We help families, schools, and churches create safer digital spaces. Live talks: kids K-12, staff, and parents. Curriculum, app & device guides. Become a PYE member! #delayistheway
I thought I’d be a CFO someday. But life sometimes turns on individual moments! Like the 2014 moment, when I volunteered to teach parents about online porn at our church.
See, I had battled porn for years on my own. A childhood curiosity sparked by a stack of magazines was ignited by the “always accessible” internet of the 1990’s, and fanned by more portable tech in the early 2000’s.
I finally found freedom after an overpowering experience with the Holy Spirit during an evening run, which led to complete confession and brutal transparency (thank you, Covenant Eyes).
Fast forward to 2014.
I watched us put that same beast—the internet—in our children’s pockets. I watched kids start to carry the same snake that bit me, and not enough parents seemed nervous about this. I wasn’t just concerned about kids having access to porn. We were giving them access to the world. And there was just no freaking way the thirteen-year-old version of me could have handled 100 million choices to anything in my pocket. Could you?
I started saying crazy things to parents at my church, like “Don’t give kids smartphones or social media until at least age fifteen.” Some parents didn’t understand what the fuss was about. Snapchat and Instagram were just pictures, right? Musical.ly (TikTok’s predecessor) was just fun videos, right?
But others flooded me with their stories about social media, gaming, and more.
During one talk at a medium-sized church, I shared very openly about my personal struggles with a room of parents. When I finished, they rushed to the stage to share their own anecdotes and expressed a liberating feeling that someone was finally talking about these new digital issues, something they hadn’t experienced before.
I knew we were onto something. Protect Young Eyes was born!
My early career in risk consulting taught me to see problems, find solutions, and chart a path forward. It was time to apply these skills to a new set of problems. Time to turn my misery into a mission.
Build a five-habit framework that will move you from scared and overwhelmed to prepared and confident.
Understand the key developmental stages of your child’s brain and how addictive technologies are designed to exploit them.
Talk to your kids about difficult topics like pornography, sextortion, and AI companions in an age-appropriate way with practical, step-by-step guidance.
Implement a layered approach to harm prevention, and create a safer digital environment in your home.
Let’s raise wise kids in a wild digital world. Together!
I’m indebted to the countless families who have shared their digital joys and pains with me. It was often in the aftermath of your tragedy that I received a desperate email or direct message. Many didn’t know you were the subjects of an exploitative experiment. Now we know. And I pray that your difficult experiences are transformed into strength for those who read these chapters.
We help families, schools, and churches create safer digital spaces. Live talks: kids K-12, staff, and parents. Curriculum, app & device guides. Become a PYE member! #delayistheway
The PYE Download: February 23, 2026 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. Thank you for reading this! The latest news: Over a dozen countries consider social media age limits (WSJ). Australia took a chance in December, and...
The PYE Download: November 25, 2025 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. Thank you for reading this! The latest news: Roblox will now require AI face scanning to estimate age (NY Times). We want kids to have a safer...
Resources recommended by our community. #delayistheway iPads hurt curious kids Reminder: iPads are big iPhones! They have browsers, FaceTime, texting, social media, Roblox, YouTube, and more. The only app I trust on iPads and iPhones to help curious kids ask their curious questions is ANGELQ. Read More about ANGEL Another amazing parent talk in Chicago was about to begin! We always arrive an hour early to ensure the tech works as expected. I love the quiet moments before parents arrive when I...