Crack The Code

10/01/2026

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/30/whatsapp-adds-new-parental-controls-for-teen-accounts/

Parents can limit how teens use channels, whose Status they can see, who can see their Status updates, and control who can add teens to groups.

09/30/2026

Just. No.

09/30/2026

https://www.theeducatedpatient.com/view/what-parents-should-know-about-teens-smartphones-and-mental-health

Simple household rules can help teens develop balanced and safer technology habits.

09/24/2026

Make. It. Make. Sense.

09/22/2026

This months newsletter is out. I spend a lot of time on the newsletter every month, and I’m really proud of what it has become. It started as a way to share useful information with parents and professionals about social media, technology, AI, and the digital world our kids are growing up in. But somewhere along the way, it has become something more personal. Less tech...more humanity. Think book recommendations, movies, funny quotes...maybe a random recipe. But also....tech. Because life is not always JUST tech. Or just the other stuff. It is ALL of it. Together.
Each month are stories in it that may make you laugh, some that may make you cry, some that will hopefully make you stop and think, and always a few practical things you can actually use. I wanted it to feel less like a newsletter and more like a letter from me to you. A mix of tech and humanity. Research and real life. Parenting, connection, humor, hard conversations, and the things I’m thinking about as we all try to raise and support kids in a world that keeps changing.
If you haven’t read this month’s issue yet, I would truly love for you to take a few minutes and check it out. You can find past issues there as well as a place to subscribe if you like.
https://mailchi.mp/f9b0d04fe6c5/a-letter-from-kristi-the-phone-isnt-the-problem-12755246

09/22/2026

I will be speaking at the ALSCA 2026 Critical Issues Conference on Oct. 2 at 2pm. The title of my presentation is:
BEYOND THE SCREEN: Understanding the Student in Front of You in an AI & Social Media-Driven World.
I am incredibly excited to have been asked to return to speak at the Critical Issues Conference and I look forward to meeting everyone there!

October 1 | 8:00 am - October 2 | 3:30 pm register online Use the following links to download information and alternative registration materials: pdfConference Information pdfRegistration Information pdfRegistration Form pdfSchedule at a Glance pdfHotel & Dining Information pdfCE Certificate Applica...

09/22/2026

Are your kid's friends human?

What in the Star Trek, George Jetson, Wall-E kind of stuff is happening today...

09/14/2026

Your child knows influencers curate their lives. But it doesn't mean anything CHANGES when it comes to discernment.

They can know a video is edited and still walk away thinking why their lives do not look like that, why THEY do not look like that, why they do not have x, y or z.
That's the conversation I'm having in this week's episode of Protect Our Kids.

We're talking about the line between curation and control. I truly believe the answer isn't teaching our kids to distrust everyone online. Because that is just bananas...and frankly not effective. Instead, I want to help them develop a mental filter that allows them to recognize when content is trying to influence what they believe, feel, buy, fear, or think is normal.

I'm sharing three simple questions you can begin using with your kids this week to build that skill.

As always NO fear-based parenting. Because that is also bananas. And ineffective. Just better conversations and stronger critical thinking.

New episode: Curation as Control: Teaching Kids to See What Social Media Is Really Selling. Listen below or on any of your favorite platforms.

What happens when an influencer stops simply sharing their life and starts shaping what we believe is normal?In this episode of Protect Our Kids, Kristi Bush explores the increasingly blurry line between curation, influence, and manipulation online and why understanding that distinction is especiall...

09/09/2026

https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/

Coxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.