Are we raising our children, or are Big Tech, big business, and algorithms quietly doing it for us?
In this thought-provoking episode of The Child Psych Podcast, psychologist Tania Johnson sits down with Dr. Susan Linn, psychologist, author, and one of the world's leading voices on creative play and the commercialization of childhood. Drawing from her groundbreaking book Who's Raising the Kids?, Susan explores how technology companies, advertisers, toy manufacturers, and even schools have become powerful influences in children's lives—often shaping their values, relationships, attention, and development in ways parents never intended.
Together, Tania and Susan unpack what it means to parent in a world where children's attention has become one of the world's most valuable commodities. They discuss why the conversation isn't about blaming parents or banning technology, but about reclaiming childhood through connection, imaginative play, boredom, and real-world experiences. Susan also shares practical, hopeful ways families can resist the pressures of consumer culture and raise children whose identities are shaped by relationships rather than algorithms.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the biggest competition for your child's attention isn't other children—it's an industry built to capture it.
How Big Tech and big business influence children's values, relationships, learning, and emotional well-being.
Why imaginative play is one of the most important foundations for healthy child development.
The hidden ways marketing reaches children through toys, apps, schools, games, and digital media.
How parents can reclaim their influence without relying on guilt or fear.
Practical ways to foster creativity, connection, and resilience in a commercialized world.
Why protecting childhood isn't about eliminating technology—it's about ensuring children have the freedom to be children.
If you've ever wondered why it feels harder than ever to compete with screens, devices, and digital entertainment, this conversation will leave you informed, empowered, and inspired. More importantly, it will remind you that parents remain the most powerful influence in a child's life—and that it's never too late to reclaim that role. Dr. Susan Linn is an internationally recognized psychologist, author, ventriloquist, and one of the world's leading advocates for protecting childhood from the harmful effects of commercialism and excessive screen use.
Through her research, writing, and advocacy, she has spent decades helping parents understand the importance of play, creativity, and connection in raising healthy, resilient children.
To learn more about Dr. Linn or to purchase Who's Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children, click here.
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