1KHO 474: Using Psychology as a Weapon Against Children | Dr. Richard Freed, Better Than Real Life

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Ginny Yurich

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.9 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This might be the most important episode we’ve ever released. Dr. Richard Freed, psychologist and author of Better Than Real Life, pulls back the curtain on persuasive design—the hidden psychological science used by tech companies to keep kids glued to their screens. These technologies aren't just entertaining—they’re engineered by neuroscientists to exploit children's deepest instincts and hijack their brains. Most parents have never heard of this, yet it’s quietly reshaping childhood as we know it. We talk about the ethics of manipulating kids, why screen time guidelines have mysteriously disappeared, and how AI is supercharging the problem. From children who won’t get off devices to teens forming relationships with AI bots, Dr. Freed explains how we got here—and what we must do to reclaim real life for our kids. If you’ve felt like you're losing your child to a screen, this episode will help you understand why. ** Get your copy of Better Than Real Life here Learn more about Dr. Richard Freed here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you're a Christian, imagine what life would be like if you didn't have access to you or never even seen a Bible in your own language.
0:07.9	For many people around the world, that is their reality.
0:10.6	Crew has missionaries in almost every country, and they're seeing people's lives changed.
0:15.7	Thousands of men, women, and children are coming to faith, but simply don't have access to a Bible of their own.
0:21.2	In parts of Africa, crew missionaries have to share one Bible between several people.
0:26.0	In Europe, teens are asking for more Bibles than we can provide.
0:29.4	And in closed nations, this good news is spreading at an astonishing rate,
0:33.5	but they need more physical Bibles to keep up with the growth.
0:36.6	People are searching for truth and finding answers in God's Word.
0:39.7	That's why I love partnering with Crew.
0:41.6	With just $24 a month, you can give three people the gift of God's Word every month.
0:46.2	And as a thank you, Crew will provide 12 meals to those in need,
0:49.8	and you'll receive a free copy of my book until the street lights come on.
0:53.2	To give text our
0:54.8	H-O-U-R to 7-1-3-2-6 or visit give.cru.org slash our H-O-U-R. That's H-O-U-R to 7-1-3-2-6.
1:08.1	Message and data rates may apply U.S. addresses only. Your monthly gift can truly make a
1:13.7	massive impact. Here we go. Welcome to the one, okay, welcome to the one thousand.
1:19.7	I'm going to leave that in because it's funny. Welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast.
1:29.3	My name is Ginny Eirich. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and I have just read a phenomenally good book.
1:35.6	Phenomenal. I took notes after notes after notes. It is called Better Than Real Life. The author,
1:40.9	Dr. Richard Freed is here. Welcome.
1:43.9	Jenny, thank you so much.
	...

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