ONLINE SAFETY, PORN AND PARENTING

Navigating an increasingly digital and hyper-sexualized culture whether as concerned individuals or as parents can feel overwhelming. However, we believe that with the right tools in our toolbox, we can confidently walk forward with awareness and raise children who are resilient and informed at age-appropriate levels about the world around them. We hope and pray that the following resources equip you to engage in meaningful conversations with the friends, loved ones, children and families in your life!

Please note, due to the nature of this topic and the dangers posed by the internet, some of the following content contains graphic information that could be triggering to some. Content marked with an asterisk* should be read or viewed with caution.

Resources

FOR ADULTS:

ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW

• Titania Jordan - Chief Parent Officer @ Bark Technologies 

• 1000 Hours Outside - A Movement to Reclaim Childhood

• Dopamind Kids - Navigating Tech In A Digital Age

• Be Screen Strong - Prevent and Reverse Children’s Dependence on Screens

• Exodus Cry - Anti-Trafficking & Anti-Porn Organization

• Protect Young Eyes - Practical Digital Tips for Families

• Consent Parenting - Educating parents and reducing the risk of sexual abuse

• Wait Until 8th - Helping Parents Delay Smartphone Use

ARTICLES

• *A Sextortion Story - Thorn Article

• Sextortion: Prevention & Response - Discussion Guide from Thorn

• How to Protect Your Children From Online Sexual Predators - New York Times Article

• 7 Ways to Combat Parenting Guilt - Bark Article

• 8 Ways You Can Support Someone While They Quit Porn - Fight The New Drug Article

• How to Bring Up Porn’s Harms in These 5 Everyday Conversations - Fight The New Drug Article

• Is Fortnite Safe for Kids?

• Roblox Accused of Exposing Kids to Virtual Sex Acts

• National Center on Sexual Exploitation Dirty Dozen List - The Dirty Dozen List is an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation.

• How to Delay the Age at which Kids Get Smartphones

• Let Your Children Be Bored - Huffington Post

• Get Tech Out of The Classroom Before It’s Too Late - New York Times

• How to Help Kids Outsmart Social Media Algorithms

VIDEOS

• Brain, Heart, World Documentary Series - Fight the New Drug

• *Raised on Porn - Exodus Cry

• *Social Media Dangers Exposed by Mom Posing as 11-Year-Old - Bark Youtube Video

PODCASTS

• 1000 Hours Outside podcast with Joey Odom - Co-Founder of Aro - “We are scrolling our lives away.”

• Dopamind Kids episode with Titania Jordan - Bark - “Safety Concerns with Popular Kid Apps”

• Screenstrong Families Podcast with Dr. Leonard Sax - Family Physician and Psychologist - “Tik Tok: It’s all in the Algorithm.”

BOOKS

• Girls Like Us - Rachel Lloyd

• In Pursuit of Love - Rebecca Bender

• *PornLand: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality - Dr. Gail Dines

• The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place - Andy Crouch

• Take Back Your Family: From the Tyrants of Burnout, Busyness, Individualism, and the Nuclear Ideal - Jefferson Bethke

• Parenting Generation Screen: Guiding Your Kids to Be Wise in a Digital World - Jonathan McKee

• The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt

FOR KIDS

BOOKS

• What Do I Do With Worry? - Dr. Josh Straub + Christi Straub

• What Am I Feeling? - Dr. Josh Straub + Christi Straub

• Good Pictures Bad Pictures - Kristen A. Jenson

  • Ages 7-12

• Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr - Kristen A. Jenson

  • Ages 3-6

• How Much Is A Little Girl Worth? - Rachel Denhollander

• How Much Is A Little Boy Worth? Rachel Denhollander, Jacob Denhollander

FOR FAMILIES

APPS + SOFTWARE

• Aro - In-Home Digital Wellbeing Solution

• Canopy - Protect Your Children in the Digital Age

• Bark - Parental Control App

BOOKS

• Homegrown Family Devotional - Dr. Josh Defend Young MindsStraub + Christi Straub

• Kids Brains & Screens (KBS) - Books & Resources for Kids, Parents, and Schools

CURRICULUM

• Defend Young Minds - Teach kids to reject porn before it becomes a problem

• Culture Reframed - Building Resilience & Resistance to Hyper-Sexualized Media & Porn

OTHER

• Curious Parenting Tech Talk Guide ($5)

• Curious Parenting Strange Behavior Guide (Free)

APPS THAT SHOULD CONCERN PARENTS

• Discord

• TikTok

• Steam

• Instagram 

• Fortnite

• Worst Apps:

  • Kick 

  • Snapchat

  • Roblox