Scrolling 2 Death Podcast: [BONUS EPISODE] The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial

Host: Nicki Petrossi
Guests: Toney & Brandy Roberts
Date: February 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This bonus episode offers an emotional and unflinching look at what’s truly at stake as families and states across America take Big Tech to court over the harms of social media platforms on children. Through a candid conversation with Toney and Brandi Roberts—parents who lost their 14-year-old daughter England in 2020—the dialogue moves past legal abstractions and into lived heartbreak. The Roberts share the painful details of how Instagram’s algorithms and content exacerbated their daughter’s depression, and call for accountability from tech giants like Meta. The episode underscores a core message: these lawsuits are about children’s safety, not politics or profit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Real-Life Harm from Social Media Algorithms

[01:39-04:53]

• Toney details how England was served dangerous content by Instagram, noting, “Instagram sent her harmful videos, and one of the videos that they sent is what she did. And that's how we found her.”
• After her death, Toney discovered a trail of suicide-related videos and content on England’s account, some from celebrities or influencers discussing their own struggles.
• Despite reporting the content, the same harmful video could be easily found across multiple new accounts—evidence of both content proliferation and lack of effective moderation.
• Toney explains: “I was able to find that particular video 15 times ... I can still find all 15 accounts and the videos on them today. And it’s gone to over 6,000 likes on certain accounts.” [03:48]

Big Tech’s Technical Capabilities vs. Actual Behavior

[04:01-05:19]

• Sarah Gardner, co-host, points out the ease with which tech platforms could remove such content using “hash matching” technology, yet chooses not to.
  • “They could do it in their sleep... They could even prevent it from being uploaded in the first place with the technology, if they wanted to.” [04:07, Sarah Gardner]
• Frustration is voiced at Meta’s public claims of protecting teens not aligning with reality:
  • “If they were really serious about Instagram teens, that account... they would all be gone. If I can find it ... I can just type in, I’m searching Instagram. And her account comes right up.” [05:34, Toney]

The Hidden Toll on Teens

[06:58-08:56]

• Brandy shares how, despite best parental efforts—having passwords, monitoring accounts—England felt pressure to curate her image and suffered silently.
  • “She said how she didn’t feel beautiful anymore. She said, like Instagram... And she had altered one of her pictures to make herself seem skinnier.” [07:32, Brandy]
• Toney discovered, only after her death, that England had been self-harming, with photos and journal entries kept secret on her phone.
  • Brandy explains how even well-intentioned parental oversight wasn’t enough: “She was with us every day and never saw it.” [08:05, Brandy]
  • Toney reads a note England wrote:

    “I show people what they want to see. But behind the social media life, nobody knows the real me and how much I struggle to make sure everyone’s good, even though I’m not... I just become so suicidal. And I just need that emotional support... If no one’s there, who do I have?” [09:40, Toney reads England’s note]

The Parent Community & Common Patterns

[10:27-12:17]

• Brandy and Toney reflect on finding strength in a community of parents with devastatingly similar stories, all linking their children’s crises to social media exposure.
  • “When we tell them our stories and we share our stories... they all sound so similar. Like you were thinking that they were great and come to find out they were struggling.” [10:27, Brandy]
• They highlight the tendency of teens to hide their struggles—fearing device removal or being misunderstood.
• The issue of friends keeping secrets is discussed, as kids don’t want to ‘snitch,’ making detection harder.

What Meta Knew and Failed to Act On

[12:17-14:42]

• Sarah references Frances Haugen’s disclosures (the Facebook Papers) showing Meta knew Instagram damages girls’ mental health, especially depression and body image issues.
• Toney expresses deep anger:

  “...these people knew what the hell that they were doing and decided to choose the profits over the lives of children... And Mark Zuckerberg still chose to carry on and then to know that he only valued our children’s life at only $270 bucks. So it makes you angry... you try to be different than what they are.” [13:05, Toney]

The Need for Accountability and Systemic Change

[14:46-17:48]

• Brandy raises the frustration that blame keeps falling on parents, while Big Tech continues to dodge responsibility, and regulations stall:

  “We’re not trying to take these big companies away. We just want to make it safer. Why does everybody feel that’s wrong?” [14:46, Brandy]

• Both emphasize, “It’s not about the money, it’s about justice. We want them to be held like every other company who has a faulty product... to the same standards as everyone else.” [17:15, Brandy]
• Toney demands consequences for executives and questions congressional inaction.

  “Are the congressional leaders that in love with him or his money that there has not been a consequence for the lies that he has told?” [17:48, Toney]

Grief, Advocacy, and A Call for Change

[18:56-21:19]

• The Roberts describe their experience at the parent vigil at the courthouse—standing in solidarity with other grieving parents:

  “The face of change is the way I put it... as hard as it is to stand in there with a picture of your child knowing that you’re not going home to them, we know in the back of our hearts that we’re fighting to save others.” [18:56, Brandy]

• Toney reflects:

  “The power of love is what the world should feel of what we felt yesterday. Grief and love is so intertwined... one of the strongest, most powerful, most meaningful opportunities we’ve had to express to the world our love and our grief, our children.” [19:41, Toney]

Lasting Advice and Parental Awareness

[21:20-23:48]

• The Roberts urge parents to educate themselves thoroughly about every platform, distinguishing social media from wider Internet use.

  “If you allow [your children] on any platform, regardless to what it is, do your research first to know what that platform brings to your child. What emotions, what feelings, what love, what hate, what’s out there.” [21:20, Toney]

• Brandy, as an educator, warns that many parents underestimate how much harm kids are experiencing online compared to what adults see:

  “Know that whatever you’re experiencing as a parent... it’s 10 times worse on their end.” [22:08, Brandy]

• Sarah stresses that social media does not equate to technological literacy, countering misconceptions that kids need unrestricted access to tech for learning.

  “Instagram is not making you tech technically savvy. It’s making you depressed and addicted.” [22:41, Sarah]

The Path Forward

[23:48-24:22]

• Toney points to changes happening in other countries (Australia, Spain) and calls for America to follow suit on regulations, like banning phones in schools.

  “Change is here... we know that... maybe not as quick here as it should be, but around the world it is. People are listening.” [23:48, Toney]

Notable Quotes

• “Instagram sent her harmful videos, and one of the videos that they sent is what she did. And that’s how we found her.” – Toney Roberts [01:49]
• “They could do it in their sleep... They could even prevent it from being uploaded in the first place.” – Sarah Gardner [04:07]
• “I show people what they want to see. But behind the social media life, nobody knows the real me and how much I struggle...” – England Roberts, quoted by Toney [09:40]
• “It’s not about the money, it’s about justice. We want them to be held like every other company who has a faulty product...” – Brandy Roberts [17:15]
• “The power of love is what the world should feel of what we felt yesterday. Grief and love is so intertwined...” – Toney Roberts [19:41]
• “Instagram is not making you tech technically savvy. It’s making you depressed and addicted.” – Sarah Gardner [22:41]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:39 – Turning point: Instagram’s role in England’s tragedy
• 03:48 – Attempts to remove dangerous content; lack of Meta action
• 04:07 – The ease of using hash-matching tech for moderation
• 07:32 – The pressure to present a perfect image online
• 09:40 – England’s hidden struggles read aloud by her father
• 13:05 – The emotional toll of Meta’s decisions on bereaved families
• 17:15 – Why parents are suing: justice and accountability
• 18:56 – The significance of community at the courthouse vigil
• 21:20 – Strong parental advice on online vigilance
• 22:41 – Dispelling myths: social media ≠ technological literacy
• 23:48 – Hope for change from international examples

Episode Tone and Takeaways

Raw, emotional, and steeped in love and grief, the Roberts’ testimony transforms the debate on social media harms from abstract statistics to urgent, irrefutable human reality. Despite personal loss, their advocacy is driven by a desire to spare other families similar pain. The episode calls for parents, policymakers, and tech leaders to listen—before more children are harmed.