I thought I’d be a CFO someday. But life sometimes turns on individual moments! Like the 2014 moment, when I volunteered to teach parents about online porn at our church.

‍

See, I had battled porn for years on my own. A childhood curiosity sparked by a stack of magazines was ignited by the “always accessible” internet of the 1990’s, and fanned by more portable tech in the early 2000’s.

‍

It ruled me. Trust me—I desperately wanted to stop, but I couldn’t. Unlike almost everything else I had set out to do in life, I discovered that my strength was not enough to overcome it.

‍

I finally found freedom after an overpowering experience with the Holy Spirit during an evening run, which led to complete confession and brutal transparency (thank you, Covenant Eyes).

‍

Fast forward to 2014.

‍

I watched us put that same beast—the internet—in our children’s pockets. I watched kids start to carry the same snake that bit me, and not enough parents seemed nervous about this. I wasn’t just concerned about kids having access to porn. We were giving them access to the world. And there was just no freaking way the thirteen-year-old version of me could have handled 100 million choices to anything in my pocket. Could you?

‍

I started saying crazy things to parents at my church, like “Don’t give kids smartphones or social media until at least age fifteen.” Some parents didn’t understand what the fuss was about. Snapchat and Instagram were just pictures, right? Musical.ly (TikTok’s predecessor) was just fun videos, right?

‍

But others flooded me with their stories about social media, gaming, and more. During one talk at a medium-sized church, I shared very openly about my personal struggles with a room of parents. When I finished, they rushed to the stage to share their own anecdotes and expressed a liberating feeling that someone was finally talking about these new digital issues, something they hadn’t experienced before.

‍

I knew we were onto something. Protect Young Eyes was born!

‍

My early career in risk consulting taught me to see problems, find solutions, and chart a path forward. It was time to apply these skills to a new set of problems. Time to turn my misery into a mission.

‍

The Five Habits of the Tech-Ready Family isn’t going to teach you how to bubblewrap your kids from the digital world and live off the grid.

‍

Instead, I invite you to:

• Build a five-habit framework that will move you from scared and overwhelmed to prepared and confident.
• Understand the key developmental stages of your child’s brain and how addictive technologies are designed to exploit them.
• Talk to your kids about difficult topics like pornography, sextortion, and AI companions in an age-appropriate way with practical, step-by-step guidance.
• Implement a layered approach to harm prevention, and create a safer digital environment in your home.

‍

Let’s raise wise kids in a wild digital world. Together!

‍

I’m indebted to the countless families who have shared their digital joys and pains with me. It was often in the aftermath of your tragedy that I received a desperate email or direct message. Many of you didn’t know you were the subjects of an exploitative experiment. Now we know. And I pray that your difficult experiences are transformed into strength for those who read these chapters.

‍

Order today wherever you buy books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Books, Walmart, and Bulk Books.

‍

P.S. Thank you, Publishers Weekly, for this early, surprise review!

‍

What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

‍
Two actions you can take!

‍

1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

‍