The Algorithm Is Rewiring Our Kids - Here’s What Every Parent Needs to Know | Dr. Shefali

Shawn Stevenson (0:00)

You are now listening to The Model Health Show with Shawn Stevenson. For more, visit themodelhealthshow.com.

Welcome to The Model Health Show. You're probably well aware that the world that our children are growing up in today is vastly different from the one that we did. We didn't have social media, so our days were filled with being social in the real world with our friends and families. We might have hung out on the phone, but that bad boy was attached to a building. Of course, then the cordless phone hit the scene, we could walk around a little bit, but you can't go too far. If somebody wanted to talk to you, you had to be home in order to catch up with you. There was this experience of, if you want to connect with your friend, you got to go outside, maybe hop on your bike and go and knock on the door. Hey, can Avery come out and play?

Today's world is radically different because our days were spent outdoors, accessibility to screens, especially those that had jarring and sometimes inappropriate media was extremely limited. In our environment, our environment required us to figure things out for ourselves if we wanted to find solutions.

Today, our kids have the knowledge of the entire world at their fingertips.

They have instant accessibility to almost anything they can conceive of. Whether that's food, entertainment, education, or even connecting with a potential mate. Because of these rapid changes, the stages of growth and independence are far more nebulous for today's youth. Our children are more isolated than ever before. They're struggling with more mental health challenges than ever before. And struggling with their identity and tapping into their potential more than ever before.

A whole new world requires a whole new approach to parenting. And that's why I'm so excited and feeling so blessed today to share this incredible interview with Dr. Shefali. Her new research and her new books have absolutely changed me as a parent, changed my outlook on life, and also have already changed the way that I'm interacting in my relationships as a husband, as a father. And it's been incredibly valuable. And I don't say this lightly, but some of the things that you're going to learn today are not just going to affect this current generation, but this can affect generations well into the future. We are writing that future right now, with how we are raising our kids. And again, in this whole new world, we've got to have a whole new approach to parenting. So again, I'm very grateful to be able to share this episode with you today. Now really quickly, as parents, one of our responsibilities is feeding these kids. And my wife has had a level of piscosity a time or two in regards to this. You're just like, I just made all these meals yesterday, and I got to do it again today.

Just got to keep feeding, they just keep eating. I keep cooking, they keep eating. I keep making these meals, and they just keep eating it all. And it's this seemingly never-ending loop, but I'm gonna tell you this, we will look back and miss those times. You know, it can be a lot of work being a parent on the food front, let alone everything else, but those times are some of the most special times. And we're really setting the template, setting the bar for our kids' food choices and eating behaviors as they get older. And so it's an incredible opportunity, and there's always room for us to improve, but also this comes with some cost, not just the time investment, but the monetary investment, especially if we're wanting to feed our kids healthy food. And I'm so grateful that many companies are really stepping up to provide the very best quality food with strategic discounts as well, and giving accessibility nationwide. One of those great resources is Wild Pastures. They deliver 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pasture-raised pork, pasture-raised chicken, and wild-caught seafood right to your door.

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This is absolutely incredible. Save some money. Eating healthy does not have to break the bank. Go to wildpastures.com/model to take advantage right now. And without further ado, let's get to our special guest and topic of the day. Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of the Conscious Parenting Movement, redefining how families understand selfhood, connection and the inner life of our children. Trained at Columbia University, she spent decades guiding families to move beyond patterns of control and fear towards presence and authenticity. Her work brings Western psychology and Eastern wisdom into lived practice, creating a path for our children and the adults who raise them to know themselves fully. Let's dive into this conversation with the amazing Dr. Shefali. This is a very, very special occasion. We have Dr. Shefali here. How are you today?