What's the right age for a smartphone? It's a question all parents will wrestle with while raising children with eternity in mind. We're already seeing a decline in joy and resilience among children and teens, and research shows that this generation is facing a social and emotional crisis with direct links to the online world. My guest this week, Krista Boan, says "We're swimming upstream against a cultural tsumani," in regard to parenting in the digital age. How do we fight the wave of technology's negative side effects while enjoying and appreciating its benefits? Krista offers an important follow up to last week's episode by Drew Dyck and encourages parents to be proactive about expectations and rhythms regarding phones and screens at home. Her organization, START, is a non-profit that offers parents all sorts of tools, resources, and tips that will help equip parents to navigate our current digital culture. I especially loved Krista's words about showering our children with scriptural truth and grounding them in their identities as they enter the online world.
Krista is the co-founder of Start: Stand Together and Rethink Technology, where her team endeavors to help families pursue digital health so that kids grow up captivated by life, not screens. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and four children.
Resources:
Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids
Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds