On the Radar: Parental Faith Impacts Children, AI Hides Poor Literacy Skills and Netflix Building Kid-Centric Games

Parents’ Faith Impacts Their Children’s Religiousness in Adulthood

What? The Institute for Family Studies has found that the more active parents are in their own faith, the more likely their child will continue to find faith important as they reach adulthood. Those who reported a stronger bond with their parents in childhood likewise were more likely to be religious in adulthood.

So What? Scripture commands parents to bring their children up in the way of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4). The study found that when parents attended church weekly, read the Bible with their family and spoke about Christianity with their kids (among other things), then their children were more heavily influenced to follow after the Lord.

Now What? Parents are the first authority figures in a child’s life, and a mother and father have the responsibility to raise their children well. This study should encourage Christian parents to consider how they might lead their families in following the Lord.

AI Masks ‘Post-Literate’ Workforce

What? Artificial intelligence may be covering up for poor reading comprehension skills among U.S. adults. Axios warns that low literacy in “emails, safety instructions, training materials, math-heavy trades, health benefits forms and computer-based tasks” are increasingly easier to mask by using AI to complete the work instead.

So What? The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy reported that 130 million Americans—or “54% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74”—read at or below a sixth-grade level. Axios further warns that though AI may help workers keep pace in their jobs, it also increases the chance they won’t understand the work they’re doing.

Now What? AI is a tool, and it can be used to support one’s work. However, like any tool, overreliance can lead to dependence, and dependence can lead to painful consequences when the tool fails. Teach your family how to use AI to support their work rather than complete it for them.

Netflix Expands into Games for Kids

What? Netflixannounced a new game-centric app designed specifically for children called Netflix Playground. The app, made for children ages 8 and younger—and released on the Apple App Store and Google Play—is designed around prominent characters from kids’ entertainment, such as Peppa Pig, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Sesame Street and Dr. Seuss.

So What? Netflix Vice President of Animation Series + Kids & Family TV John Derderian stated in a press release that the app’s intention was to create “a world where kids can not only watch their favorite stories, they can step inside them and interact with their favorite characters.” Although Netflix launched their first games in 2021, this is the streamer’s first attempt to cater games specifically to a younger demographic.

Now What? Netflix, like most streaming platforms, still has some concerning content for kids. While these games are meant to be fun and educational, parents may want to preview the app for themselves before allowing their kids to access it.