The PYE Download: July 12, 2024

Hello! Every three weeks or so, we share the latest digital news that impacts your family, update you on what the Protect Young Eyes team is up to, and end with a quick note from Chris.

We hope our research helps you feel informed and confident, and that our work with schools, churches, and non-profits is motivating.

The latest news:

• Hackers are trying to steal Apple IDs - beware of a wave of "smishing" (phishing attacks through SMS text) with fake iCloud links asking you to click. For long-time iPhone users, Apple IDs control tons of information. Inform your kids, too!
• All Virginia (USA) public schools are going "phone-free!" Executive Order 33 requires the Dept. of Ed to work with stakeholders in the fall to implement policies by Jan. 1, 2025.
• Apple's parental controls are still broken. I continue to receive multiple messages weekly about Screen Time turning off without reason. It's not your kid - it's the software (Our FB and IG posts show the depth of the issue).
• Supreme Court (USA) to decide the fate of age verification - In a possible landmark case, the Court will hear the Texas Age Verification case this fall and determine the fate of >20 state-level laws.
• The clock is ticking on better porn protection in Australia - Social media companies have six months to draft enforceable codes to protect young kids from porn or be heavily fined. Bravo. Chris spoke to Today in Sydney in support of these codes.
• Google has a non-consensual porn problem - Years later, victims of the Girls Do Porn traffickers are finding their videos in Google search results, which won't remove them fast enough. It's a valuable lesson about internet permanence for our kids.
• No smartphones for future British royalty - Eton, an elite, private boarding school attended by Princes Harry and Edward, George Orwell, and other British leaders, will require kids to swap smartphones for a Nokia talk/text-only device upon arrival.
• Teachers brutally victimized by students on TikTok - In a truly terrifying case, middle schoolers impersonated teachers in lewd, homophobic, and racist TikTok videos. My controversial take: require parents to consent to all social media app downloads and hold them criminally liable for these situations.
• Do you have a family code word? Can your family identify fake content? AI can do almost anything. What if your son calls, claiming he has been kidnapped? Every family needs a code word (our FB and IG posts summarize helpful tips from the WSJ article).

What PYE is up to:

Interviewed by Exodus Cry. In a deeply personal conversation with author and film producer Benji Nolot, Chris spoke hope to parents and adults stuck in the pit of porn addiction.

Speaking at the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation! Chris is heading to DC in August for three speaking sessions about policy approaches to deter and prevent online harm to our children. This NCOSE event is happening in person for the first time since 2019, and we're thrilled.

We've created a Boot Camp! You're invited to tame technology in your home with The Tech Stress Transformation! Our first-ever, 4-week boot camp where you’ll find calm, confidence, and tech savviness. Here's a bit of what you can expect:

What makes this boot camp different is accountability. It’s a cohort of like-minded parents, who will learn practical solutions together, with live teaching, expert guests, regular reminders, quizzes, and prizes for completing work! Experience a 30-day transformation. Guaranteed.

Just 4 weeks, starting July 29, to minimize summer disruption. Serious interest only, please!

No commitment - but send me more info.

Revving our engines!

Our live talks ramp back up in August! I see work in our 2024-2025 calendar from Switzerland to Mexico City to Alaska. And Michele is ready for more!​

We have a robust process for working with schools and churches to determine their digital wellness needs. We would love to work with you!

A note from Chris:

"What can men do against such reckless hate?" King Théoden, LOTR

I recently had an exchange with a philosopher on one of Jon Haidt's Substack (blog) posts about the need for laws to reign in technology.

We were on opposite sides of the debate. I advocated for some, surgical policies. For him: "I don't think adding another page to the 81,405 pages of the Federal Register is going to make any difference."

It was a good, calm, thought-sharpening discussion with a smart guy. And I do want what he is advocating for.

I desperately want to live in a society where personal liberty/laissez-faire ("just leave people and markets alone") thinking + intentional parenting are enough to mitigate the risk of egregious harm to my children.

But I don't think that world exists right now.

In my experience - both as a father to four and from thousands of conversations with parents globally, there's no amount of intentional parenting in the digital age brings the risk of egregious harm down to an acceptable level.

Because the egregious harm hides in their pocket. The egregious harm is on the same device where they learn language arts. The egregious harm is on what their Dad uses for work with a VPN. It's portable. It's ubiquitous. It's the worst of the worst.

I desperately want a world where all layers - parents, companies, schools, and governments (in that order) - adequately steward their duty of care toward children. And I 100% agree that more parents need to say "no."

But when too many parents, not enough schools, and few companies are doing their part, I'd like a few, surgical policies to fill the void. Just a few. And make it hurt. Because unless it hurts when companies harm children, they won't change their habits.

My favorite Bonhoeffer quote, loosely used by many people right now, captures my thoughts: "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."

Parenting with you,
​Chris & PYE​
#delayistheway

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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