Please stop yourself from saying, “This could never happen to me or my family.” We can all have vulnerable blindspots when it comes to those we love being exploited or endangered. Even the best trained educators can be manipulated into making a mistake.

Today’s guest is Clayton Cranford. Clayton is the founder of Cyber Safety Cop. He is a retired sergeant from the Orange County Sheriff's Department who served as a school resource officer, juvenile investigator, and behavioral threat assessor. He is one of the nation’s leading law enforcement educators on social media, child safety, teen drug abuse prevention, and behavioral threat assessments. He is the author of the definitive parent guide to online safety, Parenting in a Digital World.

Show Notes:

• [1:10] - Clayton shares his background as a school resource officer in 2012, which was the year that saw the adoption of smartphones by teens.
• [2:48] - It all amounts to a simple and common narrative: a good kid made a bad choice and a parent who had no idea what was going on.
• [4:08] - The turning point in Clayton’s career was his first day as a school resource officer.
• [6:14] - There are things that parents can do to absolutely make a difference.
• [8:20] - Technology has changed our kids, particularly their mental health.
• [10:06] - Schools and counselors are alarmed at the number of children who are struggling with anxiety and depression.
• [12:50] - Clayton shares some of the data that shows an increase in depression and suicidal ideation in teens.
• [15:40] - Parents could come together to make real change, but oftentimes, parents don’t often make a change until it's too late.
• [17:51] - A lot of parents are using devices to help their kids regulate their emotions.
• [21:06] - Boys tend to lean more into video games, but girls tend to spend more time on social media. There are differences in the effect on their brains.
• [24:52] - When it comes to friends, teens have gone from quality to quantity.
• [27:02] - Every new generation that is now exposed to social media from the time they are born are experiencing severe mental health concerns.
• [30:03] - Parenting styles have changed through each generation.
• [32:03] - Why are parents giving their children phones so young?
• [36:41] - Clayton says not to give your child a smartphone until high school.
• [37:48] - There are apps that you can put on your child’s phone that will help regulate screen time.
• [39:45] - Clayton discourages parents from putting technology, particularly mobile devices in your child’s bedroom.
• [40:49] - Parenting in a digital world is more about how to talk to your children than telling them what they should and shouldn't do.
• [42:16] - Snapchat is an especially big problem. How can we have this conversation?
• [44:51] - The number 1 app that puts drugs in a child’s hands is Snapchat.
• [45:50] - Your relationship with your child is important, but you need to be aware of what each app can do and what it can lead to.
• [47:10] - Parents are saying that they are glad they didn’t have the internet when they were growing up.
• [49:02] - Interacting online takes away the sense of consequence that we feel when we interact in person.
• [52:10] - The way kids think is normal. But they don’t understand the consequences of their online behavior.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

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• Parenting in a Digital World by Clayton Cranford