Yalda Uhls is an award-winning child psychological researcher. Her new book is Media Moms & Digital Dads, and her research with UCLA focuses on how older and newer media impact the social behavior of pre-adolescents. In her former career, she was a movie executive at MGM and Sony. Most importantly, she is a mom of two digital-native teens. Before joining a Zócalo panel discussion about the effects of social media on our children—“Is the Internet Turning Our Kids Into Zombies?”—she talked about the intimacy of ideas, Netflix and kids’ shows, and the allure of flying.
What’s your favorite thing about writing a book?
Doing the research, getting excited by the ideas. And then talking to people around it. When I’m in a small room, an intimate room, having a conversation about it, I love that.
Netflix or Amazon?
I like shows on both. Netflix has more content I want to watch. But Amazon is getting there—they have better kids shows.
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Jerry Maguire.
What do your children complain to you about most?
My repeating myself.
What’s your least favorite freeway?
Probably the 405.
What’s the last book you read?
Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein.
What superpower would you most like to have?
To fly.
What dessert do you find impossible to resist?
Ice cream.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Inauthenticity. People can’t be transparent about who they are. Although sometimes I’m too transparent.