Brave Parenting

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 142: AI Robots for Kids Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

To no surprise, advancing AI technologies have lead to the production of AI toys for babies and toddlers in order to capture their dependence. In this episode, Kelly reviews some of the “top” AI Robots for Kids in order to help you evaluate their marketing propaganda and see through their lies. It will be easy to cave to their persuasive ploys so it is essential you listen and learn now – because these robots will be next big thing.

Articles referenced:

12 Best Smart Robots to Gift Your Kids
Would You Let Your Kids Play With AI Robots?
Kids Robot Moxie Get AI Upgrade and Tutoring Features
Transparent Robots: How Children Perceive and Relate to a Social Robot
Children-Robot Friendship, Moral Agency, and Aristotelian Virtue Development
Child Robot Interaction

Scripture referenced:

Genesis 2:15
1 John 4: 2-6

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 141: AI Therapy Chatbots Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

The Artificial Intelligence industry seems to be single-mindedly set on advancing the human-chatbot relationship. To no surprise, this has expanded into the mental health arena with new apps poised to meet the growing demand for providers. If research has shown that humans can develop relationships with chatbots – does this provide validity for therapy chatbots, or is it a grave concern? It’s imperative that parents have grounded convictions on this topic because it will likely become the norm of society.

In today’s episode, Kelly & Chelsea (a licensed ACBC Biblical Counselor) analyze the purpose, effective practices, and goals of counseling and compare those with what AI-powered therapy chatbots can offer. They review the horizon of therapy apps available, ranging from human teletherapy to mindfulness to chatbots trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, all in an effort to guide parents in the BEST option for their child or themselves.

Articles referenced:

Can AI Chatbots Ever Replace Human Therapists?
America Has Reached Peak Therapy: Why is Our Mental Health Getting Worse?
What Powers Woebot
Artificial Intelligence Could Help Solve America’s Impending Mental Health Crisis (2019)
AI Chatbots Could Help Provide Therapy But Caution is Needed
Chatbots for Mental Health Care Are Booming, But There’s Little Proof That They Help
Therapy by Chatbot? The Promise and Challenges in Using AI for Mental Health
Apps With Maps: Anxiety and Depression Mobile Apps With Evidence-Based Frameworks
Youth Suicide Rates Rose 62% between 2007 and 2021
Evidence of Human-Level Established With Digital Conversational Agent: Cross-Sectional, Retrospective Observational Study
Five AI Chatbot Mobile Apps That Aim to Put a Therapist in Your Pocket

Podcasts referenced:

Episode 108: APA Recommendation for Adolescent Social Media Use
Episode 105: The Content Driven Life
Episode 94: The Heart and Online Influence

Scripture referenced:

2 Timothy 3:16
Galatians 6:1-3
Galatians 5:13
James 5:16
1 Thessalonians 5:11

HOW TO FIND A BIBLICAL COUNSELOR

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 140: AI Chatbots & Relationships Part 2 Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

In today’s PART 2, examining AI chatbots and the relationships that people can develop with them, we dive into the deep waters of AI companion (or AI girlfriend/boyfriend) apps like Replika. As parents and Christians, there is much to be warned about and be discerning with regarding apps like these. And don’t worry, we did all the research needed for you! Kelly talks about her experience on Replika for one week and her AI ‘friendship,’ so you don’t have to test this one out to see if it is safe.

Check out our Brave Parenting Guide to Replika as well!

And Part 1 of this conversation if you haven’t listened.

Articles referenced:

The Man of Your Dreams
Everyday AI Chatbots are Changing How We Live and Work Today
Common Sense Media poll on AI
Parental Advisory: This Chatbot May Talk to Your Child About Sex and Alcohol
You Need to Talk to Your Kids About AI: Here Are Six Things You Should Say
When it Comes to AI, Let’s Move Fast and Fix Things
How AI Can Lead to Verbal Abuse and Unhealthy Attachments
AI Is Now Accessible to Everyone: 3 Things Parents Should Teach Their Kids
How Does AI Affect Kids? Psychologists Weigh In
The New Bing Told Our Reporter it ‘can feel or think things’
Kids Are Using ChatGPT to Socialize – and Parents Are Worried
Snapchat Tried to Make a Safe AI: It Chat With Me About Booze and Sex
AI-Human Relationships Are Flourishing-And This is Just the Beginning
AI Girlfriends Are Here-But There is a Dark Side to Virtual Companions

Books referenced:

The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James

Scripture referenced:

Ezekiel 36:26
Hebrews 8:10
Matthew 9: 37-38
2 Timothy 4

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 139: AI Chatbots & Relationships Part I Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

In today’s episode, we begin the discussion of AI chatbots and the relationships people can have with them. The conversational “chat” nature of informational generative AI like ChatGPT and Copilot or relational generative AI such as Replika can deceive just about anyone with their human-like qualities. In Part I, we look at informational chatbots and consider the particular ways they feel human and consider their safety in the hands of kids (and adults).

Articles referenced:

Everyday AI Chatbots are Changing How We Live and Work Today
Common Sense Media poll on AI
Parental Advisory: This Chatbot May Talk to Your Child About Sex and Alcohol
You Need to Talk to Your Kids About AI: Here Are Six Things You Should Say
When it Comes to AI, Let’s Move Fast and Fix Things
How AI Can Lead to Verbal Abuse and Unhealthy Attachments
AI Is Now Accessible to Everyone: 3 Things Parents Should Teach Their Kids
How Does AI Affect Kids? Psychologists Weigh In
The New Bing Told Our Reporter it ‘can feel or think things’
Kids Are Using ChatGPT to Socialize – and Parents Are Worried
Snapchat Tried to Make a Safe AI: It Chat With Me About Booze and Sex
1 in 10 Teens Already Use ChatGPT For School – Here’s How to Guide Them

Scripture referenced:

Psalm 89:10
Numbers 6:25
James 4:14
Hebrews 11:3
1 Peter 4:8
Genesis 2:8

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 138: ChatGPT & Education Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

After ChatGPT’s release in November 2022, the educational world went from a panicked ban of the chatbot to now embracing it as an educational tool. In this episode, we examine what aspects of ChatGPT can actually be used to enhance learning and what aspects weaponized it against learning. We look at how parents can approach this widely popular app with middle school and high school students, as well as how to think biblically about it as a family.

Articles referenced:

ChatGPT is Going to Change Education (Not Destroy it)
Despite Cheating Fears, Schools Repeal ChatGPT Bans
How ChatGPT and Similar Will Disrupt Education
How to Use ChatGPT as a Learning Tool
1 in 10 Teens Already Use ChatGPT for School; Here’s How to Guide Them
10 Unbelievable Ways ChatGPT Shook Up the World in 2023
Chatbots Sometimes Make Things Up
Chatbots May Hallucinate More Often Than Many Realize
Unexplainable Answers of ChatGPT (according to Open AI)

Scripture referenced:

Galatians 6:7-8
Ephesians 4:28
1 Timothy 5
2 Thessalonians 3

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 137: Understanding AI Lingo Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

Today, we begin our series unpacking AI (Artificial Intelligence) by defining many of the terms, acronyms and general jargon surrounding all things AI. What is Artificial General Intelligence? What is the big deal about quantum computing? What does GPT stand for? Kelly and her husband, Ryan walk through the basic terms that will help serve as a foundation for the series of podcasts forthcoming to help parents navigate the nuances of AI through a biblical worldview and while raising and discipling kids.

Also, check out Ep. 131: “Ethical” AI Porn

Helpful articles for further reading:
The A to Z of Artificial Intelligence
What Does it Mean to be Human?

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 136: Sports Betting Apps Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

Sports betting has been a long-standing practice, but now that it is legal in 37 states and apps have made it easier than ever to place a bet on your favorite team, it has woven itself into teen culture. In this episode, Kelly discusses the whole scope of the sports betting issue, the apps, the ads, and addiction. And a point that cannot be overlooked – how video games set teens up for problematic gambling.

Also, check out our Brave Parenting Guide to Sports Betting Apps

Articles referenced:

History of Sports Bettting
These are the Real Dangers of the Sports Betting Boom for Young Men
As Legal Gambling Surges, Some States Want to Teach Teens About the Risks
How To Protect Kids From Online Gambling Addiction
Teens are Developing ‘Severe Gambling Problems’ as Online Betting Surges
It’s Like an Addiction – American Teenagers Fall Victim to Online Sports Betting Apps

NCAA Sports Betting Activity Survey April 2023

Scripture Referenced:

Matthew 6:24
Matthew 18:6
Proverbs 22:6
Joshua 1:9

____________________________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life!
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 135: Evolution of Shopping & Apps Temu and Shein Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

Shopping has not only moved from malls to the internet, it has also evolved from being a pattern of socialization to a game-show-style transaction. As Brave Parenting continues to evaluate the ways media and technology have changed how people live, communicate, and relate, today’s look at shopping and the massively popular app Temu provides excellent context. Be sure to check out our Brave Parenting Guide to Temu at braveparenting.net for more information.

Articles referenced:

Why the Death of Malls is About More Than Shopping
One of China’s most popular apps has the ability to spy on its users, say experts
How China took over the world’s online shopping carts
Addictive, absurdly cheap and controversial: the rise of China’s Temu app
TEMU AND SHEIN: A DEEP DIVE INTO THEIR DIFFERENCES

________

Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life! Consider giving a year’s subscription as a gift for Christmas – it’s the best investment you can make in someone’s life.
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 134: Proposed Solutions to the Loneliness Epidemic Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

We are living in a global loneliness epidemic. Headlines saturate media news surrounding the growing problem – we collected at least ten published within twenty-four hours. In today’s episode, we highlight some of the first solutions offered by the new global initiative to combat loneliness by the World Health Organization, co-led by the U.S. Surgeon General. Like always, we look at them through a biblical worldview and the lens of Scripture. Naturally, we provide a few Brave Parenting solutions that are both pragmatic and biblical.

Articles referenced:

‘Everybody has experienced loneliness’: US Surgeon General talks mental health with ASU students
Sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer appointed New York state’s first loneliness ambassador
WHO makes loneliness a global health priority with new Commission on Social Connection
Chris Murphy Wants to Make America a Little Less Lonely
‘You live in your own bubble’: Swedish city takes on loneliness with a simple hi
Feeling Lonely? Your Brain May Process the World Differently

U.S Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community

Scripture referenced:

James 1:27
Genesis 2
Ephesians 2:1
Galatians 5:19-21
Hebrews 10:25
Romans 12:10
Hebrews 10:24
John 14:6

______________________

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

Ep. 133: Constant Companion – A Review of Common Sense Media’s Report Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Common Sense Media published research about a week in the life of a young person’s smartphone use, and they named it “Constant Companion.” In today’s episode, Kelly and Chelsea review the key findings in the study as well as unpack the implications of a smartphone as a “constant companion” in the lives of young people today. As always, we look at these findings through the lens of Scripture and provide suggested solutions.

Articles referenced:

2023 Constant Companion Report

Scripture referenced:

Gen 2:18-22
1 Peter 2:9-11
Galatians 5:19-22
Mark 8:36-37

Get your Aro box to help motivate more 0ff-screen time in your life! Consider giving a year’s subscription as a gift for Christmas – it’s the best investment you can make in someone’s life.
Use PROMO CODE: BRAVE to receive your first month free!

Check out the Pinwheel phone – it’s our favorite not-as-smart kid-safe smartphone on the market.

Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s new without social media – a win for everyone!

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