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PODCAST

Family IT Guy Podcast

Ben Gillenwater helps families protect children from digital dangers, bringing 30 years of cybersecurity expertise to the parenting journey. His background includes working with the NSA and serving as Chief Technologist of a $10 billion IT company, where he built global-scale systems and understood technology"s risks at every level. His mission began when he gave his young son an iPad with "kid-safe" apps—only to discover inappropriate content days later. Despite his deep technical background, Ben

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

81:21

How Predators Went From Playgrounds to Your Kid’s Phone

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/04/11

Mike Lemon investigates crimes against children for a living. He's done it for over 20 years. He trains 5,000 parents a year on what he's learned. He still built layered defenses for his own kids' devices, because he knows no child can handle a professional predator alone.We talked for almost 90 minutes. AI sextortion, how Snapchat was really designed, the evolution from physical predation to online operations, his family's actual phone contract, and a conversation framework I keep coming back

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3:08

Meta to pay $375 million for knowingly putting...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/03/26

A New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for knowingly putting children in danger on Facebook and Instagram. It's being called a historic win, but is it really a win for kids?In this video, I break down exactly what happened in court, what evidence the jury saw, and most importantly, what's coming next and why the proposed "solutions" may actually make things worse for your family. Chapters: 0:00 — The $375M Meta Verdict 0:45 — What Evidence the Jury Saw 1:30 — 500,000 Cases a

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5:04

Age Verification Laws Won’t Protect Your Kids Online...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/03/13

At least 20 states are pushing bills that claim to protect your kids online. I've read them. I testified against one in South Dakota.The problems they're trying to solve are real. The bills don't solve them. I'm Ben Gillenwater — dad, cybersecurity expert, 30 years in the field. In this video I break down exactly what these laws would actually do, why the last major child safety law passed in 1998 made things worse, and why the most powerful protection for your kid isn't in a state capitol

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100:08

What to Do When Your Kid Is Melting Down Over Screens

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/03/06

Dr. Carrie Mackensen is a clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience directing addiction and eating disorder treatment programs. She's raising two boys without iPads and is writing a book on parenting in the digital age.In Part 2 of our conversation, we dig into the places where parents actually get stuck: the meltdowns when you take devices away, how to tell if screens are the problem or just puberty, what device withdrawal really looks like (and how long it lasts by age), why Silicon

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51:42

Is Roblox Safe for Kids? Chris Hansen’s Investigation...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/02/27

Is Roblox safe for kids? In this interview, Chris Hansen shares findings from his investigation into predators, grooming tactics, and why thousands of families have reported harm on the platform.Chris Hansen, who has exposed online predators for over two decades, explains how grooming works on modern platforms, why Roblox has become a growing concern for families, and what parents can do right now to reduce risk. This conversation breaks down the real tactics predators use, how children are

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74:05

”Screens Are a Drug.” How to Get Your Family Back...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/02/19

Mike McLeod is a speech-language pathologist and ADHD executive function specialist who has worked with over 500 families to eliminate screens since 2016. He hosts the ADHD Parenting Podcast and has two books that released in January 2026.In this conversation, we get into the hard stuff: why screen addiction looks identical to drug addiction, what the withdrawal period actually looks like when you take a phone away, what EdTech has done to education (and how to opt out of school Chromebooks),

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5:01

Social Media on Trial: The Case Against Meta,...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/02/14

For the first time, social media executives are being forced to answer to a jury for the impact their platforms have had on children.This trial in Los Angeles (MDL 3047) brings together claims from more than 2,000 families who allege that platform features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and reward systems were intentionally designed to encourage compulsive use in kids and teens. Evidence presented in court includes: • Internal memos comparing Instagram to a drug •

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52:08

FBI Psychologist: Your Kid’s Phone Is More Dangerous...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/02/11

Dr. Lisa Strohman spent 30 years studying what hurts kids—from profiling at FBI Quantico after Columbine to serving as an expert witness in New Mexico v. Meta. Her conclusion? The phone in your child's pocket is more dangerous than a gun on your kitchen table. At least the kid knows to be afraid of the gun. We get into the CDC data, what she saw inside Meta's own research, why 400 girls at one school deleted social media on Valentine's Day, and what happened when she gave her own son Snapchat and

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77:23

AI Videos vs Deepfakes: How to Tell What’s Real...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/02/03

How do you protect your kids online when even adults can’t tell what’s real anymore?AI-generated videos, deepfakes, and synthetic audio are not just a tech issue. They are showing up inside the apps our kids use every day, mixed in with cartoons, music clips, and “safe” educational content. Most children, and plenty of adults, are being trained to trust whatever looks and sounds real. In this episode of the Family IT Guy Podcast, I sat down with Jeremy Carrasco@showtoolsai a media producer

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2:48

Why schools are ditching phones!

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/01/31

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3:00

3 AI Rules for Kids, from a cybersecurity expert.

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/01/28

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2:53

Grok exposes the risk of posting kids online.

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/01/19

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98:40

Protecting Kids Online: Missing Children, AI Scams,...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/01/11

In this episode of the Family IT Guy Podcast, I sit down with Shawnna Hoffman, CEO of the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), for a raw and deeply personal conversation about online exploitation, AI-enabled scams, human trafficking, and the growing risks facing kids and teens online.Shawnna shares her journey from decades in Big Tech and AI leadership to leading a global organization focused on returning missing children to their families. She also opens up about her

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4:37

764 Update: The Online Network Targeting Kids Is...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2026/01/07

Earlier this year, I spoke with Jason Sokolowski about the loss of his 16-year-old daughter, Penelope, after she was targeted by the online criminal network known as 764. This video is an update — and the situation is escalating. 764 is a decentralized exploitation network targeting vulnerable kids, primarily girls ages 10–17, across platforms like Discord, Roblox, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. The FBI and DOJ are actively investigating, but reports are increasing, not slowing down. In

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15:53

Age Verification Won’t Protect Kids — It Builds...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/12/16

We all want our children to be safe online. That instinct is human and urgent.Australia has banned social media for children under 16. Similar laws are spreading across the US, UK, and Europe. The momentum feels overwhelming. Who could oppose protecting children? But before we build age verification into the internet itself, there is a question worth asking. What are we actually trading? To verify the age of children, everyone must be verified. Every adult. Every account. Every post

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2:37

The Antidote to Internet Chaos

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/12/12

The internet is constant noise: endless scrolling, reacting and stimulation. It's rewiring our brains to consume information in tiny bursts and it's affecting everyone, including our kids.So what's the antidote? Stillness. I've spent 30 years in cybersecurity and I help families navigate technology and online safety. One pattern shows up again and again. We can't teach our kids to manage digital chaos if we can't manage it ourselves. Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen teaches a simple

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102:48

Inside the Mind of Predators: Forensic Psychologist...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/12/08

How can families protect children from dangerous predators - both online and in real life? In this eye-opening episode of the Family IT Guy Podcast, Dr. Leslie Dobson, forensic psychologist, dives into the psychology of violent offenders, including child predators, and reveals why consequences in the justice system often fall short. Dr. Dobson shares real stories from her decades of experience working in prisons, state hospitals, and private practice, explaining how understanding the criminal

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73:37

How One Parent Took on Smartphones in Elementary...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/11/30

When smartphones started showing up in 1st grade, Meri knew something had to change. As a PR expert and mom who understood AI, algorithms, and why these devices are so addictive, she dove into the research—and then took action.In this episode, we talk about how she: 1. Partnered with schools and clinical psychologists to educate kids AND parents 2. Helped implement Wait Until 8th in her community 3. Worked with school leadership on behavior impacts from devices and social media 4. Started a

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32:15

AI Toys for Kids - My Thoughts

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/11/29

Join me as I explore the world of AI toys and share my thoughts on their impact on children. As a cybersecurity expert and parent, I delve into the potential risks and benefits of these innovative toys. I discuss how AI toys work, the privacy concerns they raise, and why it's crucial for parents to stay informed. Let's ensure our kids' safety in this digital age. For more insights, visit https://www.familyitguy.com and follow me on social media. #aitoys #childsafety #FamilyITGuy This is from

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12:59

Bark Phone Review: What Works, What Doesn’t, How to...

Family IT Guy Podcast ·

2025/11/26

This is a complete Bark Phone review and setup guide from a cybersecurity expert and dad. After testing every feature, here's my take on what Bark does well, where it falls short, and the settings I recommend changing before giving this phone to your child.THE SHORT VERSION: Bark Phone delivers on its claims. The parental controls actually work and kids can't bypass them. If my son needed a smartphone and I wanted to monitor his conversations for concerning behaviors, I would use a Bark

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