Parenting in today’s digital environment requires more than monitoring screen time. Children aren’t just using technology — they’re growing up inside it. From kindergarten Chromebooks to teen social media platforms, gaming chats, and artificial intelligence tools, the digital landscape is evolving faster than most families can keep up.
In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with cybersecurity professionals and co-authors of Cyber Smart Parenting, Chad Rychlewski and Kae David. Drawing from their experience advising large organizations on cyber defense, they explain how families can adopt a “multi-layered defense” approach at home.
Key topics include:
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Why digital safety conversations must begin before a child receives a device
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Understanding personally identifiable information (PII) and identity theft risks
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The hidden dangers of gaming chats and voice communication platforms
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The impact of AI and photo sharing on children’s long-term privacy
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Teaching kids about digital footprints and online reputation
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How to replace fear and shame with trust and communication
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Creating family digital contracts that set expectations clearly
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Simple 15-minute actions parents can take today
Research suggests parents spend an average of just 45 minutes discussing digital safety with their children from birth to age 18. This episode challenges families to rethink that statistic and shift toward ongoing, developmentally appropriate conversations.
CHAD RYCHLEWSKI
Cybersecurity Professional
Speaker
Author
Father of 2
“Anytime I tell someone I’m in cybersecurity, they’ve got 10 or 20 questions and you find yourself having the same conversation with multiple parents. So that was it right there — we said we have to be able to make this scale a bit better.”
KAE DAVID
Cybersecurity Professional
Author
“They aren’t just using technology — they are literally growing up inside of it. When they understand why something is risky, they make better choices even when no one’s watching.”
