Preparing kids for a high tech world by giving them a low tech childhood with Dr. Dana Suskind

Dr. Dana Suskind is the Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health, and the Founding Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program. She has dedicated her research and clinical work to optimizing foundational brain development, with an emphasis on helping parents and caregivers understand their power as brain architects. Her new book, Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI, explores how families can stay grounded in human connection as AI becomes part of how kids learn, socialize, and think.In this conversation, we went beyond the usual questions about screen time and app safety to ask what we risk losing if we outsource too much of childhood to systems built for optimization rather than connection. We talked about how the way children are raised today intersects with the future of democracy, misinformation, and civic life, and why it matters that many of the people building these technologies keep their own kids away from them. We also talked honestly about how parents can hold the tension between preparing their children for a high tech future and protecting a meaningful, deeply human childhood, without falling into fear or fatalism.Connect with Dr. Dana: Website | Instagram | Substack | Buy the BookIf you’re looking to unleash your potential, find your personal, professional, or political fire, and to connect with a community who is doing the same, click here to learn more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe