Am I Addicted to My Phone?

So many of us wonder if we're on our phones too much. It's easy to turn to social media or other online spaces to numb feelings of anxiety, depression or loneliness, even if we know that it can impact our mental health in the long term. How do we break this cycle? In this episode, Lisa talks with our very own producer Becca Hurley about her experiences with technology addiction. Lisa and the Council of Moms (Ashlynn Allen and Angie King) discuss how to put our phones down and be present with our families, and licensed therapist Dr. John Sovec shares advice on how to become more mindful of our technology use, and create the space for intentional choices that keep us in control.

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Top of Mind Episodes That Challenged Us

We’re wrapping up Season 3 of Top of Mind “Finding Fairness” with a look at some of the Stick With It moments it delivered for our team. One of our goals for each episode is to find perspectives that will challenge us to examine our own views more closely. Often that’s uncomfortable, but if we stick with that discomfort, it can lead to finding new empathy or greater clarity. In this podcast episode, Julie and other members of the Top of Mind team reflect on episodes during Season 3 that challenged them to examine their own views and behaviors more closely around topics including prison reform, pollution, gun violence, healthcare, and free speech. Did you have a Stick With It moment listening to an episode of Top of Mind’s Season 3 about “Finding Fairness?” We’d love to hear it. Email your story to topofmind@byu.edu.

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Book Club: Ch 10 & 11 – No Need to Call

As Lisa and her sister Gina James dive into the next two chapters of Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together, they discuss how the way we communicate on our phones has changed over time, from calling to texting to Facetime and Snapchat. Lisa and Gina also discuss how we explore and construct our identities online. In a world where streamers make real money playing video games and influencers post about their personal lives, the lines between online life and real life have never been more blurry. How does online life overlap with real life— and where do we draw the line?

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Improving Media Literacy

Do you remember the last time you read a headline or a post online, and later found out it wasn’t true? How did you feel? How did it change the way you see the world? The internet is filled with people sharing information, whether they’re journalists breaking a big story, or influencers talking about their favorite skincare products, or even just family members talking about things that interest them. And no matter what your personal beliefs are, it can be hard to always spot incorrect or completely false information when it comes up. So what can we do? And what difference can media literacy make in our lives? Lisa talks to cybersecurity expert Amanda Hughes, media literacy professor Julia Smith, as well as her producer McKay to find out.

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Founder of The Period Project Takes on Menstruation Misconceptions

Our “Stick With It” conversation series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with The Period Project founder Emily Bell McCormick’s story of realizing some common misunderstandings that prevented male legislators from taking menstrual public health policy needs seriously. Once she took the time to really listen to the concerns lawmakers had passing a law to make period products available for free in public schools and state buildings, she was better able to address their misconceptions and get the law passed.

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Book Club: Ch 8 & 9 – One Call Away

When was the last time you thought to yourself, “I don’t want to be interrupted?” In our hyperconnected world, many of us find ourselves always “on call,” checking our phones rather than living in the moment. In this episode, Lisa and Ganel-Lyn Condie discuss how technology shapes our identities and the identities of our children. They also explore how to parent children of all ages in a world where people are expected to be connected 24/7. How can we allow our children the autonomy they need to flourish when we’re always one call or text away?

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Teaching Kids to be Intentional Online

Kids love technology, and it can be a lot of pressure on parents to decide how much access is appropriate for each kid. How can we know if we're setting healthy boundaries with our kids regarding technology? How much screen time is too much? In this episode, Lisa joins forces with Brooke Romney, Trent Ray, and The Council of Moms (Aimee Hopkin and Kacy Faulconer) to find out. There are more resources available than ever to educate parents on helping kids use tech in a healthy way. Although every parent has a different strategy to managing screens in their home, finding an individualized approach based on the needs of your family (and supporting other parents in their tailored approaches) can be the key in healthy relationships to technology for the whole family.

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Greg Jackson Faces Regional Accents on ‘History That Doesn’t Suck” Podcast

Our “Stick With It” conversation series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with historian Greg Jackson’s story of committing to get the regional accents right on his podcast “History That Doesn’t Suck.” A few years ago, his audience had grown so large that he was immune to most listener criticism. But a message from “Lucy in Tennessee” about the Southern accent Jackson affected in his storyteller cut through the noise. Jackson chose to stick with the discomfort of that criticism and step up his accent game. His podcast is better for it.

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