The Big Tech Gut Check is a super quick, weekly update on all things social media and Big Tech.

Social Media & Big Tech highlights for this week:

• President Trump Issues Executive Order to Advance AI Education for American Youth

• TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed Into Law

• Snapchat Test Account Shows Sexual Content Pushed to Teen Within 5 Minutes

• TikTok Expands Meditation Feature

• DEA 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment

In this honest and heartfelt conversation, Nicki Reisberg sits down with Titania Jordan—chief parent officer at Bark—to talk about the emotional realities of navigating families changes and prioritizing mental health for both parents and children. Together, they unpack the pressures families face today, including rising rates of anxiety and depression among teens.

From personal stories to professional insights, Nicki and Titania explore the power of therapy, the importance of normalizing mental health conversations, and practical coping strategies that can truly make a difference. They also spotlight Bark’s new partnership with Talkspace, which is helping expand access to affordable, convenient mental health resources for families across the country.

Whether you're a parent going through a tough season or someone who cares deeply about the mental well-being of kids, this episode offers both comfort and concrete tools for support.

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Fifteen-year-old and co-founder of Lookupp, Atiksh Bhan, remembers when life was better. He and his friends would spend their afternoons biking, exploring the woods and playing games outside. But then, smartphones came along. =

Instead of adventures, they’d spend their time sitting around, scrolling through TikTok. "We’d be huddled around one phone, looking over someone’s shoulder. It just wasn't fun anymore," Atiksh says. And even though they were ‘connected’ through technology, he felt lonelier than ever.

Atiksh and his brother only had basic flip phones, but they started to notice a shift in their peers who had smartphones: increasing anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Adding phones to typical teen dilemmas, like breakups and friend drama, was like throwing gasoline on a fire.

Determined to make a change, they created LookUpp – an app that rewards you for staying off your phone when you’re with people you care about. The longer your screen is off, the more points you earn. And they’re teaming up with parents, communities, and local businesses to translate points into real-life rewards.

Tune in to hear directly from Atiksh, a teen navigating the digital age, as he and Nicki from Scrolling 2 Death talk about rebuilding connections, before it’s too late.