Hello Reader, Our recent Defend Young Minds Parent Council believes that one of the most dangerous myths in parenting today is: My child probably hasn’t seen pornography. In fact, research shows that many well-meaning parents vastly underestimate what their children are exposed to online. Researchers call this the “naivete gap”—the gap between what parents believe and what kids actually experience. In one study done by the British Board of Film Classification, only 25% of parents believed...

Hello Reader, No parent wants their kid to develop bad habits or an addiction of any kind--and yet it happens. That's why understanding how a behavior can escalate from a habit to compulsive use to an addiction is one of the most protective things you can do for your child. (Check out our easy infographic below.) Let’s explore the difference between these three: habit, compulsion and addiction. ➡️ A habit is a learned, repeated behavior that becomes automatic. For example, a child stumbles...

Hello Reader, One morning I answered a phone call from a friend. I heard sobbing, but couldn’t make out the words. Finally, I asked, “Tricia, should I come over?” “Yesss,” I heard. When I arrived, I rang the doorbell and knocked on the door, but no answer. I let myself in, followed the muffled cries, and gave my friend a big hug when I found her in her bedroom. I assumed the worst. Maybe a loved one had died? Her husband had asked for a divorce? It was none of that. My friend had found links...