Family IT Guy Podcast

エピソード

• Porn: The Conversation That Protects Your Kids | Chris McKenna 18.06.2026 1時間 13分

  How do you talk to your kids about pornography before the internet does it for them? Chris McKenna founded Protect Young Eyes to help parents answer exactly that, and his approach surprises most people: the fix is not a better filter. It is a braver and more frequent conversation.Most of us are scared of this talk, so we put it off, and putting it off is the one move that leaves a kid alone with whatever they find. Chris makes the case for the opposite. Make the conversation normal. Start early, keep it casual, have it often, so your kid runs to you when something feels wrong instead of hiding it. Shine light on the topic.We get into the number that stopped me cold. In every child-on-child case the counselors Chris interviewed had handled that year, the child who had harmed another had been exposed to pornography early in childhood. We talk about why a young brain has no "file" for what it is seeing, then we get practical: ten conversations before age 10, the porn talk you can have in the car without ever saying the word "porn", and how to make yourself the person your kid comes to.MORE FROM CHRIS McKENNAOrder his book, 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family (out June 16 2026): https://www.techreadyfamily.comProtect Young Eyes: https://protectyoungeyes.comDigital parenting coaching, The Table: https://protectyoungeyes.com/the-tableThe Ultimate Guide to Understanding Routers: https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/devices/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-routersCHAPTERS0:00 Welcome1:05 How Chris got into this10:39 The realities of porn today20:04 Young brains can't process it21:28 The 100% statistic24:00 Make Porn the Norm (the reframe)28:14 10 before 1030:28 Where kids really see it35:11 How to actually have the talk43:42 Porn isn't real sex57:31 The one fix at AppleSOURCESThe 100% figure is from Chris McKenna's interviews with counselors at Children's Assessment Centers, which work with both the child who was harmed and the child who caused harm. More on his research at https://protectyoungeyes.comABOUT CHRIS McKENNAChris is the founder of Protect Young Eyes and president of The Better Tech Project. He testified before the U.S. Senate in 2019, co-authored the Child Device Protection Bill that is now law in Utah and Alabama, and is featured in the documentary Childhood 2.0. Publishers Weekly calls his new book "comprehensive," "illuminating," and "an informative resource for parents eager to establish digital safety nets for their children."ABOUT FAMILY IT GUYBen Gillenwater is a cybersecurity expert and dad who helps parents protect their kids from the two biggest digital dangers: addictive algorithms and anonymous communication.#digitalparenting #onlinesafety #pornography #raisingkids #parentingtips #protectyoungeyes #screentime #familyitguy
• Apple iOS just made kids’ phones safer. 09.06.2026 2分

  For years, giving a child their first phone meant starting with a device designed for adults and then trying to lock it down afterward.Apple just announced a major shift.With iOS 27, kids' devices can start as a blank slate—no wide-open access, no endless game of chasing settings and blocking apps after the fact. Parents decide what gets added and when.This is how child-safe technology should work: parental authority first, access second.It's also a reminder that protecting kids online doesn't require invasive age-verification systems or sacrificing privacy. Good design can solve a lot of problems before lawmakers try to.Apple deserves credit for raising the bar on both privacy and parental controls.Would you feel more comfortable giving your child a phone if it started locked down by default?#Apple #iOS27 #OnlineSafety #DigitalParenting #FamilyITGuy
• The Hidden Risk of Instagram’s New Instants Feature 08.06.2026 3分

  Meta's new Instants feature has drawn comparisons to Snapchat for one simple reason: both are built around disappearing photos and messages.For parents, the important question isn't which app your child is using—it's whether they understand how these features actually work.Platforms market disappearing content as temporary, but "disappearing" doesn't mean private. Content can be screenshotted, screen-recorded, photographed with another device, shared, and in many cases retained by the platform itself. The technology may make content less visible, but it doesn't make it disappear from the internet.In this video, I look at why Meta is embracing a Snapchat-style feature despite ongoing concerns about youth safety online, what parents should know about supervision tools, and why digital literacy is a more effective long-term strategy than relying on app settings alone.The most valuable lesson we can teach kids is not which apps to fear, but how to think critically about privacy, permanence, and the business models behind the platforms they use every day.I'm Ben, the Family IT Guy—a dad and cybersecurity expert with 30 years of experience helping families navigate social media, smartphones, AI, parental controls, and online safety.Subscribe for practical advice on raising tech-smart kids in a digital world.
• Age Verification Laws Explained: Why They Won’t Protect Kids 02.06.2026 7分

  Age verification laws are spreading fast, and the "prove your age to use the internet" approach will make every family less safe, not more.Governments across the US and around the world want everyone to prove their identity before going online. In places like California, that's moving down to the operating-system level, so you'd have to verify who you are just to use your own computer. It sounds like a reasonable way to protect kids. It isn't.To check your age online, a company has to collect your ID, verify it, store it, and tie it to what you do. Once that data exists, it lives under whatever the rules happen to be at any given moment, forever. History already showed us how that goes. In 1940 the US Census promised confidentiality; two years later the government canceled that promise, handed over Japanese American families' names and addresses, and sent 120,000 people to internment camps. In 1998, COPPA (the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) was meant to protect kids online, and instead it gave companies a reason to never build kid-safe products in the first place. So the real fix isn't more databases. It's skills. Parents who understand how the internet works can lead by example and pass that on to their kids. You can't uncollect data, which is exactly why the only real protection is to not collect it in the first place.Read the full Declaration of Principles on the protection of children, families, and freedom in the digital age:https://www.familyitguy.com/declaration-of-principlesCHAPTERS0:00 The age verification laws coming for everyone0:39 How online age checks work1:18 What we want for our kids (the Declaration)2:09 1940: a privacy promise broken (the Census)3:38 1998: how COPPA backfired5:31 What actually changes behavior6:09 The real fix: skills, not surveillance6:58 You can't uncollect data7:16 The one question to always ask7:37 Your turnSOURCES AND FURTHER READING1940 Census and Japanese internment:- Scientific American, confirmed Census disclosure: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/confirmed-the-us-census-b/- National Archives, Japanese-American Incarceration: https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation- The Second War Powers Act (1942), which suspended census confidentiality: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/STATUTE-56/STATUTE-56-Pg176COPPA:- FTC, Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA): https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa- FTC, Google/YouTube $170M COPPA settlement: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/09/google-youtube-will-pay-record-170-million-alleged-violations-childrens-privacy-lawWhat actually reduced youth smoking:- CDC, adult cigarette smoking data (42% to 11%): https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/php/data-statistics/adult-data-cigarettes/index.html- Levy et al. (Georgetown), SimSmoke policy analysis: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4801780/- Farrelly et al., "truth" campaign dose-response: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1449196/LISTEN TO THE FAMILY IT GUY PODCASTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe_GB8g05M6PyRj4OLhD1LF1x_6vEK-LcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-it-guy-podcast/id1831912044Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72yZUVsOqdDk7en5FS9U8gABOUTI'm Ben, the Family IT Guy. I help parents handle the two biggest digital dangers facing their kids: addictive algorithms and anonymous communication (and the ways AI is making both worse).Website: https://www.familyitguy.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFamilyITGuy/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/family_it_guy/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@family.it.guy#AgeVerification #OnlineSafety #DigitalParenting #KidsOnline #OnlinePrivacy
• Your Kids Are Not the Customer. They’re the Product. 30.05.2026 5分

  One of the most important skills parents can teach kids today is how to think critically about business models.Because if kids don’t understand how internet companies make money, they can’t fully understand what these platforms are designed to do.In this video, I break down:• Why “free” apps are never actually free• How social media companies really make money• Why attention is the product being sold• How addictive algorithms are designed• Why platforms optimize for “eyeball time”• How understanding incentives helps kids stay safer onlineCompanies like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Google, and others are often framed as tech companies or social platforms. But in reality, most of them are advertising companies.Their business model depends on maximizing your attention so they can sell ads.That changes how we should think about screen time, social media, and digital parenting.If we want kids to navigate the internet safely, we need to help them understand what they’re actually engaging with.More resources:familyitguy.comChapters00:00 Why Understanding Business Models Matters00:25 What a Business Model Actually Is00:50 How Traditional Businesses Measure Success01:43 Why “Free” Internet Products Aren’t Free02:14 The Real Product Social Media Companies Sell02:54 How Addictive Algorithms Work03:28 Why You Are the Product03:52 Looking at SEC Reports04:43 Why Kids Need This SkillSubscribe for practical digital parenting advice grounded in cybersecurity and real-world experience.
• The Two Biggest Online Threats to Kids Right Now. 29.05.2026 5分

  If you're new here, welcome.My name is Ben Gillenwater, also known as The Family IT Guy. I’m a dad and a cybersecurity expert with 30 years of experience, and my mission is simple: help families keep kids safe online while raising healthy, capable humans in a digital world.In this video, I break down the two biggest online threats facing kids today:• Addictive algorithms• Anonymous online chatThese systems are not accidental. Social media platforms are intentionally designed to maximize attention, and anonymous messaging creates environments where predators, criminal networks, and dangerous influences can reach children at scale.But this video is not about fear.It’s about understanding what matters most and focusing on practical solutions that actually help families:• Education over panic• Skills over rules• Community over isolation• Leading by example as parentsI also share the free resources available through Family IT Guy, including:• Articles and conversation guides• My podcast with psychologists, detectives, and parenting experts• My “boring iPhone” setup guide for kids• The Being meditation app• The Family IT Guy communityThis is a complicated time for parents, but you do not have to figure it out alone.Resources:www.familyitguy.comChapters:00:00 Introduction00:20 Why This Work Matters00:40 The Two Core Problems01:14 How Addictive Algorithms Work01:35 Anonymous Chat and Online Predators02:04 Why This Matters for Every Family02:41 Skills vs Rules03:14 Leading by Example as Parents04:08 Hope for the Next Generation04:18 Free Resources for Families05:15 Questions From the CommunitySubscribe for practical guidance on parenting, technology, and online safety.
• The Dark Truth About Snapchat Parents Aren’t Being Told 29.05.2026 3分

  This video is dedicated to Avery, a 15-year-old boy who died after buying MDMA through Snapchat.Avery grew up with strong boundaries around technology. Waldorf education. Outdoor adventures. Shared screen time rules. Minimal exposure to social media. But once Snapchat entered the picture in high school, everything changed.Within a year, Avery bought drugs from a local dealer through the app. He took too much and died on December 19, 2024.I spoke with Avery’s dad, Aaron, who asked me to share this story so other families don’t experience the same loss.This is not an isolated case.According to the DEA, 76% of investigated youth drug-buying cases involved Snapchat. Internal company documents have also shown that dealers prefer disappearing-message platforms because they make detection harder.In this video, I break down:• Why Snapchat is different from what most parents think• How social media platforms enable dangerous behavior• Why “everyone else has it” is not a good reason• What actually helps protect kids online• Why removing social media often strengthens real friendships• Tools like the Bark Phone that can help parents monitor riskWatch my conversation with Mike McLeod here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJU9u68PNt8For more resources, visit:www.familyitguy.comSearch “Snapchat” on the site for additional articles and tools.Chapters:00:00 Avery’s Story01:11 Why Snapchat Is Different02:18 The DEA Investigation03:04 What Actually Protects Kids04:08 Are Snapchat Friendships Real?05:08 Why Boundaries Matter05:47 Tools That Can Help ParentsCheck out the @BarkTechnologies phone here: https://www.familyitguy.com/go/bark
• If You Use AI for Therapy Watch This 12.05.2026 5分

  A growing number of adults and teens are using AI chatbots for therapy, emotional support, advice, and difficult conversations. Some people say it helps them feel less alone. Others are relying on it daily for mental health guidance.But there’s a major problem most people are missing:AI can sound caring, wise, and authoritative without actually understanding you, your situation, or the consequences of its advice.In this video, I break down:• Why people are turning to AI for therapy• The benefits people are experiencing• The serious risks parents need to understand• The privacy tradeoffs nobody talks about• The dangerous “human-like” illusion of AI• Why skepticism matters more than fear• The exact custom instructions I recommend using with AI systemsI also discuss the tragic case referenced in current litigation involving a teen and an AI chatbot, and what it reveals about the limitations of these systems.My goal is not panic or blind trust. It’s helping families understand what these tools are, where they help, where they fail, and how to use them responsibly.Read the full article and copy the custom AI instructions here:https://www.familyitguy.com/ai-therapy-custom-instructions.html#AI #MentalHealth #Parenting #ChatGPT #AITherapy #DigitalParenting #Technology #CyberSafety #OnlineSafety #FamilyITGuy
• Why We Removed Phones From Our Bedrooms (And What Changed Immediately) 07.05.2026 3分

  If you are trying to keep your kids safer online, this is where I would start: keep internet-connected devices out of bedrooms.Bedrooms should be calm places. Places for sleep, rest, conversation, quiet, and recovery.But phones, tablets, gaming systems, and social media feeds bring noise into that space — not just sound noise, but mental and emotional noise.In this video, I explain why removing devices from bedrooms has been one of the most impactful digital changes in our home, both for us as parents and for our kids.We talk about:• Why internet-connected bedrooms affect sleep and mental health • How phones quietly pull attention even when they are not being used • Why kids are more vulnerable online late at night • The connection between bedrooms, boundaries, and digital safety • Why parents need to model this behavior first • How our family handles phones, tablets, school devices, gaming systems, and smartwatches at nightOne of the biggest surprises for my wife and me was how different our bedroom felt the very first night we removed our phones. The room immediately felt calmer, quieter, and more connected.That same calm matters even more for kids.Our family rule is simple: Bedrooms are for rest. The internet sleeps somewhere else.If you want the chargers, alarm clocks, and other gear we use in our home, go to: https://www.familyitguy.com/no-internet-in-bedrooms.html#digitalparenting #internetsafety #parenting #screentime #familytech #onlineSafety #cybersecurity #mentalhealth #phones #socialmedia
• How to Remove Hidden Data From Your Photos 30.04.2026 5分

  Most people crop photos for aesthetics. Few realize that every photo can also contain hidden metadata.When you take a picture on your phone, it may include location data, timestamps, device information, camera details, and other digital markers that create a larger story over time.In this video, I break down a simple privacy habit that takes less than a minute but can reduce how much information you share online.You’ll learn how to:• Crop out identifying details in the background• Remove location metadata before posting• Adjust timestamps for added privacy when needed• Reduce the digital trail your photos create over timeOne photo may seem harmless, but years of uploaded images can reveal routines, locations, travel habits, and personal patterns.Perfect privacy online doesn’t exist, but small habits can make a meaningful difference.Before posting to social media, texting photos, or uploading images to AI tools, take a second look at what your photo may be sharing behind the scenes.Chapters:00:00 Why photo privacy matters00:25 What metadata is hidden in photos01:05 How to remove location data02:00 Why timestamps matter03:15 How companies connect photo data04:10 Simple privacy habits to use dailyKeywords:photo metadata, remove metadata from photos, digital privacy tips, online privacy, photo privacy settings, remove location from photos, hidden data in photos, smartphone privacy, metadata explained, internet privacy tips, AI photo privacy, cybersecurity tipsHashtags:#DigitalPrivacy #PhotoPrivacy #Metadata #CyberSafety #OnlineSafety #DataPrivacy #InternetSafety #TechTips #FamilyITGuy
• How Predators Went From Playgrounds to Your Kid’s Phone 11.04.2026 1時間 21分

  Mike Lemon investigates crimes against children for a living. He's done it for over 20 years. He trains 5,000 parents a year on what he's learned. He still built layered defenses for his own kids' devices, because he knows no child can handle a professional predator alone.We talked for almost 90 minutes. AI sextortion, how Snapchat was really designed, the evolution from physical predation to online operations, his family's actual phone contract, and a conversation framework I keep coming back to.0:00 Introduction 2:03 The man in the van 5:48 Computer forensics training 8:42 Physical abuse vs. online predation 11:41 The screams that stay with you 13:07 When predators face justice 20:03 Trust a predator to be a predator 23:09 From parks to phones 25:58 The "I'm Sorry" Scam 29:07 Sextortion at scale 35:24 Make your kids' accounts private 36:23 AI sextortion and Eli Hecock 40:07 The family contract 43:17 The whitelist approach 46:49 How Snapchat was really designed 56:16 Social media and suicide data 59:26 COPPA and enforcement 1:03:25 The one app for parents 1:09:59 Same side of the table 1:17:52 Every app is a new window 1:19:41 Advice for kidsDet. Mike Lemon | ICAC Detective, 20+ years | CyberSafeSchool.org https://www.cybersafeschool.org Family IT Guy: https://www.familyitguy.com iPhone Setup Guide: https://www.familyitguy.com/iphone-setup-guide
• Meta to pay $375 million for knowingly putting children in danger on Facebook and Instagram. 26.03.2026 3分

  A New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for knowingly putting children in danger on Facebook and Instagram. It's being called a historic win, but is it really a win for kids?In this video, I break down exactly what happened in court, what evidence the jury saw, and most importantly, what's coming next and why the proposed "solutions" may actually make things worse for your family.Chapters:0:00 — The $375M Meta Verdict0:45 — What Evidence the Jury Saw1:30 — 500,000 Cases a Day: Meta's Own Numbers2:15 — Who Actually Gets the Money3:00 — Why the Proposed "Solutions" Are a Problem4:15 — What Courts, Meta and Government Can't Fix5:00 — What YOU Can Do Right NowCourts won't fix this. Meta won't fix this. The government won't fix this.This is on us.Start here 👇📱 iPhone? Use Screen Time (free) (http://familyitguy.com/go/iphoneguide)📱 Android? Use Family Link (free) 📲 Want a phone built for families? Try the Bark Phone: https://www.familyitguy.com/go/barkwww.familyitguy.com
• Age Verification Laws Won’t Protect Your Kids Online (Here’s What Will) 13.03.2026 5分

  At least 20 states are pushing bills that claim to protect your kids online. I've read them. I testified against one in South Dakota.The problems they're trying to solve are real. The bills don't solve them.I'm Ben Gillenwater — dad, cybersecurity expert, 30 years in the field. In this video I break down exactly what these laws would actually do, why the last major child safety law passed in 1998 made things worse, and why the most powerful protection for your kid isn't in a state capitol. It's in your house.The two things that actually put your kid in danger online:→ Addictive algorithms engineered like slot machines→ Anonymous strangers who can reach your child through games, apps, and messagingOnline enticement reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children went from 186,000 in 2023 to over one million in 2025. Laws didn't stop that. And the ones being proposed won't either.Rules expire. Skills don't. That's what this channel is about.📱 Step-by-step iPhone safety guide: http://familyitguy.com/go/iphoneguide🔔 Subscribe for the full series📤 Send this to a parent who needs to hear it
• What to Do When Your Kid Is Melting Down Over Screens 06.03.2026 1時間 40分

  Dr. Carrie Mackensen is a clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience directing addiction and eating disorder treatment programs. She's raising two boys without iPads and is writing a book on parenting in the digital age.In Part 2 of our conversation, we dig into the places where parents actually get stuck: the meltdowns when you take devices away, how to tell if screens are the problem or just puberty, what device withdrawal really looks like (and how long it lasts by age), why Silicon Valley parents send their kids to screen-free schools, the alarming 40% drop in empathy among young people since 2000, and why saying no to screens might be the most loving thing you can do.This is a real conversation between two parents trying to figure this out. No judgment, no perfect answers — just honest experience from someone who's spent decades helping families navigate this.CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 1:27 Assessing Device Impact vs Normal Development 6:32 Conscious Transitions and Being Present 11:36 Are You More Affected Than You Think? 14:31 Co-Regulation: The Breathing Exercise Story 18:53 You Can't Solve a Math Problem While Drowning 24:43 Device Withdrawal: What to Expect 30:11 Screen Time Boundaries by Age 35:38 Schools Using Devices as Babysitters 42:08 Practical Steps for Reducing Screen Time 46:23 The Gamification of Education 49:28 The Good News: Your Brain Can Rewire 51:31 Communication Without Screens 56:45 Road Rage and Digital Dehumanization 1:03:25 Screens Are Erasing Empathy 1:09:36 Gratitude as a Digital Antidote 1:12:13 The Worst Crisis Humanity Has Faced? 1:15:40 Saying No is an Act of Love 1:22:28 Whitelist vs Blacklist: Device Restrictions 1:27:18 One Change Every Parent Should Make 1:39:43 Closing ThoughtsFind Dr. Carrie at www.successfulparent.comFree Resources at www.familyitguy.com
• Is Roblox Safe for Kids? Chris Hansen’s Investigation Explained 27.02.2026 51分

  Is Roblox safe for kids? In this interview, Chris Hansen shares findings from his investigation into predators, grooming tactics, and why thousands of families have reported harm on the platform.Chris Hansen, who has exposed online predators for over two decades, explains how grooming works on modern platforms, why Roblox has become a growing concern for families, and what parents can do right now to reduce risk.This conversation breaks down the real tactics predators use, how children are targeted, and the specific steps families can take to protect kids without removing technology entirely.What parents will learn in this episode: • How predators identify and groom children on gaming platforms • Warning signs your child may be communicating with strangers • Why popular safety assumptions about Roblox can be misleading • The connection between online grooming and real-world exploitation • Practical rules every family can implement today • Where parents should and should not allow devicesTimestamps0:00 Is Roblox safe for kids?1:25 Chris Hansen’s history investigating predators5:28 How online grooming works12:57 Why Hansen began investigating Roblox28:44 Why Roblox declined on-camera questions31:32 A Roblox grooming case explained40:09 Sextortion and modern threats41:23 What parents can do right now50:31 Upcoming documentary releaseCHRIS HANSEN'S DOCUMENTARY "Taking Down Roblox" drops February 27 on True Blue: https://www.watchtrublu.comABOUT FAMILY IT GUY Ben Gillenwater is a 30-year cybersecurity expert (including NSA) helping parents protect their families online.GET MY iPHONE SAFETY GUIDE: https://www.familyitguy.com/iphone-setup-guide.htmlSUBSCRIBE for weekly digital safety content for parents.
• ”Screens Are a Drug.” How to Get Your Family Back with Mike McLeod 18.02.2026 1時間 14分

  Mike McLeod is a speech-language pathologist and ADHD executive function specialist who has worked with over 500 families to eliminate screens since 2016. He hosts the ADHD Parenting Podcast and has two books that released in January 2026.In this conversation, we get into the hard stuff: why screen addiction looks identical to drug addiction, what the withdrawal period actually looks like when you take a phone away, what EdTech has done to education (and how to opt out of school Chromebooks), and why parents need to organize with other families instead of waiting for institutions to fix this.Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - Mike's background in ADHD and executive functioning 3:05 - ADHD is really an executive functioning disorder 5:05 - The four pillars of executive functioning 9:55 - How screens stop brain development 12:25 - The youth mental health crisis 14:59 - Suicide rates tripled after the iPhone launched 18:31 - Getting a real ADHD evaluation 20:14 - Screens stole boredom from childhood 26:14 - Why parents keep screens in their kids' lives 29:48 - Four cognitive distortions parents tell themselves 33:40 - What phone withdrawal actually looks like 47:12 - You can't teach a kid to manage an addiction 53:04 - 500 families eliminated screens, zero regrets 58:55 - EdTech is destroying education 63:34 - Life at 18 with vs. without executive function 69:17 - The one thing every parent should do right nowIf you're a parent dealing with screen battles at home, you're not alone. Mike has seen this hundreds of times and it does get better: https://www.grownowadhd.com/about/Check out his new book: https://www.grownowadhd.com/grownow-book/Family IT Guy helps parents block harmful content, limit screen time, and prevent contact from strangers. Guides: www.familyitguy.com Subscribe for more conversations with experts who work directly with families.
• Social Media on Trial: The Case Against Meta, YouTube, TikTok & Snapchat 14.02.2026 5分

  For the first time, social media executives are being forced to answer to a jury for the impact their platforms have had on children.This trial in Los Angeles (MDL 3047) brings together claims from more than 2,000 families who allege that platform features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and reward systems were intentionally designed to encourage compulsive use in kids and teens.Evidence presented in court includes:• Internal memos comparing Instagram to a drug• Research showing vulnerable teens were especially at risk• Warnings about beauty filters contributing to body dysmorphia• Testimony distinguishing “clinical addiction” from “problematic use”• Allegations linking platform contact to exploitation, drug access, and suicideAt the center of the case is a critical question:Are these technology companies — or advertising companies built on capturing attention?Follow Nicki Petrossi of Scrolling to Death for ongoing courtroom coverage and analysis.To track the proceedings, search: MDL 3047
• FBI Psychologist: Your Kid’s Phone Is More Dangerous Than a Gun 11.02.2026 52分

  Dr. Lisa Strohman spent 30 years studying what hurts kids—from profiling at FBI Quantico after Columbine to serving as an expert witness in New Mexico v. Meta. Her conclusion? The phone in your child's pocket is more dangerous than a gun on your kitchen table. At least the kid knows to be afraid of the gun.We get into the CDC data, what she saw inside Meta's own research, why 400 girls at one school deleted social media on Valentine's Day, and what happened when she gave her own son Snapchat and immediately regretted it.Timestamps:0:00 - Lisa's background: FBI, Columbine, 30 years in digital safety2:15 - 800,000 kids follow the Columbine ideology5:10 - CDC data: self-harm spikes after social media7:00 - False narratives from platforms9:30 - "A phone is more dangerous than a gun on the table"12:05 - Inside the case against Meta19:40 - 400 girls quit social media on Valentine's Day22:50 - "Tech is a tool, not a toy"27:00 - Warning signs for parents of girls33:37 - The expert's own parenting story39:40 - "I gave my son Snapchat"43:17 - One thing parents can do this week45:11 - Digital Citizen Academy49:45 - Final questionAbout Dr. Lisa Strohman:Clinical psychologist, attorney, and founder of Digital Citizen Academy (digitalcitizenacademy.org). Her free book "Digital Distress" is available at digitalcitizenacademy.org/digital-resources.Resources:Family IT Guy: https://www.familyitguy.comiPhone Setup Guide: http://familyitguy.com/go/iphoneguide
• AI Videos vs Deepfakes: How to Tell What’s Real Online (With Jeremy Carrasco) 03.02.2026 1時間 17分

  How do you protect your kids online when even adults can’t tell what’s real anymore?AI-generated videos, deepfakes, and synthetic audio are not just a tech issue. They are showing up inside the apps our kids use every day, mixed in with cartoons, music clips, and “safe” educational content. Most children, and plenty of adults, are being trained to trust whatever looks and sounds real.In this episode of the Family IT Guy Podcast, I sat down with Jeremy Carrasco@showtoolsai a media producer and AI analyst, to talk about what parents need to understand right now. How AI content is made, how algorithms push it, and how families can spot it before it causes harm.Jeremy is not guessing from the outside. He has spent years in professional video production, live streaming, and audio engineering. He knows what real human media looks like when it is made by actual people, and where AI still gives itself away.One of the biggest tells?👉 AI doesn’t breathe.AI videos can look believable, especially on a small phone screen. But once you know what to listen and look for, the cracks show up fast. Those cracks matter because kids do not have the life experience or media literacy to notice them on their own.In this conversation, we break things down in a way parents can actually use.First, AI videos versus deepfakes.They are often treated as the same thing, but they are not. Jeremy explains the difference, why deepfakes tend to be targeted, and why mass-produced AI videos are now flooding platforms at scale, often designed to hook kids with familiar characters, faces, or voices.Second, why audio matters more than visuals.Parents are taught to watch what their kids see, but listening is just as important. We talk about unnatural speech pacing, missing breaths, flat or mismatched emotion, and why the human voice is still one of the hardest things for AI to fake convincingly.Third, visual and behavioral red flags parents can learn.Subtle background warping, strange eye movement, awkward timing, and non-human rhythm. These are things media professionals spot quickly, but they can also be taught to parents who want to be more proactive instead of reactive.We also zoom out to the bigger issue parents are up against.Algorithms do not understand childhood, safety, or values. They understand engagement. A feed that starts with something harmless, Bluey, Miss Rachel, animal videos, or learning content, can shift quickly after one curious search or autoplay chain. That is how kids end up exposed to disturbing, violent, or sexualized AI-generated content that looks playful but is not.We talk about:- Why kids’ algorithms are some of the most profitable and dangerous systems online- How “safe” feeds slowly drift without parents realizing- Why YouTube Kids is safer than regular YouTube but still not a set-it-and-forget-it solution- The rise of AI-generated sexualized content involving children- Why sharing kids online can create exposure parents never intended- Safer ways to share family photos using privacy-first tools- Why adults have to act as stewards of their children’s digital privacy, even when the platforms will notThis episode is not about fear or banning technology. It is about giving parents clarity in a digital world that is changing faster than most families realize.If you are raising kids right now, or care about the internet they are growing up in, this conversation is worth your time.🎙️ Guest: Jeremy Carrasco — Media Producer & AI Analyst🎧 Podcast: Family IT Guy
• Why schools are ditching phones! 31.01.2026 2分