An interview with Juliette Blake: the teen tech founder who became a mom and built a safer social media platform for girls

All of us worry about the potentially negative impacts of technology. We worry our kids are online too much, that social media is disrupting their sleep, academics, mental health, and relationships—and frankly, taking away good time outdoors. And it doesn’t feel good to have the same fight over screens again and again. But what if the answer isn’t simply taking technology away? What if we could design it differently—and help our kids learn to use it well? In this episode, I talk with Juliette Blake, founder of Moxies, who has been thinking about girls, media, and technology since she was a teenager herself. Now a mom of three, Juliette brings the perspectives of both a tech founder and a parent to our conversation about social media, digital literacy, addictive design, and healthy screen habits. We explore how technology can be built with kids’ well-being as the North Star—and what we parents can do to help our kids become thoughtful, capable digital citizens. **Episode Highlights** \[3:31] - Juliette’s remarkable origin story: how watching her eight-year-old sister and her friends struggle with body image and friendships inspired her to start a company as a teenager. \[6:05] - Why the tween years are such an important—and often overlooked—developmental stage, particularly for girls navigating media and brand imagery. \[8:45] - Kids don’t bring every problem to their parents. Why simply knowing “I’m not the only one” can sometimes matter as much as the advice they receive. \[10:33] - Magazines then, social media now: the medium has changed, but many of the pressures facing girls haven’t. \[13:36] - Can technology be part of the solution? Moving away from the attention economy and making well-being our North Star. \[15:35] - What “safe by design” actually means—and why companies building products for kids should bear responsibility for protecting them. \[20:58] - “Dark-patterned persuasive design features”: streaks, likes, notifications, endless rewards, and other features designed to keep kids coming back. \[24:22] - Why Moxies shuts down chat at night and how thoughtful guardrails can support kids when their own self-control gets wobbly. \[27:43] - Teaching digital citizenship in real time by helping girls reconsider an unkind message before they send it. \[31:17] - Autonomy with safeguards: creating online spaces where tweens can connect with people they actually know rather than strangers. \[35:56] - Building digital literacy into technology itself, from privacy and passwords to confidence and emotional skills. \[38:26] - *The Anxious Generation*, phone bans, and why simply taking devices away isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. \[42:00] - Endless scrolling and the important difference between kids *wanting* to return to technology and feeling they *have* to. \[45:42] - Why “my kid isn’t on TikTok” doesn’t necessarily mean they’re avoiding the same addictive design elsewhere online. \[50:46] - Practical advice for parents: explain the why behind boundaries, start conversations early, and model the digital habits we hope our kids develop. \[54:09] - Why keeping devices out of bedrooms can protect sleep, relationships, and healthy boundaries. **Key Takeaways** - We’re still underestimating media’s influence on tweens. Social media and brand imagery can have an outsized impact on developing minds, particularly for young girls. - Tweens won’t bring every problem to their parents. Sometimes discovering “I’m not the only one” can be just as valuable as the advice they receive. - The medium has changed, but the issues haven’t. Whether the images come from magazines or social media, kids’ well-being should always be our North Star. - Parents shouldn’t have to outsmart addictive technology. Companies have a responsibility to protect kids from “dark-patterned persuasive design features” designed to keep users clicking, scrolling, and coming back. - Digital citizenship has to be taught. Screens make it easier to say things we might never say face-to-face. Kids need coaching to understand the real impact of their words online. - Our own digital habits matter. If we want our kids to put their devices down and be present, we need to model that ourselves. **Links & Resources** Moxies Social Media Platform — joinmoxies.com If this episode has helped you, remember to rate, follow, and share the Self-Driven Child Podcast. Your support helps us reach more people and create more content that makes a difference.  If you have a high school aged student and would like to talk about putting a tutoring or college plan together, reach out to Ned's company, **PrepMatters** at www.prepmatters.com