First phones, AI fakes, and what to do tonight

Happy New Year, friends! 🎉 Our team took a (mostly) restful holiday — you know, as restful as a mom’s holiday can be with everyone home from school. We hope yours had pockets of peace, too. Moms bring the magic over the holidays, which is exactly why you probably need a break from your break. Cat was home with her brood (plus alllll the time with friends and family), and Nat was off gallivanting in Hawaii. It’s been busy in the best way, and so nice to slow down and soak up family time — but now we’re back at it, and wow did the world of tech not slow down while we hit reset. New year, same fast-moving digital universe with very real impacts on our kids.

We’re so happy to be back in your inbox, and we’ve got a lot packed into today’s newsletter. Let’s dive in. 💌

—Cat & Nat

The Two-Minute Parent Download

• “New phone who dis?” Lots of kids unwrapped their first devices over the holidays. First week ownership is when bad habits cement and it can be hard to back track. Keep bedtime charging outside bedrooms and set the tone now with a clear family tech plan (we put a starter one in Screen Sense Guide).

• AI pics are getting creepier: “Face swap,” “beautify,” and “undress” tools are circulating on social apps. Teach your kids: If it seems too outlandish or bizarre, it could be AI. And, if they post something publicly, it could be manipulated with AI. Make sure they know what to do if it happens to them. Hint: the first step is to come to you for help.

• Focus hacking: Teens are rediscovering old-school “dumb widgets” — timers, site blockers, grayscale mode — to survive exam season. If your teen’s open to it, co-install a blocker they pick (control with them, not at them).

The Grok Deepfake Mess on X

You may have seen reports that Grok (the AI tool connected to X) has been used to generate and circulate sexualized images of real people — including minors — without consent. Regular people are posting normal photos of themselves or their kids on X (vacation pics, first-day-back shots, team photos). In the replies, bad actors jump in, tag Grok, and ask it to edit or “undress” the photo. Grok then comments back with the non-consensual AI manipulated image. What’s additionally alarming is that those edits often target women and, in some cases, minors. 

The fakes can spread fast through replies and reposts, even when the original poster never consented. That’s a huge violation of privacy and consent, and when minors are involved it can cross into illegal territory, though enforcement is messy and still evolving. This is a consent, safety, and dignity issue, and the tech is moving faster than the rules.

What you can do tonight (yes, tonight):

1. Name it plainly. Try: “You might see people using AI to change photos, even to undress them. That’s a violation of consent and it’s never okay. If you ever see this or if it happens to you, come to me. I will help and never judge.”

2. Create a “no-forward” pact. If a manipulated or sexual image pops up in a chat, your kid’s job is to not save/forward, and to exit/report.

3. Screenshot smarter. If they need to report, teach them how to capture usernames/links while avoiding saving the actual image to their camera roll.

4. Update your family’s “image rules.” Clarify: No body-based insults, no sharing pics of others without permission, and no AI edits of real people, even as a joke.

5. Set reporting routes. Show teens how to report on-platform and when to bring it to you/school/local authorities.

The 9 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make With Kids & Devices (and how to fix them)

If your teen just unwrapped a phone (or if you’re looking at their screen like it’s a spaceship dashboard), this one’s for you. No shame, (truly) these are super common pitfalls that experts see everywhere, even in our own homes. We’re here to educate, empower, and make it easier to set healthy habits without turning your kitchen into a courtroom. Here are the five biggest mistakes parents make with kids and devices, and simple fixes you can start tonight.

#1: Thinking “My kid would never…”
They would. Not because they’re bad, but because they’re curious, impulsive, and human.
Fix it: Assume exposure, and focus on open convos over blind trust.

#2: Skipping the awkward talks
If you avoid it, TikTok won’t.
Fix it: Talk about sextortion, nudes, AI fakes early and often. Normalize the uncomfortable.

#3: Using screen time as a reward or punishment
It turns tech into a forbidden fruit
Fix it: Shift the convo from control to self-regulation. Teach them to notice when it’s “too much.”

#4: Having zero idea what apps they’re using
If you haven’t heard of it, they probably love it.
Fix it: Set device permissions so you approve every download. Then — stay curious. Ask what the app does, why they want it, and how it works.

#5: Not having a real phone plan
“No phones at dinner” is not a plan.
Fix it: Create a clear, evolving phone agreement together. Boundaries hit harder when kids help build them.

#6: Jumping straight to surveillance without conversation
Monitoring without context erodes trust.
Fix it: Be transparent about any tools, what you’ll see, and why. Also pair them with regular, judgment-free check-ins.

#7: Inconsistent rules and consequences
Moving goalposts will lead to constant battles.
Fix it: Pre-decide calm, predictable consequences (e.g., app pause for 24 hours) and follow through.

#8: Letting devices sleep in bedrooms
Nighttime and phones = less sleep, more drama.
Fix it: All devices charge in a common area. Buy a $10 alarm clock and blame us.

#9: Only talking about danger (and never the good stuff)
Constant warnings make kids tune out.
Fix it: Mix safety with dignity and joy, including creativity, playlists, friends. Connection keeps the convo open.

Want to go deeper? Screen Sense has your back. Inside you’ll find our First Phone Agreement, conversation scripts, and instructions to our most recommended parental controls for their device and their fave apps. Grab what you need, start where you are, and we’ll walk you through the rest. Learn more here.

Cat here: I just had a colonoscopy. The prep? Honestly the worst part. But the thing is, it’s a new year, and we want you here for all of it. If you’re due for a screening, book it. If you’ve been putting off that blood test or mammogram — book it. We’ll talk poop and polyps all day if it means our community takes care of themselves. Health first, always. 

—Cat & Nat