Dr. Carrie Mackensen Warns Parents: AI Chatbots Are Built To Agree With Your Kids

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Psychologist turned parent coach Dr. Carrie Mackensen, founder of Successful Parent and author of Digitally Dysregulated, speaks at the free Raising Kids in the Age of AI Conference on October 5.

Available February 23, 2027. Preorders include lifetime access to the Parenting in the Digital Age Summit, a $297 value. Preorder at digitallydysregulated.

Dr. Carrie joins Dr. Shefali Tsabary and Dr. Laura Markham at the free "Raising Kids in the Age of AI" Conference and opens preorders for Digitally Dysregulated

Every parent can ask two questions about AI. Is it supporting my child's development, or replacing it? Is it strengthening our relationship, or taking its place?” - Dr. Carrie Mackensen, psychologist and author of Digitally Dysregulated ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire / -- Psychologist turned parent coach and author Dr. Carrie Mackensen, founder of Successful Parent, will speak at the Raising Kids in the Age of AI Conference, a free, virtual event hosted by Happily Family from October 5–7, 2026. Her session, "How AI Undermines the Developing Brain, Your Kid's Sense of Self, and Your Relationship," launches on Day 1, Monday, October 5, alongside sessions from Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Dr. Jean Twenge, Anya Kamenetz, Common Sense Media and the Center for Humane Technology. Replays are available all day, and parents can register free at href="" rel="external nofollow" happilyfamily

The three-day conference arrives as parents nationwide grapple with a new reality: children are turning to AI chatbots for homework help, advice, comfort, and even companionship. Unlike friends, parents or teachers, these tools are available around the clock and designed to agree. Dr. Carrie's session explains what that constant, frictionless validation does to a child's developing brain and identity, and how it can slowly erode the parent-child relationship.

"Every parent can ask two questions about AI," said Dr. Carrie. "Is it supporting my child's development, or replacing it? Is it strengthening our relationship, or taking its place?"

During her session, Dr. Carrie will help parents:
-Understand how relying on AI for the "heavy lifting" of thinking can limit the brain pathways children build through effort, reasoning and writing
-Recognize how AI-polished schoolwork and curated online images can create a gap between what kids present and who they actually are, fueling imposter feelings and lower self-worth
-See why an AI companion that always agrees can't replace real relationships, with all their friction, repair and care
-Know what AI use is appropriate at each age, from no independent use under 13 to preparing teens for independent use by 16 to 18
-Set simple boundaries and keep the conversation open at home, without panic and without needing to become tech experts

Upcoming Book: Digitally Dysregulated

Dr. Carrie's forthcoming book, Digitally Dysregulated: How Screens Hijack Kids' Brains and What Parents Can Do About It, expected February 23, 2027, gives parents a science-backed roadmap for raising regulated, resilient and connected kids in a world designed to capture their attention. The book is part of her mission to change the relationship families have with the digital devices in their homes and reclaim connection.

The book is now available for preorder for $22. Every preorder includes lifetime access to Dr. Carrie's Parenting in the Digital Age Summit, featuring six expert interviews plus a 90-minute panel discussion, valued at $297. Preorder at .

A media favorite, Dr. Carrie Mackensen is available for interviews upon request.

About Dr. Carrie Mackensen

Dr. Carrie is a clinical psychologist turned parent coach and the founder of Successful Parent. For over 25 years, she has worked with individuals and families across Los Angeles in a variety of clinical settings, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, residential treatment programs for addiction and eating disorders, and private practice in Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach.

She holds a PhD in Individual, Family, and Child Psychology, with advanced training in attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology, the science of how our closest relationships shape the brain.

But Dr. Carrie doesn't come to this conversation from the outside. She's a mom who knows firsthand what it's like to raise kids in a world where screens are always present. After years in clinical practice, she shifted to parent coaching and became a mindfulness meditation teacher. Today she helps families strengthen connection, set boundaries, and raise emotionally resilient kids in a digital world.

Her new book, Digitally Dysregulated: How Screens Hijack Kids' Brains and What Parents Can Do About It, is available for preorder now at .

About the Raising Kids in the Age of AI Conference

Hosted by Happily Family founders Cecilia and Jason Hilkey, the Raising Kids in the Age of AI Conference is a free, three-day virtual event for parents, October 5–7, 2026. Speakers include Dr. Laura Markham, Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Dr. Aliza Pressman, Dr. Jean Twenge, Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, Anya Kamenetz, and experts from Common Sense Media, the Child Mind Institute, MIT and Harvard. Register free at happilyfamily.

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