Family, Transparency, and AI Friends: Responding to the Latest Tech Changes with Chris McKenna

Episode 355

Technology is changing faster than families can keep up. From social media to smartphones to the latest wave of AI “companions,” new tools are shaping how children think, connect, and even define friendship. In this episode, Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes and a leading voice on digital safety, joins host Davies Owens to unpack what’s really happening and how parents and schools can respond with both truth and grace.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

Why AI “friends” appeal so powerfully to teens and what’s really going on in the developing brain
How to recognize and respond to the risks of AI companions and mature content online
The three kinds of families in the digital age and what each can do today
Chris’s HALT framework for course-correcting unhealthy tech habits
Why it’s time to “be weird together” as parents and schools who choose community over conformity
Simple, real-life “micro moves” families can make to model authentic, human connection

Technology may be accelerating, but parents are not powerless. Listeners will come away with a renewed sense of hope and concrete ways to model healthy technology use, foster real-world connection, and guide students toward wisdom in an increasingly digital world.

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Published on 1 week ago

Podcast Episode Details

Family, Transparency, and AI Friends: Responding to the Latest Tech Changes with Chris McKenna