Navigating Tech & Pornography Issues (w/ Trent Taylor) Ep. 297

In this episode of The Forgotten Podcast, Jami Kaeb sits down with trauma consultant Trent Taylor from Watch Me Rise to tackle a critical and pervasive issue facing youth today: navigating tech and pornography. Rejoining the show after previously sharing his redemptive foster care story on Episode 132, Trent brings his expertise as a TBRI practitioner, life coach, and mental health coach to examine why children—especially those who have experienced early childhood trauma—are uniquely vulnerable to digital addictions and maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Trent shares his own powerful, personal journey, including early exposure to pornography beginning at age two as part of a grooming process, and explains the neurochemical impact of tech-driven dopamine floods on the brain. He breaks down why trauma survivors with underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes and insecure attachments often seek out pornography for a false sense of control, an instant escape from pain, or a substitute for genuine connection. Through the story of his own adoptive parents' calm, non-judgmental response when his struggle was discovered, Trent illustrates how separating behavior from a child's identity can dismantle shame, rebuild trust, and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.

The conversation offers actionable strategies for parents looking to protect their homes without resorting to shame-based or punitive measures. Trent emphasizes that while tech guardrails, filters, and house rules—like charging phones in common areas—are necessary safety nets, lasting freedom requires heart-level healing, building self-worth, and fostering strong attachments. He encourages caregivers to keep conversations open, model healthy digital boundaries themselves, and lead with humility, reminding families that healing is a messy, collaborative journey rooted in God's grace.

About the Guest

Trent Taylor serves as a trauma consultant, TBRI practitioner, life coach, board-certified master mental health coach, mentor, educational therapist, and parent trainer with Watch Me Rise, a North Carolina ministry focused on educating and supporting families on the impact of trauma. Having walked through early childhood trauma, foster care, adoption, and early pornography exposure, Trent now uses his personal journey and professional expertise to guide youth and families toward freedom, heart-level healing, and healthy digital boundaries.

In This Episode

The neurochemical mechanisms behind pornography addiction