Brave Parenting

Despite a consistent conversation about the dangers of online media and screen time for kids, seventy-five percent of parents do nothing to limit their children's screen time.

Common Sense Media reports that kids birth to 8 years old are spending 2.5 hours a day consuming media. Nearly a quarter of of kids have an internet connected smartphone by age 8. Why is this and what can be done to reverse course?

Do kids need smartphones in order to communicate with friends? While it feels like they do, we present a simple and powerful way to allow communication without the risk of endless entertainment through apps.

In this Brave Briefing, Kelly asks whether we are loving our neighbor or ourselves in response to an article published by The Telegraph in the UK lamenting how smartphones have caused us to lose all sense of common decency. The reference is to selfies taken with Pope Francis' open casket at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

How can we think biblically about the issues raised in Netflix's popular series Adolescence? Instead of focusing on the hot topics of misogyny and the 'manosphere' we look at this show through the lens of Scripture for parents to understand their role in the lives of adolescents.

The popular Netflix show Adolescence raises important questions about online content. This should also make parents rethink how much and how early they allow their kids to consume this content.

We give our Brave Parenting review of the Minecraft movie. What was good and bad, and what redeeming value does it have for Christian families.

Today, Kelly responds to a series of articles published by The Stylist asking the question, "What is it like to be a girl in 2025?" Are we, as a society, failing girls? If the picture they paint is true, how can it be remedied? What is the parent's role in all of this? Articles referenced: Is 2025 The Scariest Time to Be a Girl? Nowhere Feels Safe - What its Like to be a Girl in 2025. Scripture Referenced: Proverbs 31:25 1 Peter 3:4 1 Corinthians 6:18 Get the newly published Managing Media Creating Character Study Guide & Workbook! WATCH the Brave Briefing on YouTube SIGN UP for our Brave Bullet Points Newsletter GET the Revised & Updated book Managing Media Creating Character

TikTok announces new parental controls just weeks before new deadline to sell or be banned. No no one believes they really care about kids.

Tablets and iPads are finding younger and younger owners according to Common Sense Media. Why, though, are we giving toddlers tablets?

Are online video games just entertainment? If they are free to download and play, should we automatically let our children?

Online video games and social media platforms are not all that different when we consider the dangerous features. Should parents handle online gaming differently?

Research from Pew, Gallup, and Common Sense Media point directly to the need for parents to bravely restrict media and technology use. These reports reveal some shocking numbers about time on social media but after evaluating the three together it is obvious that the teens who have parents that restrict fare far better than those who do not.

Why is education failing? Everyone wants to point to the phone but behind every phone is a parent demanding 24/7 access to their child.

Meditation and prayer apps are massively popular. Should Christians use these apps for spiritual growth? Can screen time be the problem of mental health and the solution for peace and calm?

American children aren't learning to read and screen time is a likely culprit. Everyone wants the latest and greatest parenting hacks, but is there one when it comes to reading?

Parents insist they track location for the child's safety. But does it actually enhance safety or has this technologically enabled convenience deceived parents into feeling like effective and caring caregivers?

TikTok influencers admit to their own lies in gaining views and followers. Will that change their influence? More importantly, will it change parents in allowing their dishonest influence to impact their children?

Today, Kelly discusses the recent Supreme Court hearing of oral arguments in the Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton case. It's a big deal for parents because, if upheld, it will set a precedent for the protection of children from accessing online pornography under the age of 18. Nevertheless, while the law gets settled what should parents be doing in the meantime? Referenced articles: Brave Parenting Guide to VPNs The Supreme Court Considers Most Important Online Child Protection Case in 20 Years Referenced Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 WATCH the Brave Briefing on YouTube SIGN UP for our Brave Bullet Points Newsletter GET the Revised & Updated book Managing Media Creating Character APPLY to be a Brave Parenting Ambassador

Weekly update on technology and cultural insight for Christians.

Half of the apps we use as a tool and the other half uses us for data and profit. Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?

Apple's Top Gaming Apps of 2024 are not games intended for kids despite their allure. We've got great alternatives to these games for you!

Kelly & Chelsea review the media and tech trends that shaped 2024. Everything from AI to iPad kids and how these trends will impact 2025.

When everything is available all of the time with little to no effort, self-control is lost. What we need is more friction with our phones.

Uber now offers Teen Accounts for 13-17-year-olds who need rides or food delivered. Is this what modern teen independence looks like?

All entertainment (whether screen-based or not) requires some discernment prior to engagement. In this episode we walk through the biblical principles that should guide parents in their entertainment choices. Guest Chris Lynch shares his expertise as a Pastor and Father.

Lots of apps have been created to reach kids with biblical content. The creators argue that learning about God should be fun and screen time can be redeemed when the content is biblical. We examine these apps and consider their use through the lens of Scripture.

We review the Bible-based (or at least, Christian-minded) streaming services available for kids and families. We also present a biblical approach to these entertainment streaming services to help parents keep their eyes on discipleship versus media consumption.

Artificial Intelligence is poised to take over education. How can parents prepare kids for the future of intelligence (whether through education or artificial means)? Hint: homework helping apps are not it.

24/7 News media coverage of the presidential election has made parents and kids anxious, angry, and divisive. There is a real easy way to find peace amidst the chaos: Less Media and More Scripture!

Should Christians use the Bible app during church worship services instead of a paper bible? We review the benefits and detriments of the digital Bible in this episode.

Mom Influencer and parenting expert culture on social media is a multi-billion dollar industry constantly upping the ante on motherhood. What are the consequences for moms everywhere? Based on Scripture, what response should Christians have?

Should youth pastors or student ministry leaders be friends with or follow their students on social media? We biblically consider the three most common reasons why Christians say they should.

Meta announces that teens will automatically be assigned "Teen Accounts" with slightly more restrictions - will it be enough?

The Surgeon General sees the stress of parenting as a public health concern. Is he right? How should Christians handle parental stress? Is this something new or is this another over-psychologizing and victimizing of ourselves?

Are streaming Music apps like Spotify and earbuds antisocial technology? The constant and intimate listening may be more of a problem than you think. Plus a brief biblical theology of music.

Ms. Rachel is raved over by parents whose children are mesmerized by her YouTube content. Is this safe for kids to watch?

A common justification for students having phones in school is the threat of an active shooter. Do phones actually increase safety? We dismantle this justification and discuss the more likely and immanent threat students face.

Continuing to make the case for school phone bans - from the first bell to the very last - in this podcast, we demolish the argument that schools just need to teach "proper use."

The movement to ban phones in schools is growing. Understandably, students are pushing back. But surprisingly, so are parents. Why?

The Surgeon General will not wait for causal proof that social media is detrimental to the mental health of young people. He is calling for warning labels for social media so all parents and users can be reminded of its harms.

When the Indigenous Marubo tribe of Brazil gained access to the internet, the quickly learned that they too needed limits. It turns out that regardless of your upbringing, geographical location, or beliefs, the online world is an equal opportunity relationship destroyer.

Recent high school graduate, Kenzie Cates, presents her senior thesis project's findings on pride content in children's media and entertainment.

Summertime and Screen time have become synonymous. Don't give up the fight, parents! Consider re-embracing the DVD player in lieu of personal devices.

Is it possible that the app originally created to share explicit pics that disappear is NOT the worst app for teens? Has Snapchat been dethroned? Kelly shares her new conclusions about teens use of Snapchat.

Big Tech likes to move fast and break things. We recommend the more successful approach of moving slow and protecting things. Through three AI and Big Tech news headlines, Kelly & Chelsea help you see it all through a biblical worldview.

Social Media is a hot mess - which is making young people a hot mess. Everyone knows it but how can it be reformed? Change must come - will it be voluntarily through Big Tech, legislatively through Government, or wisely and bravely through Parents?

Every year the NCOSE publishes their list of the top entities contributing to sexual exploitation. To no surprise, BIG TECH wins. We're reviewing the six that parents need to know about!

How can Christian parents help their kids engage with secular entertainment without influencing their biblical worldview? Guest Elizabeth Urbanowicz will tell us how!

The entertainment industry has generated various portrayals of how AI impacts civilization. We look at these common portrays through a Biblical Worldview so that parents and kids can think critically and biblically about the future of AI.

Internet scams are nothing new but AI technology such as voice cloning, chatbots, and deepfakes are making scams appear much more authentic. The most vulnerable are kids and elderly