Ferrari Brain, BMX Brakes: ADHD in the Digital World

Is the Internet Stealing Your Child's Brain? | Rory Birkbeck, SafeSurfer

What happens when a tech entrepreneur realises the very industry he works in is disproportionately harming neurodivergent kids like his own son?

Rory Birkbeck, co-founder and CEO of SafeSurfer, is one of New Zealand's leading voices on online safety. He's also a dad navigating life with an ADHD child. In this raw, honest, and eye-opening conversation, Rory joins Freddie to talk about what it's really like raising a child whose brain runs like a Ferrari with BMX bike brakes... and why the internet was built for exactly the wrong kind of kid.

In this episode, you'll hear:

🎁 The moment Rory realised his son's ADHD wasn't a problem to fix...it was a gift to understand

🧠 Why ADHD kids are disproportionately affected by online harm (and what's really going on behind the screen)

🚫 The stat that stopped Rory in his tracks: by age 10, ADHD children may have heard 10,000 more corrective statements than their neurotypical peers

📣The creator vs. consumer distinction that every parent needs to hear

❤️‍🩹 Why "it's not that we don't trust our kids...it's that we don't trust the internet" might be the most important reframe of 2026

⚒️ Practical, real-world tips you can use tonight to create healthier tech boundaries at home

🏄‍♂️ What SafeSurfer's Kid-Safe Smartphone actually does...and why Rory built it

🛟 Where online safety is heading, and what parents need to know about AI, legislation, and the fight for our children's attention

If you've ever wrestled with your child's iPad, worried about what they're watching, or wondered whether you're winning or losing the battle for their attention, this episode is for you. You can discover more about Safe Surfer here and connect with Rory here

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