When Protection Meets Grace: Fighting for Our Children, Part 1 | Chris McKenna | Ep. 28
This is one of those conversations every parent needs to hear.
Bethany and Adam sit down with Chris McKenna, the founder of Protect Young Eyes, to talk about one of the most important and heartbreaking challenges families face today—children being exposed to explicit content at younger and younger ages. Chris shares his own powerful story of early exposure, the years of secret struggle that followed, and how God brought healing and redemption into his marriage.
Together, they unpack how modern technology has made explicit content more accessible than ever—even on school-issued devices—and why this matters for every home, not just those facing an obvious crisis.
Chris walks through a five-layer “digital safety pyramid” that helps parents take practical steps: from building trust and healthy conversations, to setting boundaries on devices, locations, and apps—all grounded in a foundation of faith, connection, and grace.
If you’re raising children in the digital age and wondering how to protect their hearts and minds—without losing yours—this episode is for you.
Guest Bio:
Chris McKenna: Founder, Protect Young Eyes, and President of The Better Tech Project non-profit. Chris is a respected digital safety voice, creating valuable and practical resources for families and schools. His impactful 2019 testimony before the US Senate initiated a series of hearings to further online child protection policy. Years of gritty effort earned PYE the 2020 Dignity Defense Award from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the 2024 Child Safety Award from The Phase Alliance. Recent state-level legislation co-authored by Chris - the Child Device Protection Bill - passed in Utah and moved through multiple chambers in six other states. It will force devices to enable existing content filters when activated by a minor. He is a technical advisor to Angel Kids AI and works closely with digital safety advocates and legislators to craft policies that reign in abusive technologies. As a representative of the Human Change Movement, Chris spoke at the 2024 and 2025 World Economic Forum.
Under his guidance, the Protect Young Eyes team conducts presentations worldwide to parents, professionals, and schools, and gained recognition by being featured in the Childhood 2.0 movie. Their website, courses, and private parent community show caregivers step-by-step how to prepare and protect their children in digital spaces. Chris cherishes family, including road trips with his four children, connecting with nature, running, romping with his pups, and almost anything sweet.
Resources:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protectyoungeyes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mckenna-75962211/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectyoungeyes
Website: https://protectyoungeyes.com/
https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/start-here Do these 3 things to get started.
Learning: 5 Habits of a Tech-Ready Home on-demand course for parents. https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/course
Community: The Table https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/the-table
Psalm 119:37: "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."
Romans 7:19: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”
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Canada - english