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Doing Tech Right: Daily Summaries Delivered
by ConnectSafely
We’re updating our name—and our focus. We’re moving from the first season of our podcast, where we asked, “Are We Doing Tech Right?” to a new title: Doing Tech Right.While we’ll still meet and challenge people who work in technology, we’re also leaning into our own expertise - and that of our community. Expect more tips and conversations about making sure technology works for us, not against us. This episode marks a fresh chapter, with a deeper focus on actionable advice and tips that make parenting and educating with technology easierWe invite parents and educators to join us. By sharing experiences, challenges, and triumphs, we can collectively make informed decisions that benefit our children. And if you know someone who would be a great guest, send an email to our producer at vu@connectsafely.org.
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- 4 days ago31 min
How Online Algorithms & Profit Motives Fuel Youth Radicalization | Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss
In this episode of Doing Tech Right from ConnectSafely, host Larry Magid talks with Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, professor at American University and founding director of PERIL (the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab), about how online environments can contribute to extremism, radicalization, and polarization.Miller-Idriss explains that radicalization is typically gradual, shaped by desensitization, vulnerabilities like isolation and adverse experiences, parasocial influencer relationships, and direct recruitment—often via gaming chats and related communities that can lead users into encrypted spaces. She discusses dehumanization, democratic backsliding, and how algorithm-driven attention and attachment economies reward outrage and harmful content.The conversation covers why adolescents are especially vulnerable, warning signs for parents, safe ways to counter misinformation without shaming, and industry steps like disabling addictive features, enabling easier feed controls, and making it simple to reset algorithms.00:00 Welcome and guest intro01:18 How radicalization unfolds04:13 Gaming chats and recruitment07:10 Lessons from Germany10:13 Algorithms and addictive design13:23 Profit motives behind hate15:40 Countering hate safely19:49 Why teens are vulnerable24:10 Warning signs and grooming27:55 What platforms should change30:04 Resources and closing
- Jun 24, 202620 min
AI’s Environmental Costs, Copyright Battles, and Privacy Risks (Part 2 with Dr. Karen Boyd)
AI’s Environmental Costs, Copyright Battles, and Privacy Risks (Part 2 with Dr. Karen Boyd)In part two of Larry Magid’s interview with Dr. Karen Boyd on Doing Tech Right, they discuss AI’s environmental impact, noting that video streaming often uses more data-center resources than chatbots, and that water for cooling can burden nearby communities while electricity use adds pollution on a fossil-fueled grid. They examine AI training and copyright, possible settlements or taxes, and the unsettled “fair use” debate. They cover privacy and security risks from sharing sensitive data with chatbots, including hacking and potential reuse for training, plus unclear “memory” settings and feedback signals. Magid shares using AI to interpret a CT scan, and Boyd recommends cross-checking models, asking for assumptions, and seeking expert confirmation.00:00 Podcast Intro00:28 Meet Dr Karen Boyd00:53 AI Environmental Footprint02:05 Data Centers And Communities03:16 Mining And Real Costs04:52 Practical Ways To Cut Impact05:44 AI And Copyright Theft07:48 Paying Creators Fairly08:29 Privacy Risks With Chatbots11:17 Data Vaults And Terms12:13 AI In Medical Imaging14:42 Fact Checking And Prompts16:17 Bias And Multiple Views17:31 Future Outlook And Jobs19:53 Trade School And Wrap Up20:19 Book Plug And Credits
- Jun 10, 202627 min
AI Ethics in Education with Dr. Karen Boyd
In this episode, Larry Magid and Kerry Gallagher discuss the ethical implications of AI in education with values and technology researcher Dr. Karen Boyd. The conversation explores critical questions facing educators today: When should students be allowed to use AI tools? How do we balance convenience with learning outcomes? What skills and values might be threatened? The panel examines real concerns, including student resilience, skill atrophy, authenticity in academic work, and the challenge of teaching judgment alongside technology. Dr. Boyd shares insights from her recent book, Amplify Good Work: Effective Ethical AI for Mission-Driven Work, and emphasizes the importance of teaching intentional judgment rather than just technical skills. 00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech Right00:53 Why AI Ethics Matters02:38 Meet Dr Karen Boyd03:43 AI and Student Resilience05:54 Where to Draw the Line08:06 Writing Policies in Class13:12 Values at Stake15:18 Jobs and Entry Level Fears19:30 Deepfakes and Media Literacy21:59 Trust and AI Detection25:23 Art Authenticity and AI26:10 Closing Thoughts and Book27:26 Credits and Sign Off
- May 22, 202623 min
Power of Zero: Online safety skills from day one
In this episode of Doing Tech Right, Larry talks with Nicholas Carlisle, CEO of Power of Zero, about childhood moving online and the rapid spread of AI as a transformative “general purpose technology.”Carlisle explains the origin of Power of Zero’s name and its focus on helping children use technology responsibly with “zero violence and zero bullying” from an early age. They discuss very young children’s screen exposure, World Health Organization guidance on limiting screen time for ages 2–5, and the importance of avoiding displacement of face time and physical play.The conversation also covers the harms of passive scrolling, online harassment—especially targeting young women.Carlisle outlines Power of Zero’s education-first approach, including its Superpowers Program teaching 12 character strengths for kindergarten through third grade.00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech Right00:29 Meet Nicholas Carlisle01:04 Childhood Goes Online02:03 AI as a Mega Shift03:55 Why Power of Zero05:24 Screens and Tiny Kids08:04 Healthy Screen Balance10:25 Passive vs Active Online13:48 Harassment and Deepfakes15:57 Education Over Regulation17:37 Programs Around the World19:10 Preparing Kids for AI21:21 Guardrails and Resilience22:50 Wrap Up and Credits
- May 6, 202629 min
Evolving Games - From Youth to Young Adult Safety in Gaming With Matt Soeth
This week, Larry speaks with longtime ConnectSafely partner Matthew Soeth, head of the nonprofit Thriving in Games group, about why online games matter and how to make multiplayer gaming safer and more fun. They discuss the social, cognitive, and teamwork benefits of gaming and esports, including opportunities for neurodivergent youth, and how design choices (like player matching and communication settings) can reduce friction and harassment while encouraging helping behaviors.Matt addresses toxicity, misogyny, moderation, and community self-regulation, and explains why research does not link violent games to offline violence, emphasizing attention to broader behavioral indicators and parent-child conversations. He shares practical parenting advice on setting limits, shared screen time, and staying engaged, and shares his podcast, Safety Is Redacted.00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech Right00:28 Meet Matthew Soes01:58 Why Kids Love Games03:06 Gaming Goes Mainstream05:15 Skills and Esports Benefits07:00 Toxicity and Game Design10:48 Sportsmanship and Cheating14:24 Violence and Ratings18:22 Stereotypes and Overuse20:58 Misogyny and Moderation23:26 Parenting Tips for Gaming26:00 Raising Adults with Boundaries28:00 Matt's Podcast and Wrap Up28:36 Credits and Sign Off
- Apr 24, 202630 min
AI, Deepfakes, and Raising Resilient Kids
In this episode of Doing Tech Right, Kerry Gallagher and Larry Magid explore how conversational AI can feel human, why that can be both useful and risky, and what it means for children, families, and educators.They discuss the importance of verifying AI-generated information, helping young people use AI to support rather than replace learning, and the growing concerns around AI deepfakes and “nudification,” especially targeting girls.Drawing on recent audience questions from a California event on women and girls’ online safety, they offer practical advice for parents, schools, and young people on responding to emerging risks while keeping the focus on resilience, media literacy, and informed, not fear-based, decisions. 00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech00:29 In Person Again01:19 Before AI Era01:46 Why AI Feels Human04:07 Verify Before You Trust06:18 Kids Using AI for School07:58 Smart Homework Examples09:35 Deepfakes Targeting Girls11:18 What Is Nudification13:22 If It Happens Tell Someone14:21 Building Trusted Adults Network15:23 From Deepfakes to Sextortion16:15 Sextortion First Steps16:30 You Are Not To Blame17:45 Law Enforcement Perspective18:59 School Response Playbook20:46 Handling The Classmate22:10 Accountability And Motives24:06 Talking About Deepfakes26:54 Parenting Without Fear28:46 Resilience And Wrap Up
- Apr 15, 202634 min
Safety from Youth to Young Adulthood with Trisha Prabhu
Larry is joined by Trisha Prabhu, who created the Rethink app at 13 to prompt users to pause before posting potentially harmful words.Now in law school, Prabhu leads Rethink Citizens, a nonprofit focused on K–12 education and empowerment through a youth incubator for ideas to improve the internet, training students to deliver social media safety workshops for parents, and digital literacy education.They discuss digital parenting strategies for young children, the limits and drawbacks of social media bans versus common-sense regulation, and how AI shifts risks toward deepfakes, truth and democracy concerns, and platform liability. They also address young-adult issues like harassment, reliance on social media for connection, online activism, and building resilience after harm.
- Apr 10, 202647 min
Evolving Online Safety from Childhood to Adulthood with Amanda Lenhart
Larry hosts Amanda Lenhart to discuss her newest study for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, where kids and parents used playful activities to surface challenges and brainstorm solutions for managing technology at home.Lenhart explains a key takeaway: digital parenting is cyclical—families repeatedly research, adopt, “unbox,” and then continually manage devices as children mature and new tools arrive—creating exhaustion but also building experience parents can reuse. They compare tech safety to car safety (airbags, seat belts, car seats), arguing for stronger safety-by-design defaults alongside optional fine-grained controls.They discuss shifting risks, moral panics, rapid tech change, platform incentives, social media age bans, and the importance of respectful, ongoing conversations focused on maturity signals, balance, and scaffolding kids toward independent digital adulthood.00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech00:29 Meet Amanda Lenhart01:05 Inside the Cooney Study01:40 Playful Co Design Methods03:18 Why Younger Kids Matter06:27 Joan Ganz Cooney Center07:25 Parenting Tech Cycle11:29 Exhausted Parents Burden14:01 Safety by Design Defaults16:38 How Tech Has Changed17:49 Perjuvenile and Risk Fears19:14 Media Narratives vs Data21:34 Meta Verdict Turning Point22:22 Why Change Fails Inside Big Tech25:20 Tech Change Outpaces Research26:41 Parent Talks Not Lectures27:48 Maturity Signals For Devices 29:37 Holding The Line With Teens32:15 Bans And Digital Adulthood33:26 Australia Under 16 Ban35:26 Youth Pushback And Analog Trends38:40 From Attention To Attachment AI43:04 Parent Advice Balance Over Bans45:31 Neurodivergent Kids And Gaming Wins46:35 Closing Thoughts And Optimism
About Doing Tech Right
We’re updating our name—and our focus. We’re moving from the first season of our podcast, where we asked, “Are We Doing Tech Right?” to a new title: Doing Tech Right.While we’ll still meet and challenge people who work in technology, we’re also leaning into our own expertise - and that of our community. Expect more tips and conversations about making sure technology works for us, not against us. This episode marks a fresh chapter, with a deeper focus on actionable advice and tips that make parenting and educating with technology easierWe invite parents and educators to join us. By sharing experiences, challenges, and triumphs, we can collectively make informed decisions that benefit our children. And if you know someone who would be a great guest, send an email to our producer at vu@connectsafely.org.
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