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Chasing Life

If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking at a phone or a computer screen. These days we spend most of our lives looking at screens – whether it’s for work, school, or fun – but how is it shaping us? On season six of Chasing Life, Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us on his most personal journey yet, while he dives into the science behind how technology is impacting our brains. As a dad of three teenage girls, he explores how worried we should be about the effect screen time is having on kids’ health. Join us each Tuesday as we bring everyone to the table – from members of the Gupta family to content creators and medical professionals – and look for guidance on how to navigate a world surrounded by screens.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

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Season Six: A Personal Journey for Sanjay
Chasing Life
Feb 7, 2023

If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking at a phone or a computer screen. These days we spend most of our lives looking at screens – whether it’s for work, school, or fun – but how is it shaping us? On season six of Chasing Life, Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us on his most personal journey yet, while he dives into the science behind how technology is impacting our brains. As a dad of three teenage girls, he explores how worried we should be about the effect screen time is having on kids’ health. Join us each Tuesday as we bring everyone to the table – from members of the Gupta family to content creators and medical professionals – and look for guidance on how to navigate a world surrounded by screens.

Episode Transcript
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:00
So have you ever been down here before? What do you think of my podcast studio?
Sage Gupta
00:00:06
It's kind of creepy.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:09
This season on Chasing Life. I sit down with some of the most intimidating guests I have ever interviewed.
Soleil Gupta
00:00:15
This is my question. I have a question now.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:19
Oh, ok, it's my podcast but go ahead I'll allow it.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:22
My three teenage daughters.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:25
Are you surprised that I don't really get it?
Soleil Gupta
00:00:27
No.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:29
No. Yes or no no?
Soleil Gupta
00:00:30
No, no. I'm not surprised.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:00:32
Sharing these conversations with all of you makes me feel honestly kind of vulnerable. But in this case, I realized they are the experts.
Sage Gupta
00:00:44
When I have kids of my own. If I don't think I want to let them be on social media as early as I was.
Sky Gupta
00:00:56
I think that there's a right time and the right maturity to start using social media and technology.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:04
My daughters are digital natives. They were born into a world surrounded by screens.
Sage Gupta
00:01:11
Social media use at this point is not really avoidable. Like everyone's on it. And like, if you're not on it, you're really, like, isolated.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:20
And I wanted to hear from the people who use these technologies the most young people, my young people, my kids, and they didn't hold back.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:31
There's a lot of discussion lately about banning TikTok in the United States. You've probably seen some of those stories...
Soleil Gupta
00:01:37
I think that's pretty stupid.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:39
Well they are worried that...
Soleil Gupta
00:01:41
You know what all the teenagers are going to do? They're going to set their phones so that they live in Canada and they're still going to use Snapchat and TikTok.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:46
They've already figured it out, haven't they?
Soleil Gupta
00:01:48
Oh, yeah.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:01:50
This season, I'm on a personal journey to find answers. How is social media really impacting my daughter's health? How much screen time is too much? And ultimately, what is all of this technology really doing to our brains? I hope you'll join me because I think the stakes have never been higher.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:02:11
Has there ever been a situation where you felt unsafe because of social media, because you're essentially opening yourself up to a big, wide world out there?
Sage Gupta
00:02:21
Yeah, probably.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:02:23
There's there's been situations where you felt unsafe?
Sage Gupta
00:02:25
Not really unsafe, but more just uncomfortable.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:02:29
Tell me about it.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
00:02:30
I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent. I'm a doctor. I'm a journalist. But most importantly, I'm a dad. And this is an all new Chasing Life.