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[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC] - Hi folks.

I'm Steve Adubato.

We're gonna get right into this with Dr. Maureen Coyle, psychologist and visiting professor at Seton Hall University.

Doctor, great to have you with us.

- Thank you for having me.

- Tell me.

I'm sorry for interrupting you.

We're gonna be talking about social media and technology, and so the delay's normal, so how about this?

I've been obsessed by the fact that not just our 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, but countless millions of other teens, the phone, Instagram, Twitter, and then I wanna have a conversation and it's very hard.

I take the phone away for two minutes.

She thinks it's been 20.

The prefrontal cortex of children not fully developed, which impacts their impulse control.

Help us understand.

- Sure, so our brains develop back to front, so we first get the visual.

Then we get the prefrontal cortex develops last.

That's in charge of your planning, your decision-making, so that doesn't fully develop until your late 20s, some estimates even early 30s, so these children and adolescents are at increased risk of not being able to manage their technology use well because a part of the brain that tells them, "Hey, you're spending too much time on Instagram," isn't developed yet, so it's harder for them to develop good habits when their brain actually isn't fully developed to help them build those good habits.

- Advice for parents.

By the way, our director and our audio expert just saying, "Hey, listen, I'm taking the phone away, "and I don't care if the kid's upset."

Me, I actually want my daughter to like me, which makes me a weak parent, a weak father.

Give us some advice.

- Absolutely, so as we all know, when it comes to children and teenagers, when we tell them no, that just makes them wanna do it more, and it really starts with the parents having good habits because children pick up everything that parents do, so if the parents are on their phone a lot, not paying attention to their children, they need to break that habit in themselves so their children are more likely to see a good model of good habits with the technology, and it's also important to help children understand the dangers of the technology, understanding that whatever they post online goes into that digital world, and it's there forever, so I've heard some people say, "If you wouldn't want your grandparents to see it, "then don't post it," and I think that's pretty good advice for thinking about things that we might easily be embarrassed by that we wouldn't want family members to see, so thinking more mindfully about what we're going to be doing online and then also trying to push children and adolescents to engage in self-reflection.

After they're scrolling, how do they feel?

Do they feel good?

Are they happy?

Are they sad?

Are they lonely?

If they're feeling more of those negative emotions, then for themselves, they should be thinking, "Well, maybe I should be spending my time on something else "that isn't going to make me feel more sad "or lonely or anxious, et cetera."

- So as we do this program at the end of 2021, it'll be seen in 2022.

There are hearings going on in Congress.

They'll continue to go on, and leaders of social media platforms, yes, Facebook, their parent name is what it is right now, and they own Instagram, correct?

- Correct, and WhatsApp.

- And WhatsApp.

My wife, by the way, my wife, I don't know if Jennifer's gonna watch this, but Jen, you gotta put the phone down when I'm talking to you and we're telling Olivia to put her phone down.

I do the same.

We're all guilty.

That being said, do you find that social media CEOs, leaders, are acknowledging that their algorithms, that their mechanisms to figure out what gets kids, preteens, teens into it, that they are manipulating that information, that they are utilizing and hooking kids into stuff that's unhealthy for them.

Are they acknowledging it, A?

And B, if they're not, does Congress have a role in regulating it?

- So I think that they have to reckon with it.

There has been a call from psychologists like myself to get Meta and other large technology- - Meta, the parent company of Facebook.

Go ahead.

- To be more explicit on what they are doing online because they do their own independent research, and it doesn't go through the same standards as the research that we do by getting ethical approval from a board, so I think that they have to, no matter what, recognize that we are seeing effects.

We are seeing the mental health of our children and adolescents being hurt right now, and they're spending so much time online, and they don't know exactly how to use it well, and it's hard when you have these companies.

They make more money the more that their users are engaging with them, so trying to get them to work against their own financial interest is going to be challenging, so I think a push to have regulation might be inevitable for the sake of all of our wellbeing 'cause like you said, it's hard for or even adults to manage their time well online and not just be looking at their phone when they're having a conversation, so it's something that we really need to have regulation on if we're going to actually be able to push these companies into the directions to consider the ramifications on our wellbeing.

- And by the way, I don't even wanna disclose or admit how often I go down a rabbit hole on some social media platform, and an hour later I'm thinking, what did I just do?

So I don't wanna be holier-than-thou on this.

Real quick, I also wanna acknowledge that Seton Hall University, one of our higher-ed partners in which we identify academics and scholars to come and talk about these things, and I wanna ask you this, as we have about a minute left.

Disproportionate impact on teenage girls, pre-teenage young women than boys?

If so, what is it?

- Yes, so we are seeing, when it comes to Instagram specifically, having more of an effect on adolescent girls in terms of their self-consciousness, their self-esteem because they are being bombarded with these images of perfectly sculpted bodies, and it really makes them internalize negative feelings about themselves, so we also are seeing more self-harm and suicide ideation in teenage girls, more so than boys, so they seem to be getting even more negative effects on how they are seeing themselves in relation to what they see on Instagram, specifically.

- And that being said, let's be clear.

I know that, for the cover of a book I wrote, they airbrushed it.

They did certain things to make you not have as many lines.

Okay, fine.

Yeah, I...

But we're talking about every day, all the time with people who don't tell you that on social media, so you're looking at this woman or this young girl, and saying, "Hey, look at me, look."

We play games with people's, with kids' minds, do we not?

And their self-esteem.

- Absolutely, so- - 30 seconds or less.

- There has been a push to actually have a warning or banner to say that this picture has been airbrushed.

I know that it's moved forward in Europe in some countries, so I hope that we see something like that here where people can see this is photoshopped, and this isn't a realistic body.

- By the way, Dr. Coyle, I wanna thank you so much.

We appreciate putting perspective on this, and let me disclose now in an upcoming book in the next year, cover will be airbrushed.

I'm just telling everybody right now.

Get that outta the way.

Thank you, Doctor.

All the best.

- Thank you for having me.

- Stay with us.

We'll be right back.

To watch more Think Tank with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We're now joined by Dale Florio.

He's a Republican strategist and Managing Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.

Good to see you, Dale.

- Always good to see you, Steve.

- I've had so many interesting conversations about politics.

We try not to do it from an insider's perspective but rather help people, who are not involved every day, make sense of it.

Help them make sense, not just as a Republican strategist, but as a key advisor to the Jack Ciattarelli campaign.

We're doing the show at the end of the end of 2021.

What was the most significant message you believe that voters should take away from that election with Governor Murphy?

- You know, elections are always about momentum.

And when you look at the popularity or lack of popularity of the president at the time in New Jersey, that created a real backdrop.

- President Biden, not President Trump.

- President Biden, right.

It created a backdrop that people just weren't happy.

That combined with the pandemic, created a backdrop for a challenger to run an aggressive campaign.

The other thing too, is that, Republicans have, the President Trump did not do well in with the electorate in New Jersey.

I mean, if you're an ardent Trump supporter- - He got beat by 16 points in 2020 - Right.

I mean, it just did not do well.

He obviously has a base of support, but I think if you were on the other side, on the Democratic side, you think that that momentum lasts forever and it just doesn't.

We saw this when Jim Florio was running, ran for governor.

He won during his midterms.

We elected Republican assembly members in Hudson County that, in the midterms.

And so Republicans got used to winning because they thought it was all about them, but it's about momentum.

And then when the president, President Trump came to office, and really got beat up pretty well in New Jersey, I think Democrats got comfortable thinking that that's how the voters were always gonna respond.

And it, see, you gotta really feel the momentum.

You gotta understand what's going on at the higher levels.

- Well Let me ask you this though, Dale, again, you've always been someone, not just as a Republican strategist, but someone as a lobbyist who talks to all kinds of people across the aisle, the bipartisan thing, getting things done.

Jack Ciattarelli has the same track record.

So here's my question.

In such a polarized, if you're not with me, and you're not with my party, and you're not with Trump, or you're not with Biden, you must be my enemy.

You've never worked that way.

Jack Ciattarelli has never worked that way.

New Jersey has never worked that way.

Where does a New Jersey Republican, who's moderate/conservative, function in a party that is led by the former president, who respectfully, it's not my opinion, he just doesn't see bipartisanship in the same way.

- Well, I think, you know, whether you're in New Jersey or any other state, maybe the President Trump did not do well in, you have to talk about the issues.

And sure, you're gonna take incoming from the other side.

You're gonna get people that have been big supporters of Donald Trump, wondering why you're not embracing the former president, but at the end of the day, you look at the data, and you're right, Steve, New Jersey's a very moderate state.

It kind of goes a little left and it's been going a little left more often than not.

- Not as blue as people think, - It's a center- - Not as blue as people think.

- Right.

It's a slightly center-left state.

So you have to understand that and then talk about the messages.

I mean, the federal election, the presidential election, was over last year.

Now certainly the Murphy campaign was smart to try to make, continue to make that connection.

But I think what you saw was a Republican candidate trying to talk to the larger mass in the middle and try to knit together those folks that were supportive of the president with people that were not happy with what was going on nationally under President Biden.

- Dale, break down some of the key issues and concerns of New Jersey voters, not just for that election, in the election, but moving into 2022 when this program's being seen, What are those core issues?

- (laughs) Steve, it's always property taxes.

I mean, it's just, it's always property taxes.

- I just got my bill.

I can appreciate it.

- And listen, both parties have taken runs at it.

I mean, it's not easy.

It's not easy, but it will continue to be property taxes.

So how do we make sure new Jersey's affordable?

And that becomes the challenge.

I know on the Ciattarelli side, the idea was to start with a new school funding formula.

Now Jack's not gonna have the opportunity to do that, but that's where, that's a big chunk of what gets spent at the local level.

- Changing state aid to certain municipalities for their schools, particularly in Hoboken and Jersey City, where Jack Ciattarelli said, "Hey, listen, those are wealthier urban communities that are growing, their tax base is stronger," but let's be clear that property taxes are many ways a product of that state aid.

So how would changing state aid in education lower property taxes?

- Well, it would just, it would help the communities that are paying a far far greater share, right?

And it would certainly force communities to look at their educational system.

Are they overstaffed?

But there are a lot of communities that are paying higher property taxes than other places that get a lot more aid.

So, population shift, school population shift, legislators on both sides of the aisle have talked about the school funding formula for a long time.

The last time we did this was under Jon Corzine and every, it was a bipartisan product.

Well, things change, as I said, population shift.

Now's one of those times the state probably should take another look at it, but it's not easy.

It's not easy all because there are winners and losers.

- Yeah.

Gimme COVID, COVID mandates, vaccines loaded, I know, and its impact on the political culture in our state.

- Listen, I think, I think people are just tired.

I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, they're just tired.

It's not the governor's fault.

I mean, this is a international pandemic and folks are just tired of it.

So I think what you saw, whether you are fully vaccinated or you're not, people are just tired.

And I think it, that has angst to the extent that that had any impact on the election, was what people are feeling.

Everybody had their lane in terms of what they said about vaccinations, masks, other protocols, but I think what you saw were just people that are just, just tired - But the way elections, real quick on this, Dale, the way elections are gonna be run, more mail-in ballots, more different ways of voting.

Will it continue to cause people to question the outcome of elections because elections are run so differently and votes are counted so differently?

Dale?

- Listen, Republicans need to do better job with the vote by mail program.

But I also think that vote by mails will become a less and less of a factor because with early voting, I think more and more people will take advantage of going to the ballot box.

That nine days before.

Right now the law is nine days.

You can get, you can go vote on a machine.

I think we'll see more people doing that.

Kudos to both candidates.

Neither Governor Murphy or Ciattarelli complained about the voting apparatus, how it was counted.

I think the legislature is looking and I think the governor is interested in looking to see how we can speed up the counting.

We grew up at a time, Steve, when you, by election, by the time you went to bed on election night, you knew who won.

And people still expect that to be the case but the way the law is set up, in terms of being able to count vote by mails, what we call provisional ballots.

Ballots that were mailed but have a postmark.

You can still count those seven days later.

We've gotta figure out a way, how can we shorten that timeframe?

Especially again, these municipal elections where there could be a difference of five votes.

You're waiting another two or three weeks to figure out who won.

And then maybe a challenge.

- Dale Florio's a Republican strategist, Managing Partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.

Dale, as always, thank you for your perspective on things.

All the best as this is seen in 2022, in the new year, to you and your family.

Thanks, Dale.

- Same to you, Steve.

Take care now.

- You got it.

Stay with us.

We'll be right back.

To watch more Think Tank with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- The Public Television Family is honored to join our good friend Joetta who is a four-time olympian, entrepreneur, motivational speaker.

This is, as I said, part of our Women in Leadership initiative done in cooperation with the Business & Industry Association, New Jersey.

Joetta, how are you doing my friend?

- I am doing well, thank you.

- That picture over your right shoulder of you up with the big, the swoosh, that's you?

- That is me.

Actually, that was me from 1996.

I was on the Nike campaign for women over 30 and that outfit was the initial part of the jog bra, the brief that we now wear, the bras are really short now, but back then, that was as much skin as we were showing.

(Steve laughs) - Yeah, put it in perspective.

- Yes.

- Joetta, you are a motivator, you have lived it.

You've walked the walk, you've run the run, if you will.

The "Gotta Do" keynote message that you delivered, in so many conferences, including with the Business & Industry Association, New Jersey.

Gotta do, gotta do what?

- Well, you know what, thank you very much.

I was honored to be part of that conference and the "Gotta Do" is what is inside of you.

So for me, I've gotta make sure that I'm making a difference in people's lives, via health, motivation, wealth, and finance.

So that gotta do, is that thing that bugs you in the deep minds of your soul.

So it varies for different people.

But the one thing that doesn't vary is that you gotta put in the work.

- So for people who get stuck, for people who say, I'm going to do this, they haven't done it yet.

I'm gonna start working out.

I'm gonna start a business, I'm gonna do whatever, but it's been a while that they've been saying that Joetta.

- Yes.

- What is your message to them right now, as they are watching.

- Well my message to them is that if you gotta do something, then you have to feel it.

And if you're not feeling it, that means it doesn't matter to you.

So what is it inside of you that is relevant, that you dream and think about?

And then, you know your purpose, you get prepared, you be patient, you get perturbed and you persevere.

And those are my Ps that I use in everything, in all walks of life.

So anyone that has to do something, has to do something is not really relevant.

Coz' I would like to do something.

It would be nice if I did something, but the "Gotta Do", you gotta do this.

So when I was, go ahead.

- No, no, go ahead, you the one, listen, I was gonna sit there and talk about my weak workouts and I have a little 'no excuses' sign that I always look at because I'm making excuses, but you're the one who's really motivating everyone.

So what were you about to say?

- I was gonna say when I was trying to make the Olympic team and it would've been nice to say, "it would be nice if I make the team," but I was in fourth place at one time and I gotta get the third place to make the team because they only took three people.

So that is the thing that's inside you that, it has to happen right now, not tomorrow, next week, but right now.

- Joetta, you, the brand of Joetta, first of all, explain to us why the one name Joetta, two the branding of it, and three, you also have some other aspects of this branding initiative, talk about it Joetta.

- Yes, well the one name is simple.

You've heard of Oprah, Madonna, Magic, Socrates.

Now you have Joetta.

So that's-- - Love it.

- There you go.

And it works with the brand.

So I have a line of perfume and body splash and body scrubs, that all goes under Joetta and I thought it sounds really well.

So we go by the one name, Joetta.

- I'm gonna ask you something, your passion for fitness, your passion for wellness.

Do you connect?

Cause in my crazy, I shouldn't use the word crazy, but in my mind, in order to do this work and you, and I've had so many interviews over the years, so many conversations in my mind, I correlate as a non real athlete, working out and taking care of myself and wellness with doing this work.

Meaning you have to have the energy to do this and do it well for a long period of time.

Do you connect wellness to your business, acumen and passion for business or are they just two separate things?

- Absolutely business, fitness.

It all works together.

We believe in a strong body, strong mind that equals a strong future.

And so if you want to be successful in anything, you have to have a good body.

So we had this new venture called JoTyme Fitness - What is it again, JoTyme, say it again.

- JoTyme Fitness, J-O-T-Y-M-E fitness, JoTyme Fitness.

And what we do there is we meet you where you are.

But we want you to know that if you have a strong body strong mind, it will equal a strong future.

- So someone says, particularly women watching right now, I would like to, I believe in what Joetta is saying, she's motivating, she's obviously, as I said, walk the walk and it speaks for itself.

And by the way, Google Joetta to find out all about her accomplishments as an Olympian.

But you know what?

Kids, spouse, significant other, whatever.

Work, stress, COVID, it's a long list.

At what point are they not excuses Joetta but rather real challenges that have to be overcome.

- Well, you know what, Steve, we always say, you have to put yourself first.

And that is what we've been putting through all this year.

You are a priority.

If you're not taking care of yourself, you will be no good for anyone else so although those are real issues, real challenges.

Nothing's more real than you being healthy financially, mentally, and spiritually.

So if you don't put yourself first, then you will be put somewhere else where no one will be able to see you.

So we believe that putting this on first, take 15 to 20 minutes at JoTyme Fitness, that's all we give 20 minutes, Steve, and you will have a solid program that will get you ready for the rest of your day.

- So as a student of leadership who teaches, coaches it and makes mistakes at leadership every single day, many times a day.

I'm curious about this.

I've asked every leader who's come on.

How he or she has dealt with COVID.

COVID has impacted your life.

Those around you.

Has it deterred you in any way from pursuing what you're doing or in fact, invigorated you or something in between?

- Well, as the motivational leader, and an authority on wellness and achievement accomplishment.

COVID did two things.

One, it helped me to realize the significance of life and being present.

And the second thing it did was it helped me get things in order.

So from a business perspective, it allowed me time to redo my mission statement, to get my team together, to get new material out and to be relevant for the now, and the now is that I'm back out speaking.

I am back out motivating.

I have a podcast out, we have JoTyme Fitness going on.

So all of this was developed during the quiet time of COVID.

- So you use that time, even though, as I said, there's been loss in your family.

And particularly in the last year, you use that time to regroup.

- Absolutely.

COVID was a time for you to regroup, for you to rethink, for you become rejuvenated and although you were going through challenges.

The fact of the matter is that just through here, and since you're still here, you're here for a purpose.

So let's get busy, what was that purpose?

What does that gotta do?

So the gotta do might have been a business.

It might've been a relationship.

I don't know what it was, but it needed your time and your energy.

So that's what I did.

I put everything into the business and recheck, redeveloping it, becoming more relevant.

So when we came out of the pandemic, the pivot was easy for me.

- Hey, Joetta, next time I'm in our home gym working out and doing some weak, lazy, lame workout.

I'm just gonna think about you.

- You should be ashamed of yourself (Joetta laughing) - I'm just saying that sometimes I'm going through the motions, but I'm gonna think about everything you just said and do what I have to do.

You gotta do it, gotta do it.

Hey Joetta, thank you.

You honor us by joining us on this Women in Leadership series, all the best, my friend.

- Thank you very much.

- [Narrator] Think Tank with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by RWJBarnabas Health.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Johnson & Johnson.

Summit Health PSE&G.

Wells Fargo.

The New Jersey Education Association.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

And by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Promotional support provided by The New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

And by BestofNJ.com.

- [Narrator] If you need to see a doctor, RWJBarnabas Health has two easy ways to do it from anywhere.

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