Countries Are Banning Social Media. So Why Isn't America?

A wealthy New York writer admits to shoplifting from Whole Foods — and says everyone else should try it too. Dr. Phil breaks down the trend some are calling "microlooting," where privileged, high-earning Americans reportedly justify stealing from big corporations as a form of protest.The backlash started with a New York Times podcast, where writer Jia Tolentino — who reportedly owns a $2.5 million Brooklyn brownstone — admitted to shoplifting from Whole Foods "on several occasions," saying she didn't feel bad about it and telling listeners to "try it, see what happens." Political commentator Hasan Piker echoed the sentiment, arguing stores already factor theft into their profit margins. Dr. Phil breaks down why this logic doesn't just hurt corporations — it hurts workers, drives up prices, and coincides with what's being called the 2025 "retail apocalypse," with reports of over 8,100 stores closing nationwide. According to industry estimates, retailers lose $45–50 billion a year to shoplifting alone, and total retail shrink has reportedly topped $112 billion annually. Self-checkout theft is said to be up sharply too, with a reported 36 million Americans admitting to stealing from kiosks — including an estimated 40% of six-figure earners. This is the real story behind "just a few lemons." 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes of The Real Story with Dr. Phil every week. This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsors. Thank you.Don’t wait! If you’re on Medicare or will be soon, reach out to Chapter: Call: (352)-845-0659 or go to https://askchapter.org to learn about your Medicare options and get help finding ways to save money.Retirement Ready? Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Countries around the world are moving to protect children from social media. So why is America still waiting? The United Kingdom has announced plans to ban social media for children under 16, joining a growing international movement demanding stronger safeguards for young users. In this episode of The Real Story, Dr. Phil examines the research linking excessive social media use to anxiety, depression, loneliness, cognitive decline, cyberbullying, self-harm content and dangerous viral challenges. Dr. Phil also shares the devastating stories of parents who lost children after online harms, explains how algorithms are engineered to keep young users scrolling and examines the legal protections that have helped shield major technology companies from accountability. But parents do not have to wait for Congress. Dr. Phil outlines practical steps families can take now, including delaying social media access, organizing phone-free communities and working with other parents to give children their childhood back. The verdict on unregulated social media is becoming impossible to ignore. The question is whether America will act before more families pay the price.Thank you to our sponsors:RELAXIUM® Sleep is backed by a 90-day guarantee, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Enjoy restful and refreshing sleep with drug-free, non-habit forming RELAXIUM® Sleep. Get your risk-free bottle now. Go to https://TryRelaxium.com or call 800-952-7770.Retirement Ready? Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been reported that we are approaching 1 million registered sex offenders in communities throughout the country. To protect communities, states have a sexual offender registry which was enacted to keep track of registered offenders, reduce re-offending, and to deter individuals not on the registry from committing sexual offenses. Tonight, Dr. Phil will discuss whether or not the sex offender registry is actually succeeding in what it was intended to do. Dr. Phil will speak with Dani, a parent who recently discovered a registered sex offender, convicted of an offense against a 12 year old girl years earlier, was performing maintenance duties as an independent contractor, at her children’s private Christian School. She claims the registry did not stop him from finding an employment at a school. Dr. Phil will also meet Taylor, the 12 year old girl, who is now an adult, and says she didn’t want to remain anonymous because she wants to lawmakers to know more needs to be done to protect children from those on the registry. Dr. Phil will also speak with Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, a 30th Circuit Court for Ingham County, Michigan, who shares why she believes the sex offender registry is a complete false sense of security, and does not protect the communities it aims to keep safe.Thank you to our sponsors:SleepCreme: The foundation of health begins with sleep. Claim your exclusive Dr. Phill offer here: https://sleepcreme.com/Don’t wait! If you’re on Medicare or will be soon, reach out to Chapter: Call: (352)-845-0659 or go to https://askchapter.org to learn about your Medicare options and get help finding ways to save money.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For 80 years, the government's official position on UFOs was a shrug. That era is over. With presidential declassification orders, the Pentagon's new PURSUE website drawing over a billion hits, and 330+ files now public... including fighter jet targeting footage, astronaut transcripts, and a sworn account from a serving intelligence officer... disclosure is no longer a fringe theory. It's happening. Dr. Phil sits down with Christopher Mellon, the former Pentagon insider who brought the Navy UAP videos to light, and Bryce Zabel, the journalist and producer who predicted this moment 15 years ago. Together they break down what's been released, why the stigma was manufactured in the first place, and the question only Dr. Phil is equipped to answer: how do everyday people... parents, children, people of faith... make sense of the most life-changing revelation of our time?This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsors.Retirement Ready? Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.com CarShield is how you move from chaos to control. Their protection plans are built to cover a deep bench of mechanical issues, thousands of parts across cars, trucks, and SUVs… without putting a cap on how far you drive. That’s not just coverage. That’s control. Call CarShield today: 1-800-588-8501 more info: https://carshield.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Phil breaks down the Pentagon's newly released UFO files, 40 declassified UAP documents, videos, and audio recordings, some hidden for 80 years and shows the proof behind his statement that the government has been lying about UFOs for 79 years. In this episode of The Real Story, Dr. Phil examines the declassified evidence for himself: JANAP 146, the 1953 military regulation that threatened pilots with 10 years in prison for discussing UFO sightings; the secret 1971 Turner Report, in which an Australian intelligence officer documented a U.S. "facade of ridicule"; Project Sign, the Air Force's first UFO investigation; the retired officials who spoke out, including the first CIA Director; and the Bolender memo proving national security UFO reports were kept out of Project Blue Book. Whistleblower David Grusch called this document proof of "the U.S. cover up and the involvement of the CIA." Read the files yourself — every source is linked below. Then you decide.📁 SEE THE FILES FOR YOURSELF:▶ Pentagon UFO Files (official release portal): https://www.war.gov/ufo/▶ JANAP 146 — declassified copy on the NSA website: https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/ufo/janap_146.pdf▶ JANAP 146(C), 1954 full text (Letter of Promulgation + Espionage Laws section): http://www.cufon.org/cufon/janp146c.htm▶ JANAP 146(E) full text: https://www.cufon.org/cufon/janp1462.htm▶ The Turner Report (1971) — National Archives of Australia: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=30030606▶ The Turner Report — downloadable PDF (The Black Vault): https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/australia/A13693_3092-2-000_30030606.pdf▶ The Bolender Memo (1969): http://www.nicap.org/bolender2.htm▶ Espionage Act, 18 U.S.C. § 793: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793▶ Espionage Act, 18 U.S.C. § 794: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/794▶ David Grusch Capitol Hill press conference & the 1971 Australian assessment (Disclosure Foundation): https://disclosure.org/news/1971-australian-ufo-assessment-us-intelligenceTOMORROW: Dr. Phil sits down with Chris Mellon — former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence — and Bryce Zabel, co-founders of the Disclosure Foundation. What do these files really tell us, and what's still being held back? Subscribe so you don't miss it.This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsors.Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comRELAXIUM® Sleep is backed by a 90-day guarantee, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Enjoy restful and refreshing sleep with drug-free, non-habit forming RELAXIUM® Sleep. Get your risk-free bottle now. Go to https://TryRelaxium.com or call 800-952-7770.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

World Cup fans are falling in love with America — while celebrities who got rich here trash it. Dr. Phil breaks down the Real Story.A British fan says "we owe America a huge apology." A Swede discovers Buc-ee's. An Aussie goes viral over Texas Roadhouse. Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres and Eva Longoria left the country — loudly. Dr. Phil explains the psychology of America's harshest critics, then counts down 10 reasons this is still the greatest country on Earth as America turns 250.Thank you to our sponsors:Preserve Gold: Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comENERGYbits® Use Code “DRPHIL” and Visit: https://energybits.com/discount/DRPHILSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Parents - listen up, because this episode could save your child’s life. Dr. Phil will discuss how violent and sadistic online predators are specifically targeting children online in order to extort them for money, explicit photos, or force them into ending their life ... a growing crisis called, Sextortion. Dr. Phil speaks with U.S Attorney, for the Middle District of Florida, Gregory Kehoe whose is dedicated to seeing that his office prosecutes these online predators to the fullest extent of the law, including discussing the recent conviction of a man found guilty of a child sextortion scheme with at least 50 child victims. U.S Attorney Kehoe will discuss how these predators work, what law enforcement is doing to hold them accountable, and what parents can do to protect their children.Thank you to our sponsor Preserve Gold: Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What would you do if your daughter called you from jail and said " I killed him. He was beating me and I killed him.” Should she spend the rest of her life in prison? That question is not hypothetical. It is happening right now in every state in this country. Up to 95% of women behind bars were abuse victims before they ever set foot in a courtroom. More than 40 states have no legal mechanism to help them. None. Oklahoma tried to change that. In 2024, the state passed the Survivors’ Act... landmark legislation giving domestic violence victims who committed crimes as a result of their abuse a chance at a reduced sentence. It passed with near-unanimous support in one of the reddest states in America. One person has walked free. Dr. Phil sits down with survivor and advocate Audrey Prosper, the attorney who built the law from the ground up, and the DA who says he supports it ... and has opposed every case brought under it in his county. What happens in Oklahoma's courtrooms isn't just an Oklahoma story. It's a warning, and a blueprint, for the rest of the country.CarShield is how you move from chaos to control. Their protection plans are built to cover a deep bench of mechanical issues, thousands of parts across cars, trucks, and SUVs… without putting a cap on how far you drive. That’s not just coverage. That’s control. Call CarShield today: 1-800-588-8501 more info: https://carshield.com/ENERGYbits® Use Code “DRPHIL” and Visit: https://energybits.com/discount/DRPHILSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They locked kids inside for two years. Now the bill is due. Teen takeovers are exploding, Tampa, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee. 22 arrested at Curtis Hixon Park, some as young as 12. Cities are throwing curfews at the problem. It won't work, because nobody's asking WHY. The Real Story: teen hopelessness up 62%. A generation stripped of school, sports, and structure then handed a phone and an audience. This is the psychology of the mob, the fallout of lockdowns, and the one fix nobody's talking about. No excuses for the behavior. But if you don't understand the cause, you'll never stop it. This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsors. Don’t wait! If you’re on Medicare or will be soon, reach out to Chapter: Call: (352)-845-0659 or go to https://askchapter.org to learn about your Medicare options and get help finding ways to save money.Thank you to our sponsor: Get up to $20,000 in FREE Gold & Silver with a qualified purchase. Text ASKPHIL to 50505 or visit https://DrPhilgold.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part 2: Why do we keep repeating the same patterns even when they hurt us? In this episode, Stop Lying to Yourself examines the logic behind behavior: the beliefs, payoffs, and scripts that can quietly shape how we see ourselves, what we believe we deserve, and the choices we make. Viewers are challenged to assess actions by their results and thoughts by their rationality; identify the life chain, life script, and personal truth influencing their lives; and stop rewarding the behavior that keeps them stuck. Part 2 moves from insight to action, asking viewers to decide who they are on purpose, earn better by showing up differently, and take one courageous act of non-silence. The message is clear: you can respect others and still tell the truth and speaking up may be the first step toward finally living your own life. This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsors.on’t wait! If you’re on Medicare or will be soon, reach out to Chapter: Call: (352)-845-0659 or go to https://askchapter.org to learn about your Medicare options and get help finding ways to save money.Pure Blue Fish grows the freshest fish in the world. Sushi will never be the same again. Sushi will never be the same again. @purebluefish is on a mission to save the ocean and feed the world. Find out more: https://PureBlueFish.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.