PPF Media
The fight to fix social media and protect children from online harms
On PPF’s WONK podcast, host Amanda Lang talks to Ava Smithing, advocacy director of the Young People’s Alliance, about social media algorithms, advice for parents and taking on tech platforms
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Published:October 1, 2025
Sophisticated algorithms, endless scrolling and harmful content have affected a generation of children and young adults in alarming ways. Host Amanda Lang talks to Ava Smithing, advocacy director of the Young People’s Alliance, about the addictiveness of social media platforms, the legal and policy battles underway to hold tech firms more accountable and the advice she gives to parents struggling to keep track of what happens on social media.
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Views expressed by WONK guests do not reflect the views of the Public Policy Forum.
Listen to more episodes from Season 2 of WONK:
“ Bigger tables, better narratives, broader impact”
Inez Jabalpurwala, President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum
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