
About this podcast
We gave children the most powerful tools in human history. Then, we left them to their own devices. When she was 12 years old, Ava Smithing spiraled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life. A decade later, she discovered she wasn't alone: Big Tech had rewritten childhood and adolescence for her entire generation. Armed with questions and a year to find answers, Ava embarked on a cross-continent investigation into a hidden digital world. She met teens in 12-step programs for…
13 episodes · society
Left To Their Own Devices
About this podcast
We gave children the most powerful tools in human history. Then, we left them to their own devices. When she was 12 years old, Ava Smithing spiraled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life. A decade later, she discovered she wasn't alone: Big Tech had rewritten childhood and adolescence for her entire generation. Armed with questions and a year to find answers, Ava embarked on a cross-continent investigation into a hidden digital world. She met teens in 12-step programs for…
Recent episodes
- Bonus panel discussion: A conversation on building healthy digital habits for youth2 Feb · 1 h 01 min
- Left to Our Own Devices21 Nov 2025 · 30 min
- The Worst Sex Ed Class Ever14 Nov 2025 · 36 min
- Under the Influence7 Nov 2025 · 25 min
- See You in Court31 Oct 2025 · 37 min
- Yahoo Boys24 Oct 2025 · 36 min
- Blackmailed17 Oct 2025 · 29 min
- Brain Rot10 Oct 2025 · 31 min
- Big Tech's Origin Story3 Oct 2025 · 29 min
- A Tale of Two Algorithms26 Sept 2025 · 32 min