Brave Parenting

Grand Theft Auto is already one of the most successful video games ever. And now, the extraordinarily anticipated GTA VI is set to finally launch on November 19th. It’s poised to become one of the biggest entertainment events in history. This gives parents an opportunity to consider the media we consume and allow our children to consume. In this episode, Kelly explains the history and cultur...

Meta’s new Muse AI is more than a chatbot – it’s an agent. Capable of managing your emails, scheduling appointments, making purchases, and managing your finances, this agent’s goal is to make your life better. More than that, Meta’s philosophy is to provide everyone with superintelligence to help each person achieve their individual goals. In this episode, Kelly expla...

In his new book  Restoring Childhood, evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray argues that declining childhood independence, excessive adult control, and achievement-driven education – not smartphones or social media – are responsible for the decline in youth mental health. While Gray rightly points to societal shifts that have led to the loss of childhood, including the responsibility par...

MrBeast has mastered the YouTube algorithm, built a business empire, and used his influence to give away millions of dollars. But what is his content teaching children? What happens when generosity, spectacle, and the attention economy are mixed together? In this episode, Kelly examines MrBeast through a biblical worldview, exploring the attention economy, philanthropy as entertainment, and how mu...

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that teens have taken up the “tradwife” mantle and have begun building their personal brands and influencer content by adulterating the sanctity of marriage.  Over the past month, there has been a whirlwind of commentary surrounding the teen tradwife trend – teens who’ve opted to get married early and share on social media how much th...

Astrology has been around for thousands of years, but it’s seen a resurgence in the last decade thanks to social media. Today’s astrology is much deeper than pithy horoscopes – it’s about birth charts, planetary movements, and houses. Many astrology content creators use persuasive language that lures young people in, promising to help them understand who they really are and...

True Crime is the most popular form of entertainment right now. There is no shortage of podcasts, documentaries, shows, movies, books, Facebook groups, TikTok communities, and subreddits dedicated to True Crime. What causes people (mostly women) to be so intrigued and infatuated with true crime content? In this episode, Kelly explains the cultural phenomenon of True Crime entertainment and provide...

Meta has settled a landmark lawsuit for billions of dollars and agreed to sweeping changes for teens’ experience on Facebook and Instagram. In this briefing, Kelly debates whether these changes will be the start of a reformation for how social media is used. What is the role of Christian parents and believers of all ages in this reformation? Articles referenced: Meta Agrees to Pay $18 Billio...

Parents are repeatedly told in culture that their work is exhausting, difficult, and inequitable. Technology then comes along, offering ways parents can automate the difficult parts of parenting to reduce their mental labor . Lost in all of this is the necessary friction that helps children develop competencies, routines, resilience, and purpose. In this podcast, Kelly takes a look into a newly re...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. In this fifth episode on Chapter 6, “Empowered,” Freya reveals multiple ways the culture sold a lie of empowerment to girls: New Age spirituality, manifesting, social j...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. **This episode continues MATURE themes and is NOT recommended for children.** In this fifth episode on Chapter 5, “Detached,” Freya reveals how flirting, sexting, datin...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. In this fourth episode on Chapter 4, “Disconnected,” Kelly summarizes how Freya India describes the redefinition of friendship and community by online platforms and soc...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. In this third episode on Chapter 3, “Documented,” Kelly examines the way smartphones and social media have trained young people to turn daily life, relationships, drama...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. In this second episode on Chapter 2, “Diagnosed,” Kelly unpacks Freya’s evidence of how  “the market” began to profit off of the anxiety and distress...

In this six-part podcast series, we walk through Freya India’s book GIRLS: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything , examining how online culture has shaped young women and how Christian parents can respond with biblical truth. In this first episode on Chapter 1, “Filtered,” Kelly considers how Freya India’s argument that filters, FaceTune, beauty influencers, selfies, and algorithmic fe...

There is a growing trend of “friction-maxxing” and going analog, especially among Gen Z. People are seeking slower, more friction-intensive technology so they can spend less time on it. And it appears that the market is responding accordingly. In this episode, Kelly reviews the increasing range of frictional products on the market. From turning your smartphone dumb to apps that take 2...

The Switch 2 and the Steam Deck handheld gaming devices are growing in popularity as people recognize the convenience of playing anywhere, anytime. In today’s episode, Kelly explains the basics of the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck, while exploring the similarities and differences between these personal gaming devices and a smartphone. A growing narrative surrounding these personal gaming devic...

Apple and Google both announced new parental controls for their iOS and Android devices within days of each other. Ironic? Probably not. Will these new controls be revolutionary? Probably not. In this episode, Kelly highlights the pressure these companies face to prove they can protect children. Meanwhile, Apple’s press release shows that they are still positioning themselves as the authorit...

Toy Story 5 is capitalizing on a truly devastating part of our culture: the loss of childhood to technology. In this briefing, Kelly highlights some of the most important aspects of the movie to help parents grasp the weight of what it depicts. Can a tablet be the problem with kids no longer playing, and the solution to making more friends? What does it mean to grow up too fast ? Is gaming the sam...

We live in a culture where it seems that the generations are at war with one another, families are falling apart – some going no contact, and children are increasingly without skills, purpose, and hope. Perhaps this is because we’ve lost sight of the benefits that intergenerational relationships bring. What children need to learn and experience is not what the internet offers. They nee...

AI tools can perform incredible feats of computation. They can also displace human relationships, outsource learning, distort reality, and pretend to have wisdom. Christian families have a responsibility not to conform to the patterns of this world (Rom 12:2) but to test everything, hold on to what is good, and reject what is evil (1 Thes. 5:21). In this episode, Kelly provides a four-pillar bibli...

The Enhanced Games took place over Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. The founders boasted they were making history and redefining what the human body is capable of. What was the evidence for this? Performance-enhancing drugs and bio-hacking in the name of becoming ‘superhuman.’ In this briefing, Kelly explains why stories like this matter and are valuable opportunities to talk...

When it comes to a kid having their own smartphone, trust is a much more complex issue than Peter Gray alludes to. Allowing a smartphone requires a parent to trust the child, their own parenting, Big Tech, the attention economy, and the whole of sinful mankind with access to the internet. In today’s episode – Part 10 of 10 – Kelly counters the benefit of “being trusted&#822...

Recent Barna research revealed that teens spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media. In this time, are they learning critical digital skills essential for success in life? When kids play games on iPads or watch YouTube videos, are they learning essential skills? In today’s episode, Kelly continues the examination of Peter’s Gray list of benefits for kids’ smartphone own...

Summer is an amazing time of rest and refreshing. Because screen time is a central part of so many students’ lives, this detail often feels most important. But beyond screen time, we want to encourage parents to take a different approach and ask the question: “What kind of character will be formed in my child this summer?” Discipleship is teaching and reinforcing Christ-like Char...