Can the real world compete with smartphones for our kids' attention? What is the goal and effect of policies that remove these devices from students' hands during the school day? These questions and more are covered in the conversation that Jake has with Casey Mock, Senior Policy Director for The Anxious Generation.

Political violence is becoming more common, and Americans report personal stress and dissatisfaction with the quality of our political dialogue. Disagree Better is an initiative that helps Americans engage in healthier conflict. Jake speaks with Marianne Viray, Disagree Better's Executive Director, about why they're taking on this challenge, and what they've learned along the way.

As legalized sports gambling has risen online, so has personal debt, bankruptcy, and even domestic violence. At least 8 million Americans now struggle with a gambling addiction. Jake speaks with Jonathan Cohen about policy responses to address this growing public health challenge. Cohen is the Sports Betting Policy Lead for the American Institute for Boys & Men and the author of Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling.

Youth are increasingly interacting with AI chatbots, and the risks to their wellbeing, including self harm, are becoming tragically apparent. Jake speaks with Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy at Common Sense Media, about how we can responsibly regulate these platforms to protect kids.

Jake speaks with Brian Heilman of Movember to discuss the unique challenges of men's health, including the role of masculinity. Movember is a global annual event in November where people grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues. They invest those resources in projects, including the Real Face of Men's Health Report, which includes both a diagnosis of challenges, as well as highlights of what is working to improve men's health.

In a suicide-prevention double header, Jake is joined by Nacole Palmer, Executive Director of Maine Gun Safety Coalition, who just led a successful statewide ballot campaign to pass a "red flag" law. Then, Senator Cathy Kipp and Virginia Mack join the pod to discuss new legislation, sometimes called “Donna’s Law”, that passed this year in Colorado, which allows an individual to voluntarily and confidentially block themselves from a firearm purchase if they fear self-harm or suicide.

Across the country, tech companies are successfully suing to block laws aimed at protecting children online. Jake speaks with Holly Grosshans and Ariel Fox Johnson of Common Sense Media about how the industry is using the first amendment and federal law to skirt accountability, and they discuss how the places where the industry has lost in court may point a viable way forward to enforce regulation that mitigates the harms of social media on youth.

Our mental health is impacted way before middle school. Jake speaks with Dr. Ayelet Talmi about the relevant influences within the first phase of life, how they impact the trajectory of a child's wellbeing, and what we should consequently pursue within public policy to improve outcomes for kids. Dr. Talmi is the Robert J. Harmon Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, and she engages in integrated behavioral health and early childhood systems and workforce capacity building and implementation, direct service, scholarship, advocacy, and policy efforts in Colorado and nationally.