A rapid rollout of integrated AI into technology we use everyday brings with it new considerations for our tech policies at home.
At this year’s Heights Parents Conference on “AI and Our Sons: Optimism in Uncharted Waters,” author and public policy researcher Clare Morell shared the latest news and research to inform our digital decisions at home.
She points out that, increasingly, the vision we as parents have for our children is in direct competition with the vision big tech has for them. But an active and optimistic posture can help us guide our families toward a more humane way of life.
Chapters:
4:18 The lay of the digital land
8:38 Neuroscience of screens
18:56 The myth of parental controls
23:22 AI enters the chat
32:40 Maturity required to operate
35:09 Forming our children: parents and tech companies in competition
37:48 Digital detox for your family
41:29 A humane way of life: F.E.A.S.T.
43:59 Educating children on the harms
46:32 Adopting smartphone alternatives
48:11 Screen rules and accountability at home
50:58 Trading screens for responsibility
53:06 Reclaiming human flourishing
Links:
The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones by Clare Morell
The Tech Exit Supplementary Resources by Clare Morell
Preserving Our Humanity, Clare Morell’s Substack
Meta’s ‘Digital Companions’ Will Talk Sex with Users—Even Children, WSJ, April 26, 2025
Meta’s AI Rules Let Bots Hold ‘Sensual’ Chats with Children, Reuters, August 14, 2025
AI Tutors for Kids Gave Fentanyl Recipes and Dangerous Diet Advice, Forbes, May 12, 2025
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt in Essay Writing, MIT Media Lab, June 10, 2025
Sexting with Gemini, The Atlantic, July 14, 2025
The Social Dilemma, ages 12+, docudrama explaining tech company motivations, 2020
Also on the Forum:
The Tech Exit: How Smartphones Undermine Our Parenting—and How to Reverse Course featuring Clare Morell