#241 - Chris McKenna - Why Giving Your Child a Smartphone Is More Dangerous Than You Think

Chris McKenna is the founder of Protect Young Eyes, a leading digital safety organisation helping parents, coaches, and caregivers navigate technology with wisdom and intention.Why is handing a child a smartphone the same as handing them every harmful thing all at once? Why are parents struggling to say no even when they know the risks? And what do coaches, teachers, and communities actually have to do with protecting kids in the digital age?Expect to learn why Australia's social media ban matters far beyond Australia, how Silicon Valley's goals are fundamentally different from yours as a parent, why Chris compares handing kids a Chromebook to a history book stuffed with pornography, the six layers of society responsible for protecting children from addictive technology, what the "seven day rule" is and why every parent should be using it, why banning all technology misses the point and what "right tech at the right time" actually looks like, the dangerous difference between slow and fast dopamine and why sport is one of the most powerful antidotes to screen addiction, how coaches and teachers can be more influential than parents when it comes to changing kids' habits, the personal story that drives everything Chris does, and much more.00:00 Australia's Social Media Ban — What It Really Means03:20 The Berlin Wall Analogy & Why Change Happens Fast07:30 The Six Layers of Protection for Children10:45 Why Technology Is a "Wicked Problem"13:00 The History Book Analogy — Good and Bad All at Once15:45 The Biggest Mistakes Parents Make With Devices17:00 The Seven Day Rule for New Apps22:00 Collective Action — Why Parents Need Each Other27:45 The Smartphone Free Childhood Movement30:30 Right Tech at the Right Time33:00 When Should Kids Get Social Media?36:00 Chromebooks in Schools — Did We Go Too Far?40:30 Physical Education as the Most Important Subject43:30 Slow Dopamine vs Fast Dopamine46:00 How Coaches Can Reclaim Kids' Attention51:30 Chris's Personal Story53:30 What Needs to Change — And Reasons for Hope56:00 Where to Find Chris's Work

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