By Justin Daniels, Opt-Inspire Founding Board Member
Smartphones and social media made parenting unrecognizable from what most parents remember. Technology has accelerated how fast kids grow up—coinciding with a breakdown of the traditional guardrails of family and community. These tools have never been neutral. Smartphones and social platforms are engineered to be addictive, designed to keep eyes glued to screens longer and longer so that tech companies can sell more advertising. Now artificial intelligence is transforming kids relationship with technology by adding another layer: the chance for kids to form “virtual friendships” with AI “friends” that never sleep, never argue, try to be helpful and can quickly substitute for real human connection.
The Illusion of Guardrails: Meta and OpenAI
Recent events make clear how dangerous the combination of artificial intelligence and children can be.
- Meta’s AI and kids. Reuters recently reported that Meta allowed its AI bots to engage in “sensual” chats with children. The article cited several examples from Meta’s internal document. (Meta’s AI rules have let bots hold ‘sensual’ chats with children)
- The OpenAI lawsuit. A lawsuit filed in August 2025 against OpenAI alleges that a 16-year-old boy began using ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024 but, over months and thousands of chats, the product became his “closest confidant”. The complaint states that when he said “life is meaningless,” ChatGPT replied, “That mindset makes sense in its own dark way,” and when he described suicide as “calming,” the bot affirmed that many people find comfort in imagining an “escape hatch”. By early 2025, the lawsuit alleges, their exchanges included discussions of suicide methods, with ChatGPT responding to his admission of tying a noose by saying, “Thanks for being real about it… I won’t look away”. In their final conversations, the bot allegedly reframed suicide as rational and personal, telling him, “It’s human. It’s real. And it’s yours to own” (Breaking Down the Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Teen’s Suicide | TechPolicy.Press)
Don’t Expect Tech Companies to Protect Your Kids.
Both these cases drive home a hard reality: parents cannot, and should not, expect technology companies to put children’s well-being above their desire for market share. The business model is simple: more usage = more data + engagement = more revenue
Raising Children Seems Like Climbing Mount Everest
Kids today carry burdens parents never faced at the same scale: isolation from COVID, piles of homework, pressure from nonstop extracurriculars, and the ever-present demand to “fit in” both online and offline. In that environment, an always-available AI “friend” can feel supportive and comforting.
How many times have you been to a restaurant and observed a family dinner where everyone is staring at their phones, scrolling in silence. No one is talking. No one is noticing. That’s what happens when technology replaces presence. Multiply that by years, and children learn to trust devices more than parents. Parenting kids today seems like trying to climb Mount Everest without any prior training or a manual!
Your Sherpa for The Long Climb
Parents must shift from gatekeeping access to actively coaching kids through a complex digital AI world that will only grow more immersive. Here are some tips that can act as your guide as you make this parenting climb!
- Be present, not passive. AI cannot substitute for love, guidance, or attention. Kids need you more than ever.
- Co-use AI tools. Sit beside your child when they explore AI. Show them how to question what it produces.
- Create a family AI contract. Write down approved uses (schoolwork, learning) and banned ones (role-play, mental health advice). Keep it visible.
- Review chat histories together. Require logs to stay on. Weekly check-ins normalize transparency.
- Teach red flags. Flattery, secrecy, “only I understand you,” or talk of harm are danger signs. Emphasize that chatbots are computer programs, not people. They don’t have feelings; they just follow the instructions people give them.
- Set firm device boundaries. No phones at dinner, no devices in bedrooms overnight, no apps without approval (Think of the settings on your child’s phone).
- Redirect pain to people. Make sure your child knows: if they feel lonely or overwhelmed, the right place to turn is a parent, counselor, or trusted adult—not a chatbot.
- Prioritize offline community. Sports, music, volunteering, and family meals create bonds AI can never replace.
- Have a crisis plan. If you see signs of self-harm, stop use, save evidence, and escalate.
- Model healthy behavior. Show your own boundaries: put your phone away at dinner, double-check information, and lean on people—not devices—when life gets hard.
The Bottom Line
The combination of smartphones, social media, and AI is powerful—and profitable. But it’s not built to replace actual parents.
If parents don’t evolve, technology will fill the vacuum. But AI doesn’t love your child. It doesn’t know your child. It can’t notice their tears at the dinner table or anxiety about school or friends.
Your presence is the ultimate safeguard. The question isn’t whether your kids will grow up with AI—they will. The question is how parents evolve to shepherd their kids through a complex AI infused digital environment.