A warm welcome to my new subscribers
Issue #46
One of the most rewarding parts of my work is building a community of like-minded parents and caregivers. I get to connect every day with people who care about the way technology impacts our lives—and the lives of our children. I’m lucky to say that there are a few new subscribers here, and I wanted to take a moment to properly introduce myself and share a bit of my story.
How it all started
I haven't always been in the tech world, and in fact, I arrived in the industry via my background in corporate finance. But back in November of 2017, I was working as the CEO of a Vancouver-based tech company called Grideo that created a tool for private video sharing. Our product was designed for and marketed to businesses, but an interesting thing happened when I brought my work home: we shared the app with my young daughter, and together, we used it to connect with our extended family. One evening, I watched her light up as she exchanged videos with her grandparents and had something of an epiphany: recognizing the massive potential for a product that connected families, I stayed up all night writing a business plan. The next day, I started researching the market in earnest, and couldn’t find any messengers out there that catered to me and my family in the same way.
Cutting through the tech noise
In the course of researching kid-tech, I didn’t just learn about the apps and products out there. I also learned that a lot of other parents had questions and concerns about how to introduce technology to their kids. We’re inundated with headlines: some say that technology is worse for our kids than heroin, and others say that screen time is as harmless as a potato. And every new guideline seems to leave us with more questions than answers. How much screen time is safe? When are kids old enough to go online? Will technology turn my kid into a zombie? I know firsthand that it can be a daunting task to sit down and read all the research, especially as a busy parent. But I also believe that technology can absolutely be a force for good in our kids’ lives. In all of this, I realized that Kinzoo could be more than just a messaging app. It could be a better proposition for tech—and a more trusted way to introduce it to our children.
Digital parenting advice for the real world
I always used to say, "technology isn't coming, it's here." And boy, does that ring true now! We're all using tech in new ways to check in on loved ones, work and learn remotely—and entertain ourselves. But, parents still probably have questions about how to integrate it into their family's lives. In the course of researching, I realized that what parents need is a voice of reason. We need some level-headed advice, not click-bait headlines, and that was a big reason that I decided to write my book, Screen Captured. I published this resource to share all the things I had learned, and hopefully help others navigate technology with more ease.
My hope is that Screen Captured can be a tool to help parents cut through the noise and gain the confidence to tell good tech from bad. All the research that I did really helped to simplify the role of technology in my household, and has made it a much less contentious subject with my kids. I think the book can do the same for other parents, and I'm really excited about that.
I’ve also had the pleasure of connecting with so many amazing people who share in the vision for healthier, better tech for kids. I want other parents to know that there are lots of experts, lawmakers and business out there that care about our children’s wellbeing. Because of that, I'm more confident than ever that tech will be a positive force for my kids. But, I know not every parent eats, sleeps and breathes tech like I do. So, I’m glad to be able to share a bit of my insight with you here. And, if you have any burning tech questions, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to cover the digital parenting topics that are most relevant to our community.
A deeper dive
Here are a few helpful resources in case you want to really dig into today's topic:
Screen Captured is available as paperback, Kindle edition and audiobook. Before its release, I shared an advanced copy of the audiobook with a friend and fellow parent. She shared that she listened to it one chapter at a time with her kids on their drive to school. It prompted her son to share stories about how he and his friends use tech and inspired her daughter to experiment with phone-free time during the day. She noted that sharing the book with her kids (as opposed to reading it and relaying the information), opened up a collaborative conversation in her family around tech use!
And if you’re interested in seeing some more of my opinions out in the wild, check out this piece I wrote for Tech Crunch about Meta’s plans for Instagram Kids. (Spoiler alert: I think it’s a terrible idea.)
TL;DR
Too long; didn't read. It shouldn't be a full-time job to keep up on industry news, so here is a mercifully quick summary of some other notable developments:
Common Sense Media is back with a new report detailing trends in kids’ and teens’ media use. The results are not shocking to anyone who has children: screen time increased by about 17% over the last two years, thanks in large part to the pandemic. Check out more insights from the report here.
One topic that lots of parents have questions about? Video games. Are they safe for kids? Are they addictive? I saw Washington Post parenting columnist Meghan Leahey respond to a parent who was wondering what to do with an ADHD-diagnosed child who couldn’t seem to stop gaming and I thought her advice was spot-on. Here’s my favorite takeaway: “The best way to get your son on your side is to value what he values. It is clear that the games aren’t going away, so do your best to enter his world. Get curious about the games, see whether you can play with him and ask him to teach you about their intricacies... We befriend the video games, because we want to help him live with a sort of balance.”
And lastly
Here are a few more pieces of original writing from me—just in case you're keen for more:
In case you’re new here, I wanted to share a few of my past newsletters that might be useful. One of the biggest digital concerns for parents is stranger danger—and indeed, many of the apps designed for adults can expose our children to unwanted contact. Here’s what parents should know about the dangers kids face on open platforms.
One of the experiences that inspired me to start building healthier tech for children was watching my young daughter play with the app Popjam. It convinced me that social validation has no place in tech platforms for kids—and you can read all about it here.
Okay, that's it from me until next time. If you enjoyed this newsletter, and know of another parent who would as well, please feel free to forward it along.