In a world where Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon tailor everything “just for you,” convenience quietly and subtly reshapes our kids’ worldview, identity, and habits. In this 200th episode, Kelly & Ryan unpack how hyper-personalization works, why it feels so good, and where it becomes dangerous. From echo chambers to the illusion of control (and even AI-generated media), we explore the risks and offer practical, biblical responses for families.

Five Tech Rules for Kids 12 & Under Article and Approved Technology for Children Under 12 Podcast

Articles Referenced:

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did
Spotify "Wrapped" Campaign
Artwork Personalization at Netflix
The Psychology of Hyper-Personalization
The Problem with Hyper-Personalization in Online Learning
Alpha School: AI Powered Private School
Parents Fell in Love with Alpha School's Promise. Then They Wanted Out.
Google Gemini Storybooks
Billboard Says at Least One AI-Generated "Artist" is Charting Every Week Now

Books Referenced:

Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly

 

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How are parents to handle their kids' insatiable desire for more stuff? Today, Elizabeth Urbanowicz from Foundation Worldview is here to talk about how we fight consumerism in our family. This is an urgent issue, for if it isn't corrected when they are young, consumerism and materialism are magnified during the teen years. From iPhones and airPods to every trending item they see online, consumerism and coveting cripple young people. Kelly and Elizabeth talk about biblically faithful ways families can fight the sin of covetousness from taking over.

They also discuss Elizabeth's newly published book, Helping Your Kids Know God's Good Design: 40 Questions and Answers on Sexuality and Gender. This book is an excellent resource for anyone involved in the lives of children today.

Use promo code: BRAVE10 to receive $10 off a family license of any Foundation Worldview curriculum.

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This week, Kelly responds to OpenAI's decision to allow ChatGPT to create "erotic" content and Sam Altman's defense to pushback against this decision, saying, "We are not the elected moral police of the world."

Kelly covers the Moral Argument for God and why God's moral law is objective and universal. This decision is indicative of the future of AI. Sam Altman's response is indicative of their moral relativistic worldview.  All of which matters to parents, even if you aren't using AI chatbots in your home. Knowing how Big Tech rebels against God's moral law (and the collateral damage that causes), along with how deeply they want our children's attention and affection, REQUIRES a fresh evaluation of our parenting and online access. Parental controls mean nothing to these companies. Our best defense is knowing God's word.

Articles referenced:

A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In.
Introducing Parental Controls
OpenAI promises parental controls for ChatGPT amid lawsuit over teen death
Altman on X: "We're going to allow erotica"
Altman on X: "We are not the elected moral police of the world."
Cleo Abram interviews Sam Altman: "At least we haven't created a sexbot avatar in ChatGPT yet!"
NBC: Sam Altman says OpenAI isn’t ‘moral police of the world’ after erotica ChatGPT post blows up
Spicy ChatGPT Is One Way to Make More Money

Scripture referenced:

Genesis 1:1
Colossians 1:17
Hebrews 13:8
Romans 13:1-5
Romans 2:15
Romans 2:14
Romans 1:18-20
Romans 1:28-32

Book recommendation:

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

 

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Sora is a new short-form video social platform solely for AI-generated videos. In this episode, Kelly explains the app, its features, its dangers, and why parents have to keep kids off of this app!!

That means you'll have to restrict their access to the personal devices, the app stores, and the internet in general. It may seem like a high cost, but as Kelly discusses in the show, the cost of allowing the truth of reality to become distorted is much higher.

DOWNLOAD the Family Discussion Guide for Sora.

READ our Brave Parenting Guide to Sora

Articles referenced:

Sora 2 Is Here
Launching Sora Responsibly
The Sora Feed Philosophy
Introducing Parenting Controls
Fake Videos of Dead Celebrities are Going Viral. Many of their families are horrified.
Jake Paul invites users to fake him on Sora, so they immediately use it to make him gay and obsessed with make-up
"People need to get a life"; Jake Paul responds to influx of deepfake videos of his likeness

Scripture referenced

Genesis 1:1, 3
Genesis 1:27-28
Genesis 25:24-34
Romans 1:18-32

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Every parent wants to believe "my child would never _________." But what happens when your child does something unthinkable? What is our response when we find out? Recently, parents in Utah were faced with this devastating question.  What we know about their response can serve as a valuable example for all parents.

In this podcast, Kelly discusses how parents can mentally and spiritually prepare themselves to respond to children's unthinkable actions.

Articles referenced:

Time: Prosecutors Reveal Texts Sent By Charlie Kirk Suspect
'Shock factor': Washington County Sheriff describes taking Charlie Kirk shooting suspect into custody

Scripture referenced:

Ephesians 6:12
1 Samuel 2:12, 17, 22
1 Samuel 4:11-14
Jeremiah 17:9
Romans 3:10, 23
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Romans 1:32
James 1:22
1 Corinthians 10:13
Galatians 5:22
James 1:5

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How much media & technology can you allow for young kids? If "zero" is impossible, how much and what kind of tech is good for kids to benefit from while avoiding harm? Kelly answers these questions by walking you through the types of media and technology that Brave Parenting approves of for kids under 12 years old. The five key rules for kids this age are: (1) No personal devices, (2) offline, (3) communal spaces, (4) parent present, (5) purpose-driven.

Check out our full guide to Brave Parenting Approved Tech Under 12

Scripture referenced: 

Proverbs 22:6
Galatians 5:21-22

 

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Why does Brave Parenting not approve online platforms, games, and apps for kids? Are we anti-technology?

No, we're not anti-technology at all; we're just very discerning about what we use and are unapologetically pro-childhood. Our goal is to advance the kingdom of God by using media and technology for God's glory.

Scripture referenced:

Ephesians 5:15-16
John 1:3
Hebrews 11:3
Genesis 1:28
James 1:17
1 Corinthians 6:12
1 Corinthians 10:31

 

Book a Speaking Event!!

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In this week's episode, Kelly unpacks Roblox's slogan, "Reimagining how people come together," and how it reveals the platform's ultimate goal for young people to spend their entire lives in the virtual world. It's the techno-optimistic worldview on steroids.

BONUS DOWNLOADS:
Roblox Family Conversation Guide
Why We're Saying No to Roblox
What it Means to Be Human: SCRIPTURE vs. ROBLOX

Articles referenced:

Roblox: Reimagining How People Come Together
Roblox: Dedicated to Building a Safer and More Civil Online World
Tech Talks: Update on our Safety Initiatives
Roblox: What We Announced at RDC 2023
Roblox: Introducing Party on Roblox
Roblox: Our Vision for the Roblox Economy
Roblox Announces Rewarded Video Ads, Partners with Google to Scale Immersive Advertising
Roblox Unlocks Next-Generation Commerce With In-Game Shopping for Physical Items
Roblox: Where Learning Happens
Roblox Launches Learning Hub to Spotlight Educational Experiences

Scripture referenced:

Genesis 1:27
Jeremiah 17:9
Ezekiel 36:26

Book a Speaking Event!!

Buy the NEWLY UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated)

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Roblox is back in the news, and in this episode, we are reviewing what Roblox is (in case you don't know) and why it's facing so much backlash. They boast new parental controls and safety initiatives in the midst of legal cases alleging they neglected to protect children from predatory exploitation. Should parents trust Roblox to be a safe platform? Kelly walks through how the design of Roblox reveals a techno-optimistic worldview that opposes God's Word and any effort a parent makes to protect their child on the platform.

Articles referenced:

National Center on Sexual Exploitation: Roblox, A Mainstream Contributor to Sexual Exploitation
Average Daily Time Spent by Children in the U.S. on Leading Apps
Louisiana AG sues Roblox, calling it ‘the perfect place for pedophiles
Lawsuit against Roblox alleges sexploitation of 10-year-old Michigan girl on platform
YouTube Video: What are experiences?
Tech Talks - An Update on Our Safety Initiatives
"Pedophile Hellscape for Kids"
Is Roblox Getting Worse?
Roblox, Take a Seat

Scripture referenced:


Hebrews 13:8
Isaiah 40:8
Psalm 119:89, 42:1
Genesis 1:27, 2:18
Ephesians 4:29
Proverbs 18:21
Matthew 12:34-36, 6:33
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7:14
2 Peter 2:19
Galatians 5:1
Romans 12:2

 

Book a Speaking Event!!

Buy the NEWLY UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated)

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AI chatbots promise "safe" learning, entertainment, and companionship, but how do these artificial agents distort childhood as God intended childhood?

In this episode, Kelly unpacks the worldview behind AI technology, contrasts it with biblical discipleship, and explains why children and chatbots are terrible playmates. Using the example of AngelQ, the children's app offering a kid-safe chatbot for children to explore their curiosities, Kelly explains how apps like this fundamentally distorts human childhood.

Scripture referenced:

Hebrews 13:8
Ephesians 2:10
Genesis 2:18, 1:27
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Proverbs 1:8, 2:1, 3:21, 22:6
Ephesians 6:4
John 13:12-15
Proverbs 1:7
1 Corinthians 8:1
Psalm 13:1-2, 5-6
Ecclesiastes 1:8, 1:2
Romans 5:3-4

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Book a Speaking Event!!

Buy the NEWLY UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated)

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Check out the Pinwheel phone - it's our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

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In this episode, Kelly and Nathan discuss the pros and cons of the AngelQ app after 3 weeks of hands-on testing. AngelQ advertises itself as a kid-safe internet browser ("superbrowser") through the use of an AI chatbot interface. While its safety is greater than anything else available, do its other features make the app a net benefit or a net loss for children?

Check out the Brave Parenting Guide to AngelQ on our website.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

References:

AngelQ website
AngelQ: Building a Better Digital Future for Our Children

Scripture references:

Ephesians 2:11

Check out the Foundation Worldview curriculum that Kelly & Nathan mention in the show!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to save $10 on any curriculum purchase.

 

Book a Speaking Event!!

Buy the NEWLY UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated)

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AI tutors and personalized learning programs are poised to take over the classroom. With new partnerships between AI companies and teachers' organizations, this is coming to public schools whether parents want it or not. Today, we're restating the obvious reasons why AI does not have to be learned or used in elementary school and what you can do to ensure it isn't.

 

Articles referenced:
The AI Industry is Funding A Massive AI Training Initiative for Teachers
Microsoft, OpenAI, and a US Teachers’ Union Are Hatching a Plan to ‘Bring AI Into the Classroom’
Apple ConnectED

 

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The largest toy manufacturer has just joined forces with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Mattel and OpenAI have not disclosed exactly what they will be creating. Still, considering Mattel's history with Hello Barbie, it's a likely guess that it's a generative AI conversational toy, such as Barbie or Thomas the Train.

Parents must think critically and biblically before allowing their children to engage with any AI, especially in toys.

Articles referenced: 
Barbie Gets ChatGPT: Why Parents Should Pay Attention
Child Welfare Experts Horrified by Mattel's Plans to Add ChatGPT to Toys After Mental Health Concerns for Adult Users
Mattel and OpenAI have partnered up – here’s why parents should be concerned about AI in toys
 

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TikTok has banned the popular hashtag #skinnytok from its platform due to being linked with "unhealthy weight loss content." Does this mean TikTok cares about the content it hosts? Or is this just virtuous P.R. for them? Considering that similar hashtags are still popular, we can assume nothing has actually changed. Unrealistic beauty standards still pervade every corner of social media.

Teens who aren't on social media platforms like TikTok are not exempt from the wildly influential dieting and restricted eating trends that saturate culture. While restricting your daughter's access to such harmful content is important, there are other protective actions you can take that are often neglected.

Articles referenced:
TikTok Banned the "SkinnyTok" Hashtag. It's Only a Matter of Time Until a New Insidious Diet Trend Replaces It
TikTok Just Blocked Search Results for ‘SkinnyTok’
 

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Today, Kelly is joined by Nathan, a Brave Parenting ambassador, parent, and internet security expert, to discuss the video gaming app TruPlay. This app offers Christian video games that the company promotes will nurture your child's faith and teach them biblical wisdom. Those are strong claims, so we spent weeks researching every aspect of the app, playing the games, and watching the videos. Kelly and Nathan unpack the great and the not-so-great aspects of TruPlay so that parents can wisely decide if this game is better than no game at all.

Be sure to check out the Brave Parenting Guide to TruPlay Christian Games on our website. The guide offers a more comprehensive overview of the app, complete with screenshots and images, to help parents make an informed decision.

TruPlay website

Brave Parenting Guide to TruPlay

Scripture referenced:

Matthew 5:44
Luke 6:28
Romans 12:17
Ephesians 6:4

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In this cultural update for Christian parents, Kelly examines the trend of Gen Z opting for dumb phones and embracing Blackberry phones. News outlets are reporting this but are teens and young adults actually getting tired of their iPhones and boldly embracing dumb phones? This sounds amazing....and totally too good to be true.

Articles referenced:
Gen Z is swapping their smartphones for this retro alternative: ‘Need a social media detox’
Who Wants a Blackberry? Apparently, Gen Z.
Scripture referenced:

Proverbs 14:12
Matthew 11:28

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Today, we continue in our series of testimonies from those who have boldly decided to quit social media. Joining Kelly on the podcast is Lucy Staples. Lucy's story is representative of many teens we have spoken to, whose parents restricted their social media use throughout most of high school. When Lucy was finally able to get Instagram and TikTok, she experienced what only wisdom and maturity can provide: doubt that it was good for her and regret for the time she'd already lost inside the apps.

Parents do not want to miss this conversation. It will motivate you to hold strong despite the pushback! No parent ever wished they had given their teen access to social media earlier in life, but many regret allowing too much, too soon.

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In this episode, Kelly talks with Pearson Segina, a 23-year-old student pastor who felt the conviction by God to not just stay off Instagram, but to delete his account altogether. The faith and obedience of this young man will so inspire parents!

Also in this episode:

* Is it possible to use social media to the glory of God?
* Youth Pastors on social media
* The importance of physical Bibles in the church

Watch Pearson's original sermon on "Radical Freedom."

 

Book a Speaking Event!!

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Teach your kids how to have a biblical worldview with Foundation Worldview!
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Check out the Pinwheel phone - it's our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

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Today, Kelly and Chelsea speak with Reagan Rose from Redeeming Productivity about what he has learned and, more importantly, what he has gained from quitting social media. As someone who leads an online ministry, it seems counterintuitive for him to quit. Still, his reflections after one year reveal the beauty of what is possible for anyone who commits to leaving the social media sites for good.

Check out Reagan's original YouTube video reflecting on quitting social media and his theology of leisure.

Redeeming Productivity

 

Book a Speaking Event!!

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Teach your kids how to have a biblical worldview with Foundation Worldview!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to save $10 on any curriculum purchase.

Check out the Pinwheel phone - it's our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

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Today's episode continues the review of Common Sense Media's 2025 Consensus: Media Use by Kids 0-8. This week, we are reviewing the parents' concerns regarding media use. Kelly unpacks the reasons given for allowing screen time at these young ages and how the concerns parents reported in the survey do not seem to match the allowances given.

This episode is so important as it highlights the deception so many parents of young kids are under. Parents of Gen Z must come alongside these younger parents and graciously warn them of the consequences of living a content-driven life.

Articles referenced:

Common Sense Media 2025 Consensus: Media Use by Kids 0 to 8

Book referenced:

Shepherding Your Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

Scripture referenced:

Deuteronomy 6:7
Proverbs 29:25
1 Corinthians 6:20

Book a Speaking Event!!

Buy the NEWLY UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated)

Get Kelly's new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.

Teach your kids how to have a biblical worldview with Foundation Worldview!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to save $10 on any curriculum purchase.

Check out the Pinwheel phone - it's our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what's new without social media - a win for everyone!