A Warning for Democracy: Emily Cherkin’s Testimony on the "Catastrophic" Shift in Childhood

Reporting from Washington D.C., Austin Denean captures the urgency of the Senate Commerce Committee hearing where Emily Cherkin delivered a powerful message: the restructuring of childhood around screens is "catastrophic." As Congress debates following Australia's lead on social media bans, Emily explains why tech companies cannot be left to police themselves and how the "wholescale" shift to digital life undermines both parents and democracy.