Parents, have you heard of “Groypers”? This far-right online movement uses memes, humor, and irony to pull youth into exclusionary worldviews. They show up in comment sections, gaming chats, and private groups, where jokes become gateways to radical ideas. By spotting the signs, secrecy, hostile language, or new online influences, parents can respond with curiosity, empathy, and clear boundaries before harm escalates.

Parents are not powerless against Big Tech. Despite billion-dollar budgets and endless algorithms, research shows that kids don’t just absorb content, they interpret it through the conversations, examples, and guidance they get at home. Your presence and influence shape how they see the online world. Big Tech may capture their eyes, but you shape their understanding.

Banning kids from technology may feel protective, but research shows it can have the opposite effect. Sonia Livingstone, professor at the London School of Economics, warns that when parents make phones and social media off-limits, it often turns them into “forbidden fruit.” Instead of pushing curiosity underground, the real solution is preparing kids with guidance, conversation, and digital literacy

For years, headlines have claimed that Silicon Valley elites keep their kids away from the very technology they create, pointing to one small “tech-free” school as proof. It’s a compelling story, but it isn’t true. Most tech leaders don’t ban screens , they set boundaries, guide use, and model balance, just like many families already do.