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PODCAST

Left To Their Own Devices

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 social

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

30:25

Left to Our Own Devices

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/11/21

On December 10, 2025, Australia will be the first country in the world to ban social media for kids. It's a radical step, and lawmakers around the world are taking notice. In the U.S., eight states have proposed similar legislation. In Canada, Quebec and Nova Scotia are reportedly considering bans of their own. These policies are popular, but they're also controversial – and some experts worry they could isolate a generation of children. But on the other side of the world, a very different story is

en

35:44

The Worst Sex Ed Class Ever

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/11/14

The numbers are staggering. In the US, 71% of teenagers say they've watched porn in the last week. In Canada, 88% of boys have seen it by the age of fourteen. And in the UK, one in four kids have been exposed to pornography by the time they turn eleven. Even more alarming: this early consumption has been linked to rising rates of domestic violence among teens. In this episode, Ava meets Harrison and Nat – two young people whose journeys began on gaming platforms, and ended in the throes of

en

25:29

Under the Influence

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/11/07

When Ghyslain Raza – aka the "Star Wars Kid" – became the internet's first viral sensation, it nearly destroyed him. More than twenty years later, many young people today are desperate for that kind of fame – even if it means making their most embarrassing moments available for public consumption. According to one recent poll, more than half of all Gen Zs want to be influencers – online creators who turn their lives into content. To try and understand this phenomenon, Ava tracks down Sophie Fergi,

en

36:45

See You in Court

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/10/31

In the absence of meaningful regulation, thousands of young people are now looking to the justice system to hold Big Tech accountable. In this episode, we go inside three landmark lawsuits that could finally force social media companies to answer for the damage they've done. New Mexico's Attorney General, Raul Torrez, has seen the darkest corners of the internet. After twenty years prosecuting child sex crimes, he knows exactly where predators hunt today: social media. In a groundbreaking lawsuit

en

36:15

Yahoo Boys

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/10/24

The West African cybercriminals who call themselves the Yahoo Boys have perfected dozens of cons – including the infamous Nigerian Prince email scam. But recently, they've discovered something far more lucrative: the extortion of teenage boys. In just two years, sextortion cases targeting teens have exploded by 18,000 percent. The Yahoo Boys have made millions. And they've left a trail of devastation in their wake that has reached even the most remote communities. In a tiny Manitoba town, one

en

29:05

Blackmailed

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/10/17

Like a lot of lonely teenagers, Sarah found refuge on social media. In her lowest moments, she'd reach for her phone, connecting with strangers on Snapchat and Wizz – an app that's been called "Tinder for kids." But those digital friendships quickly became something more sinister. A torrent of older male users solicited her, and then, when she spurned their advances, blackmailed her. For years, Sarah’s life was in turmoil. And then she met a woman named Carol Todd, who took her under her wing

en

30:42

Brain Rot

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/10/10

Are screens rewiring kids' brains and creating a generation of depressed teens? After Jonathan Haidt published his mega-bestseller The Anxious Generation, a lot of parents became convinced that they were. But the science tells a more complicated story. Ava interviews several scientists studying technology's impact on our brains, then takes matters into her own hands. She meets up with Dr. Emma Duerden, Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience and Learning Disorders, to conduct her own experiment:

en

29:16

Big Tech's Origin Story

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/10/03

You'd be hard-pressed to find a young person who uses Facebook regularly. But to understand why social media has had such a profound, and sometimes devastating, effect on kids, you need to understand Facebook's origin story first. Ava tracks down two of Silicon Valley's most prominent insiders: Roger McNamee and Frances Haugen. Together, they trace Facebook's rise into a global behemoth and reveal how decisions made in boardrooms left millions of children vulnerable to social media's most damaging

en

31:37

A Tale of Two Algorithms

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/09/26

Algorithms are the invisible engines that drive every scroll, swipe or click. And, in the last few years, it’s become clear that they can devastate young lives. But Ava discovers they might also be capable of saving them. She speaks with two teens with radically different stories. When 12-year-old CeCe Neltner went online to find workout tips, her social media feeds devolved into a torrent of eating disorder content. Today, she says she's lucky to be alive. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Keira

en

34:27

Internet Addicts Anonymous

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/09/26

When she was 12 years old, Ava Smithing spiralled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life. A decade later, she discovered she wasn’t alone: Big Tech had hijacked childhood and adolescence for an entire generation. In this ten-part investigative podcast, Ava crosses the continent to uncover a hidden digital world. She’ll meet teens with millions of followers, young girls wrestling with compulsive porn use, and boys blackmailed by international cybercriminals lurking in their DMs

en

04:27

Introducing Left to Their Own Devices

Left To Their Own Devices ·

2025/09/19

We handed kids the most powerful technology in history. Then we walked away. This is what happened next. 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

en

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