Keep Kids Off Social Media and AI
God created us in his image so that, in part, we would create. Innovation is good! We can enjoy the benefits of technology. But we must also recognize its burdens. All technologies shape us; even a shovel can give us calluses.
To make wise technology decisions for our kids we must consider each technology, its blessing and its burdens, and what God has said in his Word.
In the case of social media, we see plenty of positives. Like ancient letters, we can use communications technologies to connect with others. But it has its limits. As John says in his second (very short) letter:
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
John knew the technology of letters (which is a technology) should be limited. The same is true of social media today.
Meta was recently found guilty for harm to teens by a jury — a historic win for people like me who have repeatedly argued these companies must be held responsible. In particular, the jury determined that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what they knew about child sex trafficking on their platforms. The humans who were responsible for these decisions should be held accountable. And this is only the first step in more lawsuits coming their way.
In Deuteronomy 22:8 it says:
When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.
The idea is simple. People used to walk on their roofs and so you must build a railing (“parapet”) on it, otherwise you are guilty of “bloodshed.” The same applies for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, OpenAI, and so on.
But this doesn’t mean that parents are not also responsible for their children. We shouldn’t pit one against the other, as if a parent giving their child cigarettes is not also to blame. Parents should learn the harms and act accordingly. For example, you can read this 2026 paper by the famous researcher Jonathan Haidt, a leader in the movement to delay teen access to social media until at least age 16. Jonathan Haidt has studied this in-depth and concluded an important lesson: parents have overprotected our children in-person and under-protected them online. I agree with his thesis. The benefits of being connected are not worth the restlessness, access to sexual immorality, and self-centeredness that these apps normalize
None of this says that social media cannot also be used for good. Just yesterday I listened to a number of people share their story before they were baptized. One woman described how God used videos on TikTok to help her see the need she has for God and the church. Christians shouldn’t hide these potential benefits as if we are on one side of the argument or the other. We’re team Jesus. We call it as it is.
Likewise, with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we should expect a mix of blessings and burdens. Missionaries and pastors are making use of AI for translation. And yet, the early research shows harms such as deskilling, disempowerment, and a false sense of self. ChatGPT will always compliment you, which is perhaps why one in ten teens prefer to speak to an “AI Companion” over a human. This is concerning.
I stand by the video I made last summer that parents should not give their children unsupervised access to Large Language Models (such as via ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude). Waiting until age sixteen makes sense. There are benefit in using AI but there are also harms, especially for children. As an aside, I never understood the argument that “AI is the future, so children need to get better using it.” That implies school is about skill development rather than virtue and knowledge. I wasn’t allowed to use a calculator regularly in class until, well, never. It was always supervised. There are far more harms to AI, so why risk it? Especially when it’s so new.
Wise technology use begins with parents, not Big Tech, nor the school your kids go to, nor the church you attend (though those all have an important role to play!). As parents, we need to model limiting technology for the sake of relationships, while also teaching the good of creativity and innovation. In this way, we can both image God’s creativity and align with Christ’s character.
Two quick notes:
A much shorter version of this article (about half the length) was written for the newsletter of my children’s school. I am thankful for partnering with them.
The “photos” above are actually both AI-generated images. I drafted a prompt with the help of Anthropic’s Claude and then had Google Gemini create it. In posts about LLMs (or “AI” — I use them interchangeably even though I know I could be more specific) I tend to use AI images, as they can illustrate the benefits of AI. I’m still a bit uneasy about using AI for “realistic photos” but I won’t get into that here.
For clarity, the writing of this article was done completely by me. I only used LLMs to check for typos.
Podcast Links
It’s been awhile since I’ve linked to the podcasts I’ve produced.
I encourage you to listen.
Thinking About It | Season 5: Live Like a Christian (Links: Website | Apple | Spotify):
The Neglected Virtue of Friendship
Have we removed God from the Christian life? (with Kelly Kapic)
Be Quiet
Live a Simple Life
Your Car Isn’t Really Yours (Stewardship)
Take a “Me Day” or a “God Day”?
Building Annual Rhythms: The Church Calendar
Is Your Weekly Worship Weak?
What Would Jesus Tech (Links: Website | Apple | Spotify | YouTube):
An Honest Conversation About AI Chatbots (with Bonnie Kristian)
What’s Really Happening in the Faith & Technology World? (with John Knox)
AI Warfare, Kids Tech, and Wild Times
Are Sports Betting & Gambling REALLY That Bad?
Should We Be Concerned with AI Agents?
Thanks for reading and listening.
Consider sharing this post if you found it valuable.