Spotify’s big DM update + a must-see safety alert

Fall is in the air! Pumpkin spice is back, the leaves are starting to change, and if your house is anything like ours, the routines are settling (at least mostly) into place. There’s something comforting about the rhythm of the school year… even if it still involves the eternal backpack hunt every morning.

But as cozy as fall feels, what’s at our kids’ fingertips online never really slows down. This week, there are three things you need to know.

Spotify launches new DM feature

This week, Spotify introduced a direct messaging feature that lets users aged 16 and up send DMs within the app. Since we all know how easy it is to fib your age on any app, kids can now share songs, podcasts, or audiobooks directly with friends and respond using emojis or text. Spotify’s DMs are only possible if kids have interacted before (with Jams, Blends, family accounts, or sharing playlists)—and message requests can be accepted, rejected, or blocked.

What does this mean for parents? DMing moves beyond sharing links; kids now have a private place to chat about what they’re listening to, creating new avenues for connection and potential risk if privacy settings aren’t managed. Messages are encrypted and monitored for harmful content, and kids can report or block messages they don’t want. Still, it’s new territory for music apps.

What to do:

• Ask your teen if they know about Spotify’s new Messages (Are they using DMs, and with whom?)

• Walk through privacy and block/report settings together, making sure your teen knows how to handle unwanted messages.

• Remind kids that music-sharing can feel fun and friendly, but boundaries matter even in apps that seem purely about playlists!

Graphic content is trending—what it means for your teen

Over the past few weeks, some violent and graphic videos have been circulating across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. They spread quickly thanks to reposts and shares (even when platforms try to remove them) which means kids can be exposed without warning. We know some kids have been exposed through friends’ device or just by scrolling their regular feed, with no warnings at all. 

This content isn’t just shocking, it can be deeply upsetting and leave lingering emotional effects, especially on younger brains still figuring out how to process it all.

What to do:

• Have a gentle talk with your teen: Ask if they’ve seen anything upsetting online lately. Sometimes kids don’t have words for it until you open the door.

• Remind them it’s okay to click away or tell you if something feels “too much.”

• Review how to report harmful content together — so they’re empowered to act, not just absorb.

The 7-Day Detox Guide

If your tween or teen has been showing signs of being “over-screened” (irritability, sleep struggles, or constant scrolling) the 7-Day Digital Detox is a short reset you can try as a family. It’s not punishment; it’s breathing room, and it can help everyone feel better.

Grab your free copy here.

We tried it at our house and started phone-free dinners. At first, the resistance was real (“but what if my friend texts me?!”), but by night three, the complaining was gone, and the conversation was flowing. When teens don’t feel like screens compete for your attention, they open up. Try it! You might be surprised by what surfaces.

Why we built Screen Sense

We get it. Watching our kids glued to screens feels awful, and let's be real, we're on our phones too. Experts all agree screens are a real issue, but piling on shame gets us nowhere. Our own kids have phones, privacy settings, and see tough stuff online, so we teamed up with pros to build the resource we needed as parents of seven tweens and teens.

Screen Sense gives you:

• Step-by-step guides (with screenshots!) for Spotify, TikTok, Instagram and more

• No-jargon privacy settings

• The real research that blew our minds

• Conversation starters that work—even with eye-rolling teens

• Tools for today: collaborative, doable, not punitive

If you’re overwhelmed, stuck, or just hoping things are okay in your child's digital world, Screen Sense is for you—because we’ve been there, too.

Explore the Screen Sense guide here.

So it’s fall. And the crossover between teens and moms seems blurrier than ever. For proof, look no further than our fresh pair of UGGs.

We don’t care what trend cycle says, these are 10/10 comfortable, cozy, and warm. Will our teens steal them or roll their eyes and tell us they're “so cringe”? Hard to say, but according to this year’s teen trends, UGGs are actually back at the top of the must-have list (so maybe they’ll be borrowing them when we’re not looking).

Either way, we’re embracing comfort this season with no apologies!

—Cat & Nat