limits or remove devices. The most important thing is staying a safe, non-judgmental place your child can come back to.
What age should kids be allowed on social media?
Nicki advocates safe age verification so children under 13 are kept off platforms they are legally not permitted to use, and supports moves like Australia's and the UK's to raise the minimum age to 16.
Want Ryan at Your Next Event?
Ryan Vet delivers keynotes on AI, generational dynamics, and the future of work to audiences across the globe.
Inquire About Speaking