Meet Matt.
The early adopter. Curious about what technology makes possible, and what that means for our kids.
THE PODCAST WITH MATT & VAL DAVIS
Raising kids.
Navigating tech.
Staying human.
One tech optimist. One healthy skeptic. Honest conversations about parenting in the age of screens, AI, and a little bit of chaos.
Two parents. Two perspectives. Figuring it out together.
Pull up a chair.There’s room for both perspectives.
FRESH FROM THE MIC
Episode 9 · 36 min
Are You Not Entertained? A Dopamine Kids Review
Screen habits, stopping points, and what kids are really looking for.
THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES
Big questions.
Real-life conversations.
Screen time, AI, school, and everything
that doesn’t come with a parenting manual.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MICS
Real parents.
Still figuring it out.
We’re Matt and Val Davis, parents of three. We bring two perspectives to the same question: how do we raise kids who can thrive in a digital world?
Meet Val.
The one asking, “But should we?” Bringing a thoughtful pause to a world that’s always moving faster.
We don’t always agree. That’s where the good conversations start.
MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST
Keep the curiosity.
Here are the links.
Books, articles, tools, and videos from our conversations,
gathered by episode so you can explore a little further.
On the bookshelf. In the browser. Part of the conversation.
EPISODE 09Are You Not Entertained? A Dopamine Kids Review2 links
- BookDopamine Kids
Michaeleen Doucleff · The book behind our conversation about screens, food, and family habits.
- BookHunt, Gather, Parent
Michaeleen Doucleff · Her earlier parenting book, mentioned during our review.
EPISODE 08Knock, Knock, It's the Internet: Teaching Kids the Internet without Scaring Them10 links
- GameSidewalk Sushi
PBS KIDS · The sushi-cart game Val shared for introducing digital literacy.
- LearningThe Achievery
AT&T · The learning activities and digital-literacy lessons Val explored.
- CourseInternet safety
Khan Academy · Lessons on personal information, privacy, and online scams.
- Resource hubFamily resources
National PTA · The parent and caregiver resources Val mentioned.
- GuideSharenting: sharing photos of your child online
UNICEF · Referenced in our conversation about children’s privacy.
- GuidanceChildren’s Code
UK Information Commissioner’s Office · The online-design code discussed in this episode.
- ResearchSharenting: Children’s Privacy in the Age of Social Media
Stacey B. Steinberg · The 2017 paper referenced in our discussion of parents sharing online.
- ReportNCMEC: 2025 sextortion data
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children · The report behind the online-safety discussion.
- Resource hubNetSmartz
NCMEC · Internet-safety resources from an organization discussed in this episode.
- Resource hubThorn for Parents
Conversation guides from the child-safety organization we mentioned.
EPISODE 07You Got a Friend in Tech: Toy Story 52 links
- FilmToy Story 5
Pixar · The movie at the center of our conversation about toys, tech, and play.
- AuthorCal Newport
The author mentioned in our discussion of attention. Explore his books and writing.
EPISODE 06The Chatbot Ate My Homework (with Christina Andrade Melly)2 links
- BookDopamine Kids
Michaeleen Doucleff · The book behind our conversation about screens, food, and family habits.
- BookSlow Productivity
Cal Newport · Mentioned in our conversation about attention and meaningful work.
EPISODE 05No Phones, Who Dis? Devices in Schools4 links
- ArticleWhy One Teacher Told Students to Put Their Chromebooks Away—for Good
Education Week · The classroom story we discussed while questioning school-issued devices.
- ArticleChromebooks or Cellphones: Which Are the Bigger Classroom Distraction?
Education Week · The second article in our conversation about classroom distractions.
- HearingPlugged Out: technology and America’s youth
U.S. Senate · January 15, 2026 hearing featuring Jared Cooney Horvath’s testimony.
- ArticleMaine’s laptop initiative
Fortune · The 2017 reporting Val referenced.
EPISODE 04These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For: Robots in the Home7 links
- PodcastThe First Robot
HISTORY This Week · The robot-origin story Val discussed.
- PlayR.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
Karel Čapek · Read the play discussed in the episode through Project Gutenberg.
- BookI, Robot
Isaac Asimov · The story collection mentioned in our conversation about robot rules.
- Children’s bookRobots (National Geographic Kids Readers, Level 3)
Melissa Stewart · The robot book from our family bookshelf, mentioned by Val.
- ArticleUncanny valley
Wikipedia · The article Val explored on why humanlike robots can feel unsettling.
- TechnologyFigure 03
Figure · Official information on one of the humanoid robots discussed.
- TechnologyTesla Optimus
Tesla · Official information on the humanoid robot mentioned in the episode.
EPISODE 03AI Friends: When Your Journal Talks Back7 links
- TV seriesMy Strange Addiction
TLC · The series whose AI-boyfriend segment started our conversation.
- ArticleThe People Who Marry Chatbots
The Atlantic · One of the articles Val read about relationships with AI.
- ArticleFriendship, on Demand
The Atlantic · The second article Val mentioned on AI companionship.
- ResearchTalk, Trust, and Trade-Offs
Common Sense Media · The survey behind the teen AI-companion figures discussed.
- ArticleTeens say they are turning to AI for friendship
Associated Press · The reporting Matt referenced on teens and AI companionship.
- Research hubPew Research Center
One of the research organizations named in the episode; no individual report was specified.
- PublicationMonitor on Psychology
American Psychological Association · The publication named during our discussion of AI companionship.
EPISODE 02Mr. Winston I presume (What is OpenClaw?)2 links
- ToolOpenClaw
The AI assistant at the center of Matt’s introduction to Winston.
- ToolChatGPT
The conversational AI tool compared with OpenClaw in this episode.
EPISODE 01Why Two Factor Parenting? Raising Kids in an AI World1 link
- BookThe Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt · Mentioned as we introduced the questions behind the show.
Collected from episodes 1–9. Some publishers may require a subscription.
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