Smartphones, School Devices & AI: The New Education Crisis (with Rep. Chris Deluzio)

Today on Scrolling 2 Death, Nicki sits down with Congressman Chris Deluzio—a dad of four and a fierce advocate for safer, healthier schools—to unpack one of the most urgent issues facing American families: screens in the classroom.

Rep. Deluzio recently released a major report on smartphone use in schools after months of research and conversations with teachers, administrators, and parents across Western Pennsylvania. He breaks down what he found, why phone-free schools are gaining bipartisan momentum nationwide, and why Pennsylvania has struggled to pass similar legislation.

Nicki and the Congressman go deeper, expanding the conversation beyond smartphones to the overlooked risks of school-issued devices, lack of oversight, and the growing push to introduce AI chatbots into middle-school classrooms. From data privacy to compulsive design to tech companies lobbying to stop states from regulating AI, this episode exposes the full ecosystem of digital harm entering our children’s schools—often without parents’ knowledge.

The conversation ends with a call for bipartisan cooperation and real accountability: parents, educators, and lawmakers working together to ensure that technology in schools actually supports learning instead of undermining it.

If you care about what your kids are exposed to at school, this is an episode you can’t miss.

Elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024, Congressman Chris Deluzio is serving his second term in Congress representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District—where he serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Pennsylvania’s 17th district includes all of Beaver County and parts of Allegheny County. Congressman Deluzio is a native of Thornburg and lives with his family in Allegheny County.

Congressman Deluzio is an Iraq War veteran, voting rights attorney, and union organizer. He graduated from Bishop Canevin High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree with merit from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.