Ep. 407: What Every Parent Must Know about Kids and Technology with Chris McKenna

In this powerful episode of Let’s Parent on Purpose, host Jay Holland sits down with Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes and author of The Five Habits of a Tech-Ready Family, for an honest and hope-filled conversation about parenting kids in the digital age. Chris shares how smartphones, social media, pornography exposure, gaming, and AI have created an “experiment” that today’s parents never signed up for. Together, Jay and Chris unpack the emotional and spiritual challenges Christian families face as children navigate addictive technology, online temptation, and constant digital influence. This episode offers biblical wisdom, practical parenting strategies, and encouragement for moms and dads who want to raise disciples of Jesus in a screen-saturated world without leading from fear or shame.

Throughout the conversation, Chris explains why Christian parents must move from panic to intentionality by building trust, pursuing authentic connection, and responding with grace first when children fail online. He introduces the five habits of a tech-ready family, including modeling healthy technology use, delaying addictive apps and social media, encouraging real-world play and responsibility, and creating layers of digital protection in the home. Parents will be challenged to think differently about smartphones, social media algorithms, and the emotional realities their children face every day. If you are looking for practical Christian parenting advice on technology, digital safety, online purity, discipleship, and protecting your children’s hearts in the age of AI and social media, this episode is an essential listen.

Key Takeaways

Kids today are carrying emotional and spiritual burdens online that previous generations never experiencedTechnology companies are intentionally competing for your child’s attention, affection, and habitsGrace-first parenting creates safety for children to confess struggles and mistakesParents should practice calm responses before digital crises happenDelaying addictive technology is not anti-tech parenting, but wisdom-based parentingReal-world play, chores, movement, and face-to-face connection help build resilient kidsHealthy digital boundaries require ongoing conversations, not just parental controlsParents do not need to panic, but they do need a planBuilding digital trust happens “step by step and chat by chat”Protecting children online starts with intentional discipleship at home

Bio:

Chris McKenna is the Founder o