Gospel Tech with Nathan Sutherland

We are hot on the heels of our first-ever work trip. It involved five talks in three days, a pair of cross-country flights, and three lessons that are amazing reminders that God is working in hearts around the US and the world. Thank you all for being on this journey with us! So excited to see where the Lord takes this work and conversation.

Today we get a special treat: A conversation with my friend and former student, Micah Roberts. Micah is an avid gamer, he's gamed since before he can remember, and his insights are a valuable look not only into the world of gamers but also into the world of how we can lovingly parent children who love video games (and model healthy gaming for them). He's also the one who coined the phrase: "Game like you like your life." Today's conversation is spontaneous, honest, and a beautiful view into the world of gamers.

Resources: 

Games with soul: That Dragon Cancer, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Games without soul: FIFA, Clash of Clans

Having high expectations doesn't mean being unreasonable or mean. It means knowing what our children are capable of, and acting towards that belief in hope not fear. In today’s conversation Nathan talks through how he’s been learning this lesson the hard way, raising kids who are interested in (of all things) video games. He discusses what it looks like to parent out of hope not fear, and to base our tech parenting on Biblical truths while always reminding ourselves that God loves our children even more than we do.

Today we have a chance to talk with Reilly Flynn, Co-Founder of Lome and someone who has dedicated his life to pursuing Christ in all avenues, including product design and tech use. In the process he's made Lome, a family organization platform intended to help families be more present both with, and without, their tech. 
In today's conversation Reilly is going to guide us through the big ideas of what it looks like to live life well and ditch distraction. We'll talk family, entrepreneurship, the future of tech, and how faith is both the foundation of healthful tech design as well as the future of healthy tech use. Whether you’re a stay at home parent, a single person, a business owner, or a retiree looking to the next stage in God’s journey for you this conversation will encourage and challenge you to think intentionally about the days and gifts you’ve been given, and what God might be calling you to do in raising young people who love Him in a tech world.
Resources:—

Check out Lome, the family organizational platform (aka: super-useful calendar thingy!)
A couple resources we reference when talking about intentional tech:


What Technology Wants, by Kevin Kelly (co-founder of Wired)
Superintelligence, by Nick Bostrom
The Center For Humane Tech, founded by Tristan Harris (one of the main participants in The Social Dilemma)


An excellent book on living intentionally with tech in a hope-focused way: The Tech-Wise Family, Andy Crouch
Want email that doesn’t track (or sell) your personal info? Check out Proton Mail
Learn more about a world leader in gamification that is trying to use the powers of habit-building for good: Yu-kai Chou

Greta joins us again for another great conversation about raising healthy youth, porn resilience, and how adventure is an amazing vessel for relationship with our children (even on a budget).

Resources:

Check out Greta's latest book! 100 Days Of Adventure
And her first book: Adventuring Together
A great intro resource Greta suggests for talking about pornography: Good Picture, Bad Picture by Kristen Jenson.
Check out Greta on IG and FB
Want Greta to come speak to your small group, co-op, church, or school? Contact her here!

There’s a really good chance your child has asked you to get them a smartphone. My first conversation was with my oldest child when he was in kindergarten. His classmate had one and used it to play games during the school day. Whatever age you child, this conversation is fraught with big emotions, a predictable “but everyone else has one” argument, and the difficulty as a parent of threading the needle between being intentional and being out of touch with reality. It's not easy, and today's conversation will walk through the research and practice that will help inform our decisions, as well as practical steps we can take to help get our children on the road to eventual (if delayed) digital independence. 

Resources:

Addiction By Design: Machine Gambling In Las Vegas. The book I couldn't remember in the podcast--Ms. Dow Schull looks at how slot machines engage users beyond just gambling, and the implications that has for other digital tech.
Gabb Wireless: great options for trainer phones
The Wise Phone: another great dumb phone option
An article we wrote for Fierce Parenting on how to make your smartphone a dumb phone
A great Protect Young Eyes article on home routers

Some other honorable mentions:

Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. A look at unhealthy tech design and specifically the pull to refresh in Smartphones.
The Social Dilemma: A documentary that sheds light on some of the design aspects of social media (although know going in that the documentary falls short of giving any practical or hopeful next steps)
Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products A book by Nir Eyal in which he explores “experiences designed to connect the user’s problem with the company’s product with enough frequency to form a habit.”

Tech can be a confusing topic for many parents, but not anymore! In today's conversation we're going to tackle the three things every parent needs to know when talking, and acting on, the tech in their family. By the end of today's episode you will know:
1. There are actually two types of tech
2. If your tech use is healthy
3. What steps to take for healthful tech at home

Josh is co-founder of Be In Touch, an organization focused on educating families about digital wellness. In today's conversation we get to hear how God set Josh free from compulsive and addictive behaviors, both in tech and other areas of life, and how Josh now works to help see their full potential and make choices that line up with it in this digital world. He and his co-founder Kate do this through their website, Be In Touch.org, as well as online and live talks on the topics we most want to see our children be informed and healthful in: screen time, cyberbullying, social media, stranger danger, and pornography. 

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Beintouch.org.za to find helpful articles, videos, how-to instructions, and webinars
Great resources from Be In Touch like the: Screen Time Guidelines, Digital Family Alliance, 8 Steps to Digital Wellness
Reach out to Be In Touch on social media: Facebook & Instagram
A great resources for talking about God's greatness with our children: The Bible Project 
Want a devotional to read with your younger kids in < 5 minutes? Indescribable: 100 Devotions For Kids About God

Our kids are going to ask us, at some point, to use tech and their argument will sound something like: "All of my friends are on there!" So what do we do? As loving parents we have probably given them all the tech we are comfortable with. They play the games we know about, they use the devices we believe are age appropriate, and they engage the apps and websites we believe are helpful. So if they're asking for more there's a good chance it pushes us out of our comfort zone. But how do we know if it's unsafe/unwise, or just something new (and nobody likes change)?
In today's conversation Anna and Nathan discuss the value of digital tech in relationships, two major concerns to keep in mind, and the steps a family can take to ensure they add all of the tech that helps and none of the tech that distracts.

Resources Mentioned:

Voxer, Marco Polo: tech that is social without the algorithms, feeds, or ads (remember, all social media needs to be used in accountable environments). If you choose to use something like WhatsApp, know that there are no parental controls. You'll need outside accountability. 
Want help making a family tech framework? Use Gospel Tech's Small Group Workshop.
A verse to help guide our friends & tech conversations with our children: 1 Cor. 10:23

Today Anna and Nathan assess the tech use of their own family using the resources of RESET and RENEW. They talk Tool & Drool Tech, and Nathan gets one spontaneous (but timely) reminder that just because he talks healthful tech for a living doesn’t mean he’s flawless with his own tech use.
Resources mentioned:
.Our Spring calendar is filling quickly. We are currently booking mid-May and into summer. Want Nathan to speak at your school, church, or home group co-op? Email [email protected] or visit the website.
.Do you have someone you’d like us to interview? Send ideas to us: [email protected] or on social media @lovegodusetech (instagram, facebook)
.A Gospel basis for Digital Trust: Luke 16:10. 
.Want help having tech conversations? We’ve made a small group curriculum for that! Part 1 helps you talk it out as parents, Part 2 helps you walk it out as a family. Check it out here!