Are your kids making deeper, more meaningful connections to AI chatbots than they are to their friends, family, and even you?

As more kids choose artificial validation over real human connection, it's creating a generation that can't handle authentic relationships or genuine feedback. While schools push AI integration, we're accidentally teaching kids that algorithms understand them better than parents, teachers, or friends do.

Discover how to help your kids use AI as a tool without losing their humanity. Learn the warning signs of AI dependency, understand why current education systems are failing our kids emotionally, and get practical strategies for building real-world resilience in an artificial world.

Listen now to learn how to raise emotionally intelligent humans in an AI-dominated world.

What You'll Discover:

- Why the "cognitive offloading" debate misses the real problem
- How our education system creates learned helplessness in students
- The shocking reality of a typical student's day (you won't believe this schedule!)
- Why AI therapy and AI companions are making loneliness worse
- The simple solution that's been hiding in plain sight
- How to build "anti-fragile" kids who thrive on healthy challenges

🎯 Key Takeaways:

- Kids don't need more AI skills - they need more human agency
- The loneliness epidemic is worse than we thought
- Social media isolation is just the beginning of a bigger problem
- Real learning happens through authentic relationships and meaningful friction
- The path forward isn't less technology, it's more intentional humanity

🔥 Powerful Quotes from This Episode:
"We've made it completely frictionless, and you need friction for growth"
"The quickest way for us to not be around in a few generations is to outsource our humanity"

📚 Resources Mentioned:

The Impact League: theimpactleague.org
"The Coddling of the American Mind" by Jonathan Haidt
"The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt

🎬 Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: The AI therapy crisis
02:36 - Why cognitive offloading isn't the real problem
08:08 - A day in the life of today's students (shocking reality)
15:44 - The frictionless world problem
23:49 - Can AI actually help education?
30:52 - The authenticity crisis in schools
35:10 - Solutions: The Impact League approach

👥 Connect with Scott Merkel:
The Impact League: theimpactleague.org