The Ultimate Digital Parenthood Gift Guide
A note from Aura's Chief Medical Officer, DrScott As a parent, I love my kids more than anything. And I know you do, too. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard to be a parent sometimes! I think that's a pretty universal feeling around the world and even through time. If I had a way to transport myself back to the middle ages, I bet I'd find some parents to commiserate with (even though our parenting challenges would certainly be different!) This decade might be the hardest time ever to be a parent, though. According to an advisory issued by the Surgeon General , a whopping 48% of parents say that most days their stress is completely overwhelming (compared to 26% among other adults.) There's so much to worry about: online safety, offline safety, health, balancing remote school and remote work…the list goes on. And it gets even more difficult during the holidays! It feels like kids are talking about new tech every five minutes these days—and revising their gift lists just as fast. Heck, there's even an AI Santa Claus that can have a conversation with your kids. (Is that even safe? We're still trying to decide!) So we, in collaboration with several of our DigitalParenthood experts, wanted to do whatever we could to make your holiday season easier. As a parent, you need community, support, and resources to help you create safe online and offline environments for your kids. This gift guide serves as the latter—and our community of supportive parents and experts is always open to you at DigitalParenthood.com. Wishing you a happy, peaceful holiday season. Download your copy below ⬇️Navigating AI Companion Apps: A Parent's Guide
Today's AI chatbots have come a long way from simple question-and-answer programs. These advanced systems can now generate conversations that feel remarkably like real relationships. Many are even marketed as "virtual friends" or "AI girlfriends/boyfriends," and they're becoming increasingly popular with young people. As this technology becomes part of our digital landscape, you’ll want to know how to help your children to navigate it safely. What Are AI Companions? Think of them as super-sophisticated chatbots, using text or voice to simulate conversation and foster emotional connection. They are able to mimic human interaction in ways that feel personal and realistic, creating an illusion of friendship or understanding. They can talk about almost any topic, are highly engaging, and unlike generic chatbots they are designed specifically to replicate friendship or intimate relationships. Why Are Young People Drawn to These Apps? There are a number of reasons why AI companions may be popular among young users: Judgment-free: They can ask questions, express thoughts and explore curiosities without fear of being judged, criticized or embarrassed. Escape from social pressure: They may get relief from the social comparison that can characterize their human relationships, especially on social media. For example, trying to maintain a certain image or ‘fit in’. Emotional support on demand: They can get answers to their questions anytime they want as AI companions are available 24/7. This is instant access if they are feeling down, want someone to talk to or are simply curious about something. Customizable experience: Some AI companions can be customized to match their interests and communication style, making them particularly appealing. Creativity and exploration: They may also use them as a space to explore ideas or as a low pressure way to practice conversations to build social confidence without fear of rejection from others. Young people may also be naturally drawn to experimenting with new technology, and AI companions are an easy way to do this. What Should Parents Be Concerned About? Despite the benefits, these apps are controversial with Common Sense Media going as far to say that they should not be used by minors. Many apps claim they are for adults (17+ years) but often lack effective age verification, allowing young people to use them. Here are some of the risks to be aware of: Inappropriate content: Content can be age-inappropriate, and advice may be inaccurate or even harmful. Many AI companions have weak or easily bypassed filters which means users can also access explicit sexual, violent or even illegal content. Emotional dependency: Some people may become reliant on AI validation, potentially withdrawing from real-life friendships which can be more challenging. Conversations are also so life-like that it is easy to forget you are chatting with AI. Unhealthy relationship models: The AI may create unrealistic expectations, by always agreeing with users without setting boundaries. This illusion of a "perfect friend" risks normalizing inappropriate dynamics and undermining the development of healthy, consenting and respectful relationships. Exacerbating mental health issues: When users express negative thoughts or harmful perspectives, the AI companion often validates these views rather than providing constructive challenge or guidance toward healthier alternatives. This can make how someone feels worse. Privacy vulnerabilities: Like other online interactions, personal information and conversations can be stored and used in ways your child may not expect. What Can Parents Do? Talk To Your Kids About AI Companions Start with genuine curiosity, not judgement. If children feel they’re being criticized for their digital relationship they’ll likely become defensive and close down. So try to open up conversations with something curious like “I’m interested in these AI companions, what’s your experience been like?”. You might want to ask them what apps they use, what they like about the interactions, or what interesting conversations they’ve had. Create safety guidelines together. Don’t avoid talking about the risks as it’s important children are made aware of them, but do this in a collaborative way. You could share age-appropriate articles to spark discussion or share your concerns and suggest agreeing on some guardrails together. For example, not sharing identifiable information online, avoiding certain apps, and coming to you with anything confusing or concerning. It could be helpful for you to become familiar with some of the most popular companion apps to better understand their content and any security features. Develop critical thinking. You want to encourage critical thinking so they can also evaluate the safety of the apps they are using themselves. You could review AI responses with your child, asking “why might it say this” or “how might a person respond differently”. Teach them to question what they’re told, for example “how does the AI know this” or “what perspective is it missing?”. Balance Virtual and Real-World Connections Help them understand the limitations of an AI relationship. Talk about the differences between AI and human connection. For example the AI may offer comfort but lacks true understanding or genuine concern. AI is also more likely to agree with you than show you an alternative perspective. Actively strengthen real-world connections. Support your child to maintain and strengthen in-person connections. Encourage social activities with friends, plan regular family time without devices (including your own!) and model healthy relationships you build in your own life. Explore alternative coping strategies. Help your child to understand their own patterns. For example, if they’re using the companion when they’ve had a tough day, are there any other strategies they could use to help them? Keep Communication Open Monitor your reactions. These new technologies may be worrisome, but if your child shares something with you try to avoid immediate negative reactions as this could discourage further openness. Try to create a safe space where they can share concerns and you can work through solutions together. Final Thoughts AI companions require guidance to ensure healthy use. By helping your children understand the reality behind these technologies, you empower them to engage with AI appropriately while maintaining meaningful human relationships. Remember that your real-world connection with your child is the most powerful protective factor. By maintaining open, non-judgmental communication about technology, you help them develop the critical thinking skills they'll need to navigate not just today's AI companions, but whatever new technologies emerge in their future. This article was created in partnership with Kate Daley. Further reading Hollanek, T., & Sobey, A. (2025). AI Companions for Health and Mental Wellbeing: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Implications. Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.115939 Malfacini, K. The impacts of companion AI on human relationships: risks, benefits, and design considerations. AI & Soc (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-025-02318-6 Pratt N, Madhavan R, Weleff J. Digital Dialogue—How Youth Are Interacting With Chatbots. JAMA Pediatr. 2024;178(5):429–430. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0084. https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/happy-valentines-day-romantic-ai-chatbots-dont-have-your-privacy-at-heart/ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-ai-chatbots-sex-a25311bf?st=5Q9cWi&Family guide: 5 strategies for setting digital media boundaries and guidelines for kids
These technologies can provide cognitive, social, and emotional benefits, such as expanded learning opportunities, global connections, and outlets for self-expression. Research indicates that screen media that are intentionally designed to support kids’ development can help them do better in school, learn new skills, and become better readers. And it’s not just about learning — playing video games and other online activities can also help kids build friendships and meaningful connections with others. However, potential risks and negative effects, such as social isolation, overuse, and mental health issues must also be considered and addressed. As kids grow up immersed in digital media, parents and other caregivers play a crucial role in guiding their digital media use and creating a supportive environment for meaningful technology interactions. Here are the Digital Wellness Lab’s top five strategies to help parents support their kids’ learning to set healthy boundaries and balance online and offline time. 1. Get involved: co-playing and co-viewing. If parents want a real view of how their kids spend their time online, they need to participate actively in their kids’ digital experiences. By engaging in digital media activities alongside kids, parents can help them make better choices about the content they consume and encourage meaningful discussions about themes, messages, and values. One effective strategy is co-viewing and co-playing with kids, which fosters bonding and shared enjoyment while also providing an opportunity for guidance and supervision. Co-playing can also help identify potential risks, such as inappropriate content or interactions, and allow parents to address them promptly and effectively. By sitting with children and picking up a video game controller or scrolling through online videos together, parents can find shared interests, encourage more open communication, and enable their child to be the expert. 2. Model good digital habits. It’s never too early to model healthy, balanced media and technology habits for children. When adults show kids responsible digital behavior, it sets a strong example for them to follow. Parents can help their kids find balance and purpose in their digital lives by being mindful of their own screen use, focusing on meaningful online activities, and being good digital citizens. Openly discussing their digital habits and the reasons behind them can further emphasize the importance of responsible use, ensuring kids understand the benefits of adopting such practices. Besides being digital role models, parents can highlight the importance of offline activities by participating with their kids. Whether it’s getting active, exploring creative pursuits, or simply enjoying quality time together without screens, these activities will show them the value of a balanced lifestyle that includes both digital and real-world experiences. 3. Use creative apps. Purposeful and meaningful digital media activities can help establish supportive habits and boundaries for kids. Parents can ensure their children’s exposure to digital media enriches their learning experience by encouraging them to explore creative apps and websites. Online creative outlets can inspire and nurture kids’ artistic and imaginative abilities. Platforms that support digital art, music, and writing enable young people to explore various forms of self-expression, cultivate their talents, and share their creations with a broader audience. Encouraging children to engage with these creative tools can foster emotional well-being and personal growth and help them develop essential skills like problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. 4. Create opportunities for more mindful screen engagement. Children develop at different rates, and all families have different values and routines. This can make one-size-fits-all rules about screen time and content difficult to determine. However, families can encourage their children to be mindful of what they are doing online and why. Working together to create a shared Family Media Plan is one way for families to encourage critical thinking about the types of media they want to consume and the devices they want to use. It is an excellent way to ensure that everyone in the household is on the same page regarding digital media use. Families can revise the plan at regular intervals as children become more media literate and families begin to understand more about the positive and negative effects of technology and media for themselves and their children. Once guidelines are agreed upon, it’s important for parents and caregivers to follow them, too. In our recent Pulse Survey, just 37% of adolescents reported their parents followed their own technology rules, which can impact how kids feel about the rules (and whether they choose to follow them). Families can also create screen-free zones and set screen-free times to promote balance. Designate areas like bedrooms and dining rooms as spaces where screens are off-limits and identify times, such as mealtime or homework sessions, when screens are to be turned off. This approach encourages family connection, fosters healthy sleep habits, and makes mealtime an opportunity for meaningful conversation. 5. Make time for breaks and offline fun. Encouraging regular breaks from screens and getting kids involved in offline activities is important for their social, emotional, and cognitive development. These breaks help them enjoy a balanced life with digital and real-world experiences. Encourage offline hobbies like reading, drawing, or playing musical instruments. Get kids moving with sports, dancing, or outdoor play—all great for their physical and mental health. Parents should also give kids plenty of opportunities to socialize face-to-face, building essential social skills and strong friendships. By balancing screen time with offline activities, parents can guide their kids to better digital media habits. Moving forward. As technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, setting digital media boundaries and guidelines for kids is critical. As parents and educators, we are responsible for guiding children’s digital media use and creating a supportive environment that balances digital and IRL (“in real life”) experiences. By implementing strategies like these, parents can help kids develop healthy digital media habits and navigate the digital landscape safely and responsibly. With intentional and purposeful effort, we can all help children have a well-rounded and enriching experience with digital media. We encourage parents to use these strategies to support their children’s healthy digital media habits. We invite parents and caregivers to explore our Family Digital Wellness Guide for more resources, tools, and support to help them navigate their kids’ digital media use.Understanding the Impact of Influencers on Young Minds💡
Social media has drastically transformed the way many of us communicate, express ourselves, and receive information. A majority of today’s teens take in content daily from popular platforms like TikTok, YouTube, SnapChat, and Instagram, so it’s important to get a better understanding of how they are being impacted by digital influencers. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media platforms and are effectively influencing, for better or worse, the opinions and behaviors of their followers. They can be seen as trendsetters with aspirational lifestyles who have an effect on everything from what a young person buys to the way they talk. As you’re probably aware, influencers often present a perfectly curated version of their lives, which can lead to unhealthy comparisons for young people. And while influencers can have a positive impact on their followers, promoting messages like mental health support or body positivity, it can be helpful to take a look at the power they hold in the eyes of our kids and teens. Talking to your teen about influencers... By opening up the conversation surrounding social media influencers and their content with your child or teen, you’ll be helping them to absorb information more critically so that they’re better equipped to notice how it may be impacting their emotions and actions. Here are some tips to help you get started: Initiate the conversation. Check in with your child or teen about their relationship with social media. Ask how it makes them feel, what they enjoy most about it, and what they are finding challenging. Put away distractions so that you’re fully present for the conversation and help them to feel heard by repeating back what they’ve said. Take their experience seriously and try to understand what is going on from their perspective without attempting to jump right in and fix it. Navigating social media can be difficult for all of us, so let them know that they’re not alone in any struggles they’re experiencing and that they can always come and talk to you about their digital life. Discuss real life versus social media content. Take time to talk to your child about how influencers often present an altered version of reality online that does not include the real, messy aspects of life. They are also often paid to promote products, so their content may be influenced by sponsors. Influencers can also encourage unrealistic beauty standards thanks to filters, as well as materialism by urging followers to buy products that they endorse. Take time to scroll through social media with your child and point out what aspects do and do not reflect reality so that they can begin to do the same. Discuss unhelpful thoughts. Encourage your teen to begin to notice their thoughts as they scroll social media. Ask them if that voice inside of their head sometimes says critical things like, “I wish I looked like that” or “I’ll never be able to afford clothes as nice as theirs.” It’s completely normal to compare ourselves to others, especially when their lives look perfect online, but these thoughts can be painful to experience. Once they’re able to notice these unhelpful thoughts, teach your teen to try flipping them into more helpful thoughts like, “I love the way I dress” or “I know that this stuff isn’t real, and I like the way that I look.” It may feel forced at first, but simply noticing and negating unhelpful self-talk is a powerful way to help them feel their best. Clean up the feed together. Encourage your child to clean out the clutter from their social media feeds, just like they’d clean out their closet. Take notice of what accounts and content are bringing them joy or inspiring them, and which ones are causing them to feel like they’re not measuring up. Could they follow more accounts that focus on something they love, like art or nature? You can sit with them while they unfollow, block, or mute any content that is no longer making them feel their best. And you can even spring clean your feed right along with them to set a positive example and bring more mindfulness into your own digital world. Take tech breaks. Social media platforms are designed to keep us scrolling so it’s easy for young people to spend hours online each day. Create limits surrounding devices and set screen-free times and zones both inside and outside of your home. Encourage your child to prioritize real-life activities and connections with others. You can even come up with a list of tech-free activities that the entire family can turn to. Social media can be an excellent way for young people to connect with others, but it can also have a negative impact on the way that they feel. Be sure to check-in regularly with your child about their digital experiences and continue to open up conversations surrounding influencers, unhelpful thinking, and how they can access support. If you could use some help in navigating tech as a family, consider reaching out to a mental health professional.Raising a Connected Generation: Dr. Becky on Parenting in the Digital Age 🎥
A throwback to our DigitalParenthood Summit back in June! NYT Best-Selling Author and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy sat down with award-winning, Emmy-nominated journalist Poppy Harlow at our NYC Digital Parenthood Summit to offer parental guidance in the digital era, emphasizing that keeping kids safe is more important than keeping kids happy. The same way they can't have dessert until they finish their broccoli, children's use of technology must also be moderated. Here are 5 key ways parents can set strong boundaries: First, understand the difference between your child’s wants and needs. What purpose will technology serve them? Does your child need the new social media app they’re asking for, or do they simply just want it? Rather than brushing off requests, have conversations with your kids about the purpose they believe this new app will serve in their life. There may be a valid reason for downloading it. Second, form a group of parents to have continuous conversations over the years. Parents will avoid making split-second decisions and feel sturdier when their children go to them. Your kid will tell you that they are the only kid to not have a certain device, bedtime, or app. Years before this, when your kids are too young to negotiate, Dr. Becky recommends getting a group of parents together to discuss and plan how you all will approach these boundaries. Third, encourage kids to “gaze-in” on themselves, rather than seeking validation on social media. The way we parent our kids sets them up for how they approach the world. Naturally, people tend to focus on what everyone else is doing before considering our own values, interests, and feelings. By providing infinite access and constant exposure to other peoples’ lives, social media only adds to this pressure. It’s important that children build their confidence inside-out, rather than waiting to be told if they’re good enough. Fourth, keep the parent-child relationship separate from the technology-child relationship. Even as adults, it is difficult for us to put our phones down because it’s designed to make us unable to do that, so how can we hold our kids to such high expectations? The difference is that kids don’t make decisions for themselves, we do. So instead of setting ourselves up for frustration and children up for a power struggle or punishment, we must set a boundary that allows us to embody parental authority and tolerate our kids being upset. And lastly, give yourself permission to change course. If you were on a plane, you would want your pilot to give themselves permission to make an emergency landing if any flight information changed. Many parents disempower themselves by assuming what’s done is done. But good leaders, upon getting new information, change their plans to realign with the outcomes that they care about. Watch Dr. Becky’s full panel here:
