Your child’s first addiction might come from their screen… not a substance. Most parents don’t know it. Most media companies won’t tell you. But the brain science is clear, overstimulating content changes the developing mind.
Meet Daniel. It’s nearly 8 p.m. when he walks through the door, exhausted from back-to-back meetings and a demanding day. His three-year-old son, Leo, is sitting on the couch, eyes locked on a tablet as another video auto-plays. Daniel whispers, “Hey buddy,” but Leo doesn’t look up. A wave of guilt hits. He knows screens shouldn’t be raising his son, but he relies on them, ten minutes to answer an email, thirty minutes for a meeting, an hour just to decompress. Earlier that week, Leo’s teacher mentioned attention struggles. Now Daniel fears the long-term effects but doesn’t know how to break the cycle.
Today, Jay sits down with Will Maurer, award-winning media executive, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Children’s Media Research and Reform Lab. Will is considered the father of children’s media reform, exposing how studios engineer content to hijack a child’s attention, and what parents can actually do instead. His mission: protect the developing brain, reduce shame, and give parents realistic, science-backed solutions in a world where screens aren’t going away.
Notable Quotes
“Stories like Daniel’s aren’t bad parenting, they’re symptoms of a broken system.” — Will Maurer
“If parents knew the neural effects of this content, they would make different choices.” — Will Maurer
“A child under two should be an active participant, not a hijacked viewer.” — Will Maurer
About Our Guest
Will Maurer is an award-winning media executive, researcher, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Children’s Media Research and Reform Lab. After discovering the hidden production techniques engineered to keep babies glued to screens, Will left the traditional media world to lead a movement for transparency, reform, and harm-reduction in early-childhood screen time. He now educates parents, policymakers, and creators on how to protect children’s developing brains with practical, compassionate, science-rooted strategies.
Resources & Links
Will Maurer
Children’s Media Research and Reform Lab Website – https://www.cmrrl.org/
Website – https://linktr.ee/willmaurer
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/willmaurer
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@EarlyYearsMedia
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cmrrl.org
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/will.maurer/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@willreforms
Jay Abbasi
Website – https://jayabbasi.me/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast
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