We’re kicking off Season 3 of The Family Dinner Project Podcast! In every of our episodes, Content material Supervisor Bri DeRosa and Government Director Dr. Anne Fishel speak by powerful subjects associated to household meals and parenting. Missed our first two seasons? You can check out all of our episodes here.
Within the first weeks of the New Yr, how will you leverage household time that can assist you beat the post-holiday blues and keep related to one another, with out retreating to particular person screens? We’re speaking with particular visitor Betsy Bozdech, Editorial Director of Widespread Sense Media, about celebrating a tech-smart New Yr with household movie suggestions, cautions about AI, and tips mother and father have to know. Be certain to hear for our 2026 Dinner and a Film concepts, age-by-age breakdowns, and the most recent analysis that can assist you keep one step forward of the algorithms this yr.
Key Takeaways:
- Go to 2:58 for Dr. Anne Fishel’s steerage for households on setting sturdy tech boundaries
- Go to 10:40 for Betsy’s favourite household movie suggestions
- Go to 13:29 for a dialog about selecting the primary media expertise for younger youngsters
- Go to 16:48 for concepts on making your loved ones viewing expertise extra interactive
- Go to 24:45 for a dialogue concerning the rise of AI and what mother and father have to know
- Go to 32:00 for meals, enjoyable, and dialog inspiration you should utilize at your desk tonight
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Full Episode Transcript:
Bri DeRosa: Hey, welcome again to the Household Dinner Undertaking Podcast. I can’t consider it’s the primary episode of season three. Annie, are you able to consider it? Season three?
Dr. Anne Fishel: I can’t. I do know. It’s very, very thrilling.
Bri DeRosa: I’m very excited as a result of we’re kicking off this new yr, new season with a really particular visitor.
We now have with us right now Betsy Bozdech, who’s the editorial director at Common Sense Media, longtime mates of ours. And Betsy has been working there for nearly 20 years, serving to mother and father navigate media decisions and discover nice issues that they will watch and skim with their children. And she or he’s clued me in that she has two children herself who’re 15 and 12, and Betsy says she loves nothing greater than utilizing their slang incorrectly in entrance of them, which implies, Betsy, I believe we’re kindred spirits. Welcome to the present.
Betsy Bozdech: Welcome to the present. Right here’s a bit six seven to get us began.
Bri DeRosa: Oh, no. Oh, no. Ideas and prayers to all the center college academics on the market specifically.
We’re so glad to have you ever with us, and comfortable 2026 to all of our listeners. Earlier than the vacations, Annie and I have been speaking about how the post-holiday letdown is sort of a very bizarre time frame yearly since you get by all of the celebrations, after which we dwell in New England. I do know Betsy’s in California, however Annie and I are in New England the place it will get darkish and chilly and actually not that a lot enjoyable for some time after the vacations. So we have been type of speaking about methods to interrupt by the funk.
After all, a whole lot of the concepts that we got here up with have been indoor actions, and a whole lot of them have been display primarily based. We all know that’s a continuing scorching button situation for lots of households, and we thought it could be fascinating to have you ever be a part of us right now, Betsy, to speak about some enjoyable household media suggestions. Plus, I do know Widespread Sense has been doing a whole lot of analysis and advocacy round what mother and father have to learn about what’s on the market in 2026.
So we are going to be thankful for your steerage.
Betsy Bozdech: Thanks a lot for having me. It’s an amazing, it’s a pleasure to be right here.
Bri DeRosa: Nice to have you ever.
So, Annie, I, I’m gonna begin off with you and ask you the thought of display time and household bonding over television, films, video video games. I believe a whole lot of us try this type of factor, however we don’t at all times really feel nice about doing it.
So coming out of your perspective as a household therapist, what are among the guardrails that you just suppose mother and father may wanna have in mind right here?
Dr. Anne Fishel: I imply, I’ll begin with the type of skilled tips from American Academy of Baby and Adolescent Psychiatry, which means that no screens beneath the age of two, which is typically onerous to abide by, after which one hour a day, however no extra, for teenagers ages two to 5. And through that hour, an emphasis on not utilizing TVs or screens as babysitters, however co-viewing together with your baby to be able to monitor it, you possibly can see how your baby’s responding to it. You’ll be able to speak to your baby, you possibly can flip it off, and so forth.
After all, selecting age acceptable materials screening at first, if there’s no score, so like for YouTube, I believe that often doesn’t have scores. So that you wanna have a look at that earlier than you share it with children. After which avoiding screens, no matter what age, throughout bedtime. Um, and as we’d say, often throughout mealtime, aside from our program, which we did with Widespread Sense Media, which is Dinner and a Film. So there are methods to have your cake and eat it too, have your film and your meals.
However typically after I work with households, are there instances of the day which are display free which are simply type of protected? And often households will say, or I hope they’ll say, bedtime and mealtime. So that may be one type of a set of tips.
One other factor that I believe is de facto necessary is to not preserve TV or different type of, properly, TVs on once you’re not within the room as a type of background noise. Analysis has proven that when households try this, it will increase the display use type of throughout the board. In order that’s type of one other type of straightforward tip for lowering the variety of hours that youngsters are taking a look at screens. After which I, I suppose I’ve some questions that I ask households, which will get at type of their relationship to screens and expertise.
What are the ways in which you suppose screens improve your relationships together with your youngsters or together with your mother and father or together with your companions? Um, what are methods it detracts from these relationships? Is there something that you just’re doing much less of since you’re spending extra time on screens? Something that you just miss that you just wanna keep in mind to do this you’ve type of put apart since you’re spending a lot time watching TV or watching YouTube or no matter? And do you ever set limits in your children on the subject of watching video video games or TV? Um, and the way does that go?
I believe mother and father, not you two, however I believe most mother and father don’t prefer to be within the place of trying type of clueless and one step behind what their children learn about expertise. And I believe that may get in the way in which of oldsters doing what they should do, which is to set limits even when they don’t perceive all of the slang and so forth of expertise.
So type of encouraging mother and father to weigh in as a result of they do know greatest when it comes to what’s good for his or her children’ psychological well being, even when they don’t know the, the most recent memes and tech crazes. In order that, that may be my type of beginning ideas about how I give it some thought as a household therapist.
Bri DeRosa: I believe that’s so useful, Annie.
And Betsy, what concerning the group at Widespread Sense Media? What about you in your personal house? Like what, what different ideas do you’ve got? How do you guys take into consideration these items?
Betsy Bozdech: Very equally, a whole lot of the issues Annie simply mentioned are issues that we suggest on a regular basis, you understand, and I believe they’re an amazing base layer.
I believe one of many issues that a whole lot of mother and father, particularly since COVID, have realized firsthand in their very own properties after which has been supported within the analysis, is that a whole lot of the time – I imply, amount of display time is essential, however finally the standard issues too. Like if that, even when you go over an hour to 2 hours, if it’s actually prime quality instructional media, then that’s gonna be means completely different than 45 minutes of AI slop, proper?
So you actually wanna preserve the standard in thoughts in addition to the amount. I believe that, you understand, it’s actually fascinating to me now that so many children, particularly as they become old, you see a whole lot of the household happening their very own machine and doing their very own factor. And so that you’ll see that is one thing like dinner and a film or a TV present and a film or a particular and a film, no matter is, and even watching YouTube as a household, when you do all of it collectively, that actually brings everybody again in and you’ve got that, that sofa second and stuff. And so in some methods it’s like, doesn’t really feel like display time in the identical means in any respect. It’s like, oh, let’s sit down and watch a film collectively, ’trigger we’re all collectively, we’re all spending the identical time. To me that’s very completely different than my 15-year-old going off and taking place an Instagram gap for 45 minutes. Or you understand, an hour of Roblox’s newest replace, which is what my 12-year-old lives for.
So I believe these sorts of preserving it life like and sensible whereas attempting to keep up a whole lot of these tips, and sure, not doing it proper earlier than mattress and ensuring that you just do have these instances collectively when nobody is on a display. Or that you need to like, ask permission, like my husband and I’ll be on the dinner desk and we wish, someone will speak about one thing. I’m like, “Permission to look it up on Google and ensure?” You recognize, so we now have to get buy-in from everyone. And I believe even simply that little little bit of friction helps remind folks that it’s not only a default conduct.
However you understand, all of that mentioned, we’re all solely as good as our beliefs. Proper. And, you understand, I’ve 15, 12, they’re beginning to be a bit bit, you possibly can’t management it as a lot as you used to have the ability to. Clearly we may at all times shut the web off, however you understand, you don’t wanna try this both. It’s actually the place they dwell a lot of their lives. Children right now, like that’s the place their mates are, that’s the place the frequent experiences are. So it’s actually that steadiness and likewise modeling the conduct that you just wanna see in them.
Like if I’m sitting there zoned out on my telephone, it’s actually onerous for me to move judgment on my child who desires to do the identical factor. So a whole lot of modeling, a whole lot of giving one another grace and attempting to do not forget that we’re all on this collectively as a household.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Nicely mentioned, Betsy. Thanks.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, I imply, I, I hear a lot in there. Proper? And two of the issues that actually come to thoughts for me as I’m listening to each of you’re, you understand, one, Annie, I do know we’ve at all times mentioned on the Household Dinner Undertaking, we wish individuals to consider, you understand, machine use and expertise use as how is it bringing you nearer? Not how is it disconnecting you, proper?
So for, you understand, Betsy, your instance of like permission to look it up on the dinner desk. We now have video games on our web site that use a telephone or a tool on the dinner desk, but it surely’s a means of creating everyone on the desk work together otherwise versus utilizing that machine to love textual content with someone who’s not there. Proper. There’s one thing about like, how does it aid you deal with who’s within the room versus how is it taking you away from that have? So I believe that’s, you understand, type of like factor primary.
After which the opposite factor that I’m at all times musing on is, to your level about high quality over amount, there’s one thing completely different – in my home we’ve at all times talked about like consumption versus creation. So for instance, like proper now, my 16-year-old is attempting to jot down a novel and if he’s on his display an entire bunch as a result of he’s creating his world, proper, I’ve a tough time being like, Hey, that’s an excessive amount of display time. Whereas if he’s on there hanging out on YouTube and being uncovered to some probably scary algorithms, that’s an entire completely different calculation, proper?
So at all times eager about the place are we with creation versus consumption? Are we being passive or are we being energetic with our media?
Betsy Bozdech: Yeah. I really feel the exact same means. My son is a giant gamer, however he additionally likes to make issues in scratch. And if he’s making one thing in scratch, I really feel very otherwise about that than an hour of grinding away at Roblox.
Bri DeRosa: Proper. Completely.
In order that being mentioned, that’s a part of why we created Dinner and a Film, and a part of why we now have partnered with Widespread Sense through the years for a few of these household expertise experiences that we’ve talked about. And we haven’t carried out a brand new dinner and a film collectively shortly. However you’re sitting with us and I ponder, if we have been to do a dinner and a film for the beginning of 2026, do you’ve got any as much as the minute type of suggestions for that?
Betsy Bozdech: That is what I dwell for. That is my job.
Bri DeRosa: I type of thought, you understand, you might need some enjoyable household movies or experiences that you’d suggest for various age teams.
Betsy Bozdech: Sure. Nicely I do, properly we, you understand, on the finish of 2025, we at all times do an annual, we do an annual listing of one of the best films yearly.
So the type of one of the best of 2025 was on my thoughts fairly not too long ago. Um, we now have our frequent sense choice seal, which is how we type of acknowledge and acknowledge actually one of the best of one of the best. And so I used to be type of trying over these and I believe there are some nice decisions from one of the best of one of the best, uh, children and household films from 2025 that I’d like to suggest.
I believe, I imply, proper off the highest of my head, Okay-pop Demon Hunters is a brilliant apparent one as a result of you possibly can simply do ramen and sofa for tweens and up. I believe, you understand, most likely the majority of the oldsters listening have most likely seen that. I’m gonna say it’s a secure, it’s a secure wager, however there are another ones, and I used to be attempting to type of consider it when it comes to theming the meals in addition to the film.
So like Lilo and Sew jumped out at me for type of that 5 to seven bucket, you possibly can do like Hawaiian barbecue as you watch this like actually candy story about sisters and mates. Getting a bit bit older, in case you are a household that enjoys some meat and potatoes, like Viking fare, you possibly can go for How one can Practice Your Dragon. The dwell motion model that they did final yr. It actually was tremendous spectacular the way in which that they introduced these dragons to love life. I imply, they appeared actual like you possibly can really be driving a dragon, in order that’d be a very enjoyable one for type of that eight to 9 youthful tween vary.
Older tweens, there’s one which we actually love known as Rule Breakers. It’s a documentary about women in Afghanistan breaking stem boundaries. So when you have Afghani meals round you, you possibly can pull that in and watch a very inspiring documentary. After which for teenagers, actually one in all my favourite films of all final yr was, uh, Rental Household with Brendan Frasier about this, uh, uh, type of an, an American actor dwelling in Japan who nonetheless is type of ready for his large break after a few years and finally ends up working for a company that rents him out as a stand in member of the family.
It’s apparently primarily based on an precise type of enterprise factor that occurs in Japan, and it’s simply the sweetest drama concerning the energy of human connection. And so you possibly can herald some sushi or teriyaki, or Miso soup and edamame, and simply have a very nice film night time with that one for teenagers.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Betsy. I like these, however I’ve one other query to ask you. So, um, and I promised my son, I might ask you this. So I’ve a three-year-old granddaughter who’s coming to go to. She has by no means watched screens, however my son is open to the concept she may be prepared to look at her first film or first TV present. And we have been each questioning what you may suggest as a type of initiation.
Betsy Bozdech: For positive. I believe, I imply there’s really, for the final a few years we’ve been in a very good time for preschool TV, and I actually would begin small. I wouldn’t go for like a full size function at that age, ’trigger the eye span and the curiosity just isn’t there. However you understand, like the whole lot from, like Daniel Tiger has very nice specials obtainable, and Curious George.
So, or a few of, I imply, my favourite present when my children have been toddlers was, uh, Timmy Time, which is a few preschooler sheep they usually’re, it’s nonverbal. It’s simply numerous little animal adventures and the adults simply type of go, ha ha ha ha ha. And it, it was so good ’trigger so many reveals for preschoolers, generally you don’t wish to hear the voices for that lengthy. However, um, that was one in all our favorites, however I actually suppose like, yeah, a particular, prefer it’s, I imply, it will probably matter much less the time of yr when somebody’s three, they’re into what they’re into.
However one which my children and I watched a bunch within the fall once they have been little was the, like Curious George’s Halloween Boo Fest. It was about like 40 minutes lengthy. It was seasonal, like there was like a tiny little little bit of a scare, however nothing that may linger. And I believe they’ve these type of for each season. So like no matter season you’re into, you possibly can most likely discover a Curious George particular that’ll associate with it and he will get into bother and properly, that’s a bit bit tense, but it surely’s so child acceptable. It’s simply nice.
We even have an inventory of first films for teenagers on the Widespread Sense web site once they’re prepared for that function. When my daughter, I suppose she was about 4 after we did her first film within the theater, and it was Frozen, she was proper on the age of Frozen. And for us, what actually labored properly was getting ready her. She, even to this present day, she likes to know what’s gonna occur. She doesn’t like not understanding what’s gonna occur. So we received the little learn alongside e-book and we learn that time and again and we listened to the soundtrack. And so by the point we went to the theater, she type of knew the massive beats to the story. She wasn’t too startled by something.
And I imply, I used to be a bit bored as a consequence ’trigger I’m like, oh yeah, that is the place this occurs and that is the place this occurs. It’s price it. It was nice. And um, a prep, relying on the child, a bit prep might help, or ready and watching at house, particularly in case you are gonna strive a function, as a result of if it doesn’t go properly, you possibly can pause it, you possibly can cease it. You’ll be able to take a break, you possibly can have a snack. You’ll be able to flip the quantity down, you possibly can flip the lights up. There’s so many choices.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Oh, these are nice, nice concepts.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, you’re throwing me proper again. Curious George Halloween Boo Fest with No Noggin. Your tiny scare there.
I’m gonna be so curious what you guys find yourself selecting.
Anne Fishel: Sure.
Bri DeRosa: As a result of yeah, Betsy’s proper. This can be a actually good time for kids’s media, I believe.
Betsy Bozdech: Yeah, yeah. For little children. Yeah. After which there’s that tween type of desert, and then you definitely, there’s great things for teenagers too.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah. What about like, I don’t have littles anymore, however I preserve listening to everyone speaking about Bluey for little children.
Betsy Bozdech: Oh, Bluey is great. Sure. Mine are literally a bit bit too outdated for Bluey too. However I do know mother and father who’re large followers. Everybody I work with who has youthful children, they swear by it. Widespread Sense Media honored that present at our awards final fall. It was a kind of uncommon reveals that actually does have the identical attraction for adults because it does for teenagers.
Bri DeRosa: So there you go, Annie. There’s one other one.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Tons to look ahead to right here.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah. Yeah. However anyway, yeah, I believe there’s a whole lot of nice stuff on the market, Annie, and, and also you’ll should preserve us posted.
Dr. Anne Fishel: I’ll, I’ll.
Bri DeRosa: So to the entire query of the the reason why a younger baby won’t be spending a whole lot of time on screens, and the the reason why mother and father of youngsters at any age may be hesitant to introduce display time as a bonding exercise. You recognize, it does really feel like we dwell in a really passive consumerist society generally after we’re all identical to on our screens, and I ponder, do we now have suggestions for a way mother and father could make this shared media expertise really feel a bit bit extra related, a bit bit extra energetic, not identical to a sofa and ramen?
By the way in which, we do loads of that. I’m cool with it, however I perceive that, you understand, when you’re in search of a household bonding expertise, you won’t really feel like sit, watch, devour, and go is the the play that you really want. So like, what do we expect? How do you make this extra participating?
Betsy Bozdech: Watching is clearly the type of best factor to do collectively, proper?
Such as you don’t have to love, you don’t, mother and father don’t should know how you can work a recreation controller or do something like that to sit down and watch one thing. However you possibly can speak about what you’re watching. We now have, on all of our opinions, advised dialogue questions for households to speak about with children about not solely the, not simply the plot, however just like the media literacy side of all of it.
And you understand, why do you, if that is primarily based on a real story, why do you suppose they could have modified the details? Why would they try this? Or what’s the impression of this? How does the violence on this evaluate to what you noticed within the different factor? Or what are the themes? So, and, however that after all, that additionally you don’t need it to really feel like homework, so that you type of wanna, you understand, sprinkle that in.
However I believe you are able to do clearly extra interactive stuff too. Like you possibly can take, if it’s YouTube that they wanna watch, you possibly can, most TVs, you possibly can put that on a giant central television. Now it doesn’t should be on an iPad or a telephone or no matter. It may be proper within the household room. When you present that you’re up to do this, like present me what you’re watching. I wanna see what you understand and educate me. Who’re the individuals, the place did you hear about this meme? What’s, you understand, I didn’t know that my son had watched apparently a number of hours price of Simpsons clips and knew who all of the characters have been. As a result of these days children, they’re not essentially in search of out these episodes of TV reveals, however they’ll watch compilation clips and impulsively like, be aware of a present.
And I’m like, nice, let’s sit down and watch that collectively. Inform me, you understand, what you understand about them. And in case you are up for it, the really interactive stuff, the gaming is a good factor to check out, and I believe we do suggest that oldsters give {that a} shot. I imply, and we’re not all gonna have the ability to like sustain with the entire completely different gaming, however there’s all completely different ranges of video games too.
I imply, not the whole lot is sort of a, you understand, coming at you from all instructions shooter type of factor. There’s, you understand, social gathering video games and trivia, like there’s an organization known as Jackbox that does these social gathering packs for Swap, the place you possibly can like do trivia and interactive video games collectively and everybody’s holding a controller. There are some mild video games like Animal Crossing the place all you need to do is have the ability to like transfer your little man round and fish and commerce issues. There are sports activities video games. My son and my husband prefer to play, you understand, FIFA soccer with one another generally. They usually’re each soccer followers in actual life. So then they will go battle it out on the sector.
Even phrase video games, and people are just like the informal phrase video games, like even Wordle and stuff like that. We now have a household textual content thread the place everyone performs after which shares their outcome day-after-day. And so it’s a really low contact means for my son to test in together with his grandparents. And so I believe there are a whole lot of choices when you’re keen to type of tiptoe in and really feel the water and see what you want.
Dr. Anne Fishel: And in addition be keen to not be pretty much as good at it as your children. They love that. Yeah.
Bri DeRosa: And that’s actually necessary. And I, you understand, I might simply add, there are a few different issues that you are able to do if individuals are up for it, proper. So like you possibly can really flip your watching expertise right into a little bit of a recreation, the place you possibly can shut off the sound and the subtitles after which see when you can guess what they’re saying.
Betsy Bozdech: Like a Whose Line is it Anyway improv recreation, mainly.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, precisely proper. And impulsively, such as you’re watching a struggle film and it turns right into a rom-com, you understand, you’re like, wait, what? Um, however that may be actually enjoyable and artistic after which clearly you possibly can at all times return and discover out what you missed.
And I believe additionally simply, to your level about like understanding what children are as much as and what they’re consuming, and also you don’t even should, it’s nice when you do recreation with them, however, um, like I do know one in all my sons actually likes historical past and he performs a whole lot of type of historic battle technique video games on-line which are actually not, we’re not gonna have the ability to go there with him. Proper. However we’ll have him play in the identical room with us. So he’s on his laptop and we’re checking in like, oh, hey Napoleon, how’d that battle go? You recognize, who’re you enjoying as right now? And he’s like sharing his, you understand, the pathos of attempting to prepare the Russian entrance. Proper. And, however like, we all know what he’s doing and we’re participating with him round it type of casually whereas everyone’s in the identical house.
I believe the, the openness, exhibiting children, particularly as they become old, that you just’re open to that type of present me what you’re watching on YouTube. Inform me about that recreation and, and simply making it a part of the surroundings is de facto necessary as a result of we’ve been in a position to now have conversations about like, he’ll convey up, you understand, I’m attempting to determine what I watched as a result of my algorithm is serving me some actually scary adverts that I, I’m not fascinated by. What do you suppose it was? And I’ll be like, Hey, properly let’s, let’s have a look, lets? Like, let’s, let’s pull up your YouTube and simply see like what your, your watch historical past has been.
So I really feel like simply having that type of openness actually helps with their, their skill to really feel comfy with, with that type of dialog.
Dr. Anne Fishel: I wanna simply provide type of one other perspective on watching films and different issues on screens, which is the potential of speaking at a later time. I used to be remembering as a young person, I went by a really wild stage myself, and I might come house in any respect hours of the night time. My father can be ready up for me on a snug armchair, and he would pat the chair subsequent to him and he would say, come sit with me, Annie. Let’s watch the late, late, late, no matter, two within the morning, film collectively, and we might watch Hepburn and Tracy, and it’s a beautiful life, and Mr. Smith goes to Washington. There can be no questions requested about the place I had been.
I imply, I, I’m not recommending this actually as a parenting technique, however I’m simply saying for me at this, at the moment in my life, it was simply what I wanted. It was an expertise with my dad. Completely nonjudgmental, however a really pretty connection. And to this present day, after I’m feeling down or upset, these are the flicks that I’m going again to and I watch, and it’s a, like a bit go to with my father who’s now not strolling the earth.
So, and you understand, and households that I work with, you understand, I’ll say, are you having dinner? They usually’ll say, no, we wouldn’t know what to speak about. And sometimes the, the type of on ramp is, do you watch TV collectively? Are you able to sit collectively and have that shared expertise? And sometimes households can construct from that, you understand, connection could be made with out a whole lot of dialog, is my considerably subversive contribution as someone who’s selling meals enjoyable and dialog.
Generally I believe there’s a spot for all of it.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah. I imply, you say you don’t suggest that as a parenting technique, Annie, however there’s one thing there about your father’s acceptance and lack of judgment in that second the place as an alternative of interrogating you, which might be what a young person would count on, he simply welcomed you house and made positive that that was a secure place so that you can land.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Proper.
Bri DeRosa: I really suppose perhaps that may be a, a parenting technique we are able to suggest not, to not, you understand, insinuate that you just shouldn’t know what your children are as much as otherwise you shouldn’t ever ask questions, however that there’s one thing concerning the worth of generally holding that again to make it secure to return house and secure to land. Yeah. I believe perhaps there’s something there.
Betsy Bozdech: I completely agree. Yeah.
Bri DeRosa: So. Talking of security although, uh, you understand, again to that type of like algorithm, scary rise of AI, you understand, the, the robots are right here, Betsy. And I, I do know Widespread Sense has, has been doing so much round this complete type of on-line security, digital world stuff. Discuss to us a bit bit about this. I’ve a lot curiosity about all of this AI stuff and, and this poisonous algorithm, dangerous social media tendencies, all of it, new yr, new tech issues. What do we have to know?
Betsy Bozdech: Yeah, I imply, so. I imply, sure, it’s an onslaught of AI proper now. And the, I imply, but it surely’s not identical to one factor. It’s not, you understand, there are such a lot of completely different, it takes so many various shapes. Like as an illustration, we, we do some AI danger assessments, danger assessments of AI instruments for teenagers and households. And you understand, we now have, late final yr we got here out and simply mentioned, we don’t suggest any AI companions for teenagers beneath 18, interval, as a result of there’s simply a whole lot of confusion round speaking with a, a bot that may tackle a human persona, and that’s simply not secure.
So that’s type of a line we’ve drawn when it comes to like, these are additionally instruments which are embedded within the apps that youngsters are already utilizing, like I believe we’ve all come throughout, I’m positive the AI overviews now which are, you understand, very tempting to only, okay, I received my reply and transfer alongside. However when you do it typically sufficient, you’ll encounter a hallucination. It’s simply made up. It desires to make you content, it desires to reply your query. It’s simply gonna say one thing. It instructed me I didn’t have the telephone that I used to be holding in my hand after I requested about some function of my iPhone 16. It’s like, you should be asking a few completely different telephone ’trigger that’s not out but.
And I used to be like, Actually. Okay. Um, and that’s very minor. That’s not a, you understand, that’s a low stakes state of affairs, but it surely, it’s identical to, I imply, we used to inform children about Wikipedia. You’ll be able to’t take it at face worth. It’s essential to confirm, you have to be sure that it’s an amazing begin. It’s piece of knowledge, but it surely’s not the one piece of knowledge.
However then it’s additionally embedded in, you understand, you possibly can’t get away from it within the Google suite of merchandise. It’s in like, let’s, can we propose issues to you in meta merchandise? Can we do that? Can we try this? And it’s all type of promising that it’s gonna make their work, their learning, their psychological well being higher.
So it’s simply actually extra important than ever for fogeys to type of preserve these traces of communications open. And as we have been saying about films, depart the judgment on the door. Be certain they know that they will come to you. I noticed this. I don’t know what to make of it. I’m, I used AI to jot down a faculty task and I, you understand, really feel dangerous now, or I received caught, now what do I do?
You recognize, prefer to be prepared to assist them and help them, to not like shut them down. Most of those instruments are designed for effectivity, but when the duty that you just’re engaged on contains like behavioral implications or psychological well being considerations, that’s actually not the place children must be focusing their consideration. They actually must be speaking to folks, to trusted adults, to, you understand, care suppliers about these issues, not the robots.
We now have curriculum for all grades and of supplies on-line which are free for fogeys and for educators to actually hopefully assist reinforce this. It’s a part of studying to be a digital citizen, which is a curriculum we’ve carried out eternally and it’s very straightforward to wish to take the simple means when it’s provided to you. However I believe one factor that has labored very properly when it comes to making my very own youngsters not be tremendous enthusiastic about it’s to convey up the environmental impression side of it. My daughter, who could be very involved about all of that stuff, as soon as she realized concerning the water implications and the electrical energy implications was like, why would I take advantage of these instruments? Nope. Not gonna do it.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Betsy. Simply so as to add to that, if that doesn’t work, say, would you like firms to be earning money off of your expertise and your consideration?
Bri DeRosa: We’re commoditizing our consideration, proper? Sure, completely.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bri DeRosa: And the opposite, the opposite one is, you understand, I’m at all times type of placing the neuroscience in entrance of my children about, like, you understand, what have we realized concerning the distinction between taking notes longhand or taking notes on a laptop computer? What have we realized concerning the important considering that’s concerned in writing your personal paper versus having it drafted by chat GPT, proper? Like, what are, what’s all of the rising science saying about whose neurons are rising? And whose usually are not, proper?
And so, and that’s at all times creating and one thing which you can at all times go like, Hey, I noticed this new examine, what do you consider it? What have you ever, what have you ever seen amongst your classmates? So there’s so much which you can type of, I believe, put in entrance of youngsters to allow them to be curious, cautious customers.
Betsy Bozdech: Yep. And apparently, I noticed not too long ago a narrative that talked about how Blue Guide gross sales had simply shot up within the final yr as a result of a whole lot of educational establishments are going again to that for finals for papers. That, that particular statistic I assumed was fascinating.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah. Yeah, it’s, it’s fascinating. I believe there’s a whole lot of approaches on the market which are gonna change that recreation.
So, uh, Betsy, any expertise resolutions for households for the brand new yr? I hate New Yr’s resolutions. Hate them, hate them, however like, if we have been to aspire, you understand?
Betsy Bozdech: I believe, I imply, you understand, if, we’ve talked so much about among the, the fundamental, I believe issues that we suggest, the, you understand, practising what you preach, modeling what you wanna see in your children, turning off the television, these are types of issues, and I believe a few of you possibly can take grains of what we’ve been speaking about and say you possibly can make it your decision to study one thing on-line together with your child. Discover a DIY video and study a brand new, new interest collectively. Strive a brand new factor, or say as soon as every week you’re gonna do some type of play or watch collectively time. You possibly can discover a web site or an app that’s for a trigger that you just care about and both donate your time or your cash, however you should utilize the web to do this analysis and discover it.
Oh, after which one which’s actually good for fogeys in the event that they haven’t carried out it already is to carve out the time to take a look at and study to make use of and implement some parental controls. Um, you understand, know what your choices are and work out what’s going to work in your child and work with them. Like my, my daughter selected her personal to take Instagram off of her telephone, and she will be able to request time from us, but it surely entails establishing the display time, proper? So she has to ship in that request and which means she will be able to get it when she actually wants it or desires it, however she will be able to additionally take it off her telephone. In order that was an actual comfortable medium for us.
Dr. Anne Fishel: I believe I simply learn this, that oldsters can now hyperlink to their children’ use of chat GPT and impose controls on that.
Betsy Bozdech: I believe so. I imply, all that stuff, I imply, that’s the difficult a part of the parental controls is that they’re evolving on a regular basis. It’s like each week some new possibility, new supervised account, new this, new that, comes out. And it’s nice to have these choices, however you do should make the time and put within the vitality to determine how you can make all of it give you the results you want and your loved ones.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which could be overwhelming, proper? And I believe that’s, that’s one of many issues that I at all times come again to after we’re eager about tech use and households is like, we now have gold requirements, proper?
But in addition even simply the thought of like, hey, when you have actually little children, they shouldn’t be watching that display with out you watching with them. Generally you gotta go make dinner and like them watching an episode of Bluey is how dinner will get made. Like there’s, there’s the gold customary, aspirational. We’d all like to be that nice. After which there’s simply, how does that butt up in opposition to the practicality of life?
The time has gone so quick, however, uh, we’re type of on the finish of our episode right here. I wanna make it possible for we get to our meals, enjoyable, and dialog, which we at all times do on the finish of a podcast episode. Betsy, you already did such an amazing job on like incorporating meals. You, you probably did the entire dinner and a film factor for us, however–
Betsy Bozdech: Alright, my work right here is finished.
Bri DeRosa: Performed. However I might additionally say, you understand, different issues to consider mother and father, um, when you, when you’re having bother with like a tie in to the media that you just’re watching or consuming, simply take into consideration, um, establishing, you understand, it’s finger meals tonight.
So that you’re doing a bit charcuterie board otherwise you’re doing one thing like popcorn hen which you can seize or, you understand, pizza bagels, bagel bites, like little issues which you can, it may be actually enjoyable to only be like, Hey, raid the freezer for some snacks. Let’s bake the whole lot up and throw it on the market and simply sit and hang around with one thing that doesn’t require dishes or utensils.
Be happy to let that night time be the night time the place you suppose a bit bit much less concerning the, um, relative high quality of what you’re snacking on and extra about like, that is our enjoyable time collectively, and that may even draw individuals in a bit bit extra, make it much more particular once you do spend time collectively.
Betsy Bozdech: We will use that guideline for the media too, ’trigger generally it’s actually enjoyable to choose one thing that may be just a bit inappropriate or a bit little bit of a responsible pleasure and simply type of go all in, you understand?
Bri DeRosa: Proper. Yeah. It doesn’t all should be like instructional media on a regular basis, proper?
So, enjoyable. Betsy, your loved ones feels like a whole lot of enjoyable. I wager you’ve received some decisions right here that individuals may take into consideration.
Betsy Bozdech: And I imply, we love film night time, however like generally we simply, over, over this previous, uh, vacation season, we have been doing a puzzle a day, riddle a day introduction calendar that helped remedy a journey. Prefer it was a, it was an entire thriller in a field the place there was one envelope that led you to a different envelope.
And there are non-seasonal variations of these sorts of issues obtainable. There’s a, an organization that does a, a field that involves your door known as Hunt a killer, which is a homicide thriller, which is a bit little bit of a darkish identify, however there are additionally, there’s an organization known as Hidden Video games that does issues like that.
Or you possibly can even simply do logic puzzles. Um, these are actually enjoyable. After which I at all times have nice conversations after I convey up the thought of what’s a film or a TV present or a e-book that you just love that different individuals didn’t, or what’s one thing you didn’t like that different individuals did. It’s actually enjoyable to type of defend by hook or by crook, one thing you like or didn’t like in opposition to different individuals’s opinions.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Yeah, that’s one. And one which, that’s type of in the identical ballpark, which is what’s a film that you just by no means tire of watching over once more? And that may additionally immediate a whole lot of vigorous dialog for positive. I can’t consider you wished to look at Love Really greater than as soon as.
Bri DeRosa: Responsible.
Betsy Bozdech: Yep.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Or what character in a film do you would like you possibly can meet or you possibly can want can be a pal of yours? That’s one other good one, I believe.
Betsy Bozdech: Oh, that’s tremendous enjoyable.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, that’s an amazing one. Or like turning it round and being like, Hey, if someone made a film of your life, who would they forged as you? Who would they forged as your greatest pal? Who, proper. You possibly can actually have some enjoyable with that.
Betsy Bozdech: My coworker and I try this at work on a regular basis. Solid the frequent sense film.
Bri DeRosa: That’s actually enjoyable. I additionally, I noticed an amazing thread not too long ago about when you have been going to recast a TV present, I believe it was The West Wing, completely with Muppets. All that to say, you possibly can like extrapolate that to any TV present or any film. Proper. If we did this with Muppets, like who would Kermit be?
You’ll be able to have a whole lot of enjoyable with films and TV and dialog.
Betsy Bozdech: For positive.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah. Alright, properly I believe that wraps it. I’m actually excited really, to go forth with a few of these concepts that we’ve dropped at the desk and have a very enjoyable new yr and get out of those doldrums with my household. So thanks Betsy, for being right here.
Betsy Bozdech: My pleasure. Thanks a lot.
Bri DeRosa: This was actually enjoyable.
Dr. Anne Fishel: And I’ve received some nice concepts up my sleeve for my three-year-old granddaughter.
Bri DeRosa: Wonderful.
Dr. Anne Fishel: Thanks for that. And your different insights and playfulness.
Bri DeRosa: Yeah, and we are going to, uh, we are going to put hyperlinks within the present notes to, after all, Widespread Sense Media and a whole lot of the toolkits and issues that Betsy has introduced up, and to our dinner and a film suggestions, however we simply want everyone the happiest of New Years and an amazing begin to 2026.
We’ll see you subsequent time on the Household Dinner Undertaking Podcast.
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