THE PODCAST WITH MATT & VAL DAVIS
One tech optimist. One healthy skeptic. Honest conversations about parenting in the age of screens, AI, and a little bit of chaos.
Two parents. Two perspectives. Figuring it out together.
Episode 11 · 45 min
Months ago, Val pitched data centers as a topic for the show. Matt blew her off. Now data centers are in the news, on local…
Explore the resourcesNEW AROUND HERE?
THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES
Screen time, AI, school, and everything
that doesn’t come with a parenting manual.
Months ago, Val pitched data centers as a topic for the show. Matt blew her off. Now data centers are in the news, on local meeting agendas, and tied to the things families notice: household bills and even what the…
Read transcriptPTA flyers, fundraisers, team activities, and school calendars—the parent volunteer workload adds up. Matt and Val share how they use AI to lighten it, explain three practical ways to approach the tools, and discuss…
Read transcriptWe're back. Summer happened, life happened, and somewhere in there we both listened to Dopamine Kids by Michaeleen Doucleff, author of Hunt, Gather, Parent. We came away with useful ideas—and a few substantial…
Read transcriptVal came up with a metaphor that actually works: your kid's tablet is a house, the apps are rooms, and the internet is the front door. Open the door and the whole world is right there — good, bad, and everything in…
Read transcriptToy Story 5 is out, and it's basically a Two Factor Parenting episode in movie form. Bonnie gets a tablet called Lilypad, and the toys have to figure out whether tech is the enemy — or whether the real question is more…
Read transcriptMatthew and Val continue the AI-in-schools conversation with Christina Andrade Melly, a high school English teacher, education advocate, former Missouri State Teacher of the Year, and parent. The conversation starts…
Read transcriptPhones, smartwatches, Chromebooks — where should schools draw the line? In this episode, Matthew and Val talk through the growing push for phone-free schools, North Carolina’s new device rules, and why the real question…
Read transcriptWhat happens when you bring a robot into your home? For Val, the answer is clear: It is going to murder us. In this episode, the Two Factor Parenting co-hosts tackle humanoid robots in the home—a topic that hits…
Read transcriptVal stumbled onto a TLC My Strange Addiction episode about a woman in a relationship with an AI chatbot — and fell down a rabbit hole. In this episode, Matt and Val react to the bizarre and alarming world of AI…
Read transcriptMeet Winston — the AI assistant Matt built using Open Claw, an open-source personal AI system. In this episode, Matt explains how it works and why it's different from ChatGPT, while Val raises important questions about…
Read transcriptWelcome to the very first episode of Two Factor Parenting. We’re Matt and Val Davis — parents of three navigating the tension between technology and real life. In this episode, we introduce ourselves, share our…
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THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MICS
We’re Matt and Val Davis, parents of three. We bring two perspectives to the same question: how do we raise kids who can thrive in a digital world?
The early adopter. Curious about what technology makes possible, and what that means for our kids.
The one asking, “But should we?” Bringing a thoughtful pause to a world that’s always moving faster.
We don’t always agree. That’s where the good conversations start.
MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST
Books, articles, tools, and videos from our conversations,
gathered by episode so you can explore a little further.
On the bookshelf. In the browser. Part of the conversation.
Land, water, power, jobs, and the local tax base. Here are the tour, research, and articles from our conversation about the questions families can ask before a data center moves in.
Google · The 360° tour Val watched to understand what is inside a data center and how its security works.
Change Research · The polling Val referenced while discussing how public opinion on data centers has shifted.
American Farm Bureau Federation · The analysis Val read on agriculture, data center growth, and shared demands on land, water, and energy.
The Texas Tribune · Reporting from the conversation about farms, rural communities, and competition for local resources.
Pew Research Center · Research on where new U.S. data centers are being built, included in the episode's published resources.
Data Center Dynamics · The printing-site conversion Val mentioned while exploring reuse of existing buildings.
Meta · The skilled-trades training initiative discussed when Matt explains construction jobs and the workforce needed to build data centers.
Less time on the to-do list. More time for your people. Here are the tools from our conversation about PTA flyers, fundraiser artwork, school calendars, and the parent volunteer workload.
OpenAI · Used in our examples of quick questions, fundraiser artwork, and organizing school dates into a calendar.
Anthropic · The assistant Val discusses for ongoing projects, fundraiser planning, and flyer design.
The design tool Val used for volunteer flyers and discussed when comparing design and translation workflows.
Microsoft · Mentioned alongside ChatGPT and Claude when we explain the different companies and assistants.
Google · The assistant named in our overview of AI companies and tools.
Michaeleen Doucleff · The book behind our conversation about screens, food, and family habits.
Michaeleen Doucleff · Her earlier parenting book, mentioned during our review.
PBS KIDS · The sushi-cart game Val shared for introducing digital literacy.
AT&T · The learning activities and digital-literacy lessons Val explored.
Khan Academy · Lessons on personal information, privacy, and online scams.
National PTA · The parent and caregiver resources Val mentioned.
UNICEF · Referenced in our conversation about children’s privacy.
UK Information Commissioner’s Office · The online-design code discussed in this episode.
Stacey B. Steinberg · The 2017 paper referenced in our discussion of parents sharing online.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children · The report behind the online-safety discussion.
NCMEC · Internet-safety resources from an organization discussed in this episode.
Conversation guides from the child-safety organization we mentioned.
Pixar · The movie at the center of our conversation about toys, tech, and play.
The author mentioned in our discussion of attention. Explore his books and writing.
Michaeleen Doucleff · The book behind our conversation about screens, food, and family habits.
Cal Newport · Mentioned in our conversation about attention and meaningful work.
Education Week · The classroom story we discussed while questioning school-issued devices.
Education Week · The second article in our conversation about classroom distractions.
U.S. Senate · January 15, 2026 hearing featuring Jared Cooney Horvath’s testimony.
Fortune · The 2017 reporting Val referenced.
HISTORY This Week · The robot-origin story Val discussed.
Karel Čapek · Read the play discussed in the episode through Project Gutenberg.
Isaac Asimov · The story collection mentioned in our conversation about robot rules.
Melissa Stewart · The robot book from our family bookshelf, mentioned by Val.
Wikipedia · The article Val explored on why humanlike robots can feel unsettling.
Figure · Official information on one of the humanoid robots discussed.
Tesla · Official information on the humanoid robot mentioned in the episode.
TLC · The series whose AI-boyfriend segment started our conversation.
The Atlantic · One of the articles Val read about relationships with AI.
The Atlantic · The second article Val mentioned on AI companionship.
Common Sense Media · The survey behind the teen AI-companion figures discussed.
Associated Press · The reporting Matt referenced on teens and AI companionship.
One of the research organizations named in the episode; no individual report was specified.
American Psychological Association · The publication named during our discussion of AI companionship.
The AI assistant at the center of Matt’s introduction to Winston.
The conversational AI tool compared with OpenClaw in this episode.
Jonathan Haidt · Mentioned as we introduced the questions behind the show.
Curated links from episodes 1–11. New episode notes appear here as episodes are published. Some tools and publishers may require an account or subscription.
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