DEEP DIVE: Susan Linn on How “Big Tech” Targets Our Kids

About this episode

Susan Linn discusses the impact of big tech and advertising on children's lives and how parents can set limits on screen time.

This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits. Psychologist Susan Linn, author of ⁠WHO'S RAISING THE KIDS? BIG TECH, BIG BUSINESS, AND THE LIVES OF CHILDREN⁠, isn't anti-technology. She's anti-advertising to children, and has spent her long career spotlighting the "monumental shift towards a digitized-commercialized childhood." With smart speakers and screens at arms' reach wherever kids go, digital technologies continue to evolve much faster than our understanding of the ramifications of their dominance in our kids' lives. Susan began her career as award-winning ventriloquist (here she is on ⁠Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood⁠!) and has become a world-renowned expert on creative play and the impact of media and commercial marketing on children. In this episode, Susan tells us Why her point isn't to make parents feel guilty Why the best kinds of toys for children do very little How branding can creep in where we sometimes don't even perceive it What we can do to set parameters on…

People in this episode

Hosts: Margaret Ables, Amy Wilson

Guest: Susan Linn

Topics covered

• screen time
• effects of technology on children
• advertising to children
• digital childhood
• creative play
• media impact

Keywords

• screen time
• big tech
• advertising
• children
• parenting
• digital media
• creative play

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, fairplayforkids.org, susanlinn.net

Books & works: WHO'S RAISING THE KIDS? BIG TECH, BIG BUSINESS, AND THE LIVES OF CHILDREN

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