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The PYE Download: March 25, 2025
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Hello! Every few weeks, we share the latest digital news that impacts your family, update you on what the Protect Young Eyes team is up to, and end with a quick note from Chris.
We hope our research helps you feel informed and confident, and that our work with schools, churches, and non-profits is motivating.
The latest news:
- ADOLESCENCE is a must-watch miniseries. A gripping look into digital childhood. I shared some thoughts here.​
- Canada wants to shut off US access to Pornhub, in retaliation for recent remarks from President Trump. Sounds good to us.
- Character.ai has bots of the boy who died by suicide. Sewell tragically died while interacting with Character.ai. Now chatbots have been created of him. It should be shut down.
- Great job, Pymble Ladies College! A boarding school in Australia had all girls swap their smartphones for Wisephones. This is collective action! Similarly, an entire UK borough is trying to remove smartphones!
- Boring is the key to decreasing adult screen time. According to the NY Times, make your phone boring! (gray, no notifications, and de-populate the home screen).
- Snapchat's half-swipe is tough on teen girls. The feature was intended to allow people to see messages without responding. But girls feel anxious if people "active" on Snap don't reply immediately.
- TikTok livestreams in Africa include CSAM. The app profits from live streams performed by underage girls where moderation is lacking. We ask, if illegal activity can’t be stopped, should the app even exist?
- Meta is trying to silence a whistleblower. Former executive Sarah Wynn-Williams published an explosive book titled "Careless People." Meta immediately issued a gag order.
- THORN report on deepfakes shows deep harm. Key findings: (1) Young people believe deepfakes are abuse. (2) Among the young people who admit to creating deepfake nudes, they say it’s too easy.
What PYE is up to:
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Time With Teachers
On March 21, I spent a half day with 200 teachers from the CA, NV, and Hawaii District of the Lutheran Church. We discussed The Anxious Generation through a Biblical worldview, the latest research, how to partner with parents, and how to create a Tech-Ready School (learn more here). I LOVE supporting teachers!
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App Store Accountability passed in Utah! I’m on a Coalition working to pass this breakthrough legislation in over 10 states. It treats App Stores as the "gate" between children and developers. Leveraging existing smartphone features, they can age-verify and obtain parental consent. Apple and Google are ferociously opposing this legislation with an army of lobbyists who deflect, deny, and distort the truth. You can support our impactful policy work here.
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Digital Discernment: The 5 Habits Course
Decrease digital stress in your home. Increase digital courage with your children. Unlock your Digital Parenting Superpowers! We're launching a new course in April. Would you like to experience it?
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Where we speak over the next month:
(PYE Master Calendar)
- Mar. 25, Lowndes County Schools (GA)
- Mar. 25-26, St. Jerome School (WI)
- Mar. 27, Heritage Christian High School (IN)
- Mar. 30, Cartersville First Baptist Church (GA)
- Apr. 3, School District 5 of Lexington & Richard Counties (Columbia, SC)
- Apr. 5, Watermark Church Parenting Conference (TX)
- April 7-8, USD 495 (KS)
- April 8, McPherson Moms (KS)
- April 7, Boston Church of Christ (MA, webinar)
- April 9, Trinity Lutheran (MI)
- April 9-10, Eastmont School (OR)
- April 14, Hope Unexpected (MI)
- April 14, Mom Nation (CO)
- April 22-23, Petoskey Public Schools (MI)
- April 22, Bethlehem Lutheran (MI)
- April 23, St. Matthew Lutheran (MI)
- April 23-24, Sacred Heart of Jesus (CO)
- April 26, Idaho PTA Parent Conference (ID)
- ​Email Michele to bring us to your community!
A note from Chris:
"He was in his room, wasn't he? We thought he was safe, didn't we? Didn't we think he was safe? You know, what harm can he do in there?"
These haunting words from the father in the hit Netflix miniseries ADOLESCENCE form a deception that blinds many parents. They represent the massive trade-off from play-based to screen-based, from IRL to DMs, from "with us" to alone, and from human connection to always connected.
The show doesn't solve the complex issues it explores. It doesn't give you a clean list of parental control or parenting tactics. And I think that's what drew me in. I'm still simmering in bigger issues related to generational chains, anger, masculinity, apathy, and our massive role as caregivers.
As a father to three teen sons and an adult daughter, I was left highly motivated to press into their lives and continue trying to be the father they need. I hope the same is true for you.
Parenting with you,
​Chris & PYE​
#delayistheway
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