In this episode of The EdTech Podcast, host Philippa Wraithmell speaks with Rob Hughes, doctor, researcher, and co-founder of Tandem. Together, they explore how technology for young children can move away from passive consumption and instead foster shared reading, creativity, emotional development, and meaningful human connection.
Key Themes in This Episode
Screen purpose vs screen time
Early childhood development and AI
Shared reading and co-creation
Parenting guilt and digital habits
Ethical AI guardrails for children
Bias, safety, and inclusivity in AI
Human connection in digital spaces
Designing technology for joy
Why Listen to This Episode?
As screen time increases and reading rates decline, many parents and educators are left feeling conflicted about technology’s role in early childhood. This episode offers a refreshing reframing — not asking whether children should use technology, but how it should be designed and used.
Rob Hughes explains why demonising screens misses the point, and how thoughtfully designed AI can strengthen relationships rather than replace them. Drawing on medical, psychological, and educational research, the conversation highlights why shared experiences — storytelling, conversation, and co-creation — are essential for healthy development.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone concerned about children forming emotional attachments to devices, the ethics of AI for under-fives, and how families can reclaim technology as a space for connection rather than isolation.
Who This Episode Is For?
Parents and caregivers
Early years educators and leaders
Child development specialists
EdTech founders and designers
Policymakers focused on digital wellbeing
Anyone questioning screen time narratives
Full Episode Description
Technology is now woven into the earliest years of childhood — yet much of it has been designed for passive consumption, not development. In this episode, The EdTech Podcast explores why that matters, and how it can change.
Host Philippa Wraithmell is joined by Rob Hughes, doctor, researcher, and co-founder of Tandem, a platform reimagining what technology for young children should look like. Rob argues that the real issue isn’t screens themselves, but how they are used. When technology isolates children or replaces human interaction, it risks undermining emotional development, literacy, and connection.
The conversation introduces Tandem’s core principle: “tech for two.” Rather than acting as a digital pacifier, the platform is designed to encourage shared reading, storytelling, and play between parents and children. Rob explains how generative AI, when paired with strong ethical guardrails, can help families co-create stories, explore emotions, and build joyful routines together.
Philippa and Rob also explore difficult but vital questions: the rise of parenting guilt around screen time, declining access to books in many households, and the danger of children forming early emotional bonds with AI rather than people. Rob shares real-world examples, including work with hospitals and vulnerable communities, where personalised storytelling helps children navigate fear, illness, and separation.
Ethics sit at the heart of the discussion. From bias detection and content moderation to transparency and artist collaboration, Rob outlines how Tandem is attempting to build responsible AI from the ground up.
Ultimately, this episode is a reminder that technology is not neutral — it reflects our values. When designed intentionally, it can help children talk more, read more, imagine more, and connect more — without losing the humanity they need most.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the innovations shaping the future of education firsthand and be part of this global conversation. For full details and registration, please visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/
Philippa Wraithmell is an education and digital-learning strategist based in the UAE. As the founder of EdRuption and Digital Bridge, she leads work on digital wellbeing, innovation, and evidence-informed practice. As host of The EdTech Podcast, Philippa explores how technology can elevate teaching, learning, and equitable education across the globe.
Dr Rob Hughes is CEO and co-founder of Early Ideas Limited and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. A medical doctor with degrees from the University of Bristol, UCL, and Harvard, he holds a PhD in Child Health and Development. His career spans clinical practice, international development, academia, and industry, including senior roles with DFID and CIFF, and consultancy work with organisations such as WHO, Google X, the Clean Air Fund, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
#302
The Secret Sauce: Why Children Still Need Humans in a Digital World?
Subscribe on : iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music
Episode Overview
In this episode of The EdTech Podcast, host Philippa Wraithmell speaks with Rob Hughes, doctor, researcher, and co-founder of Tandem. Together, they explore how technology for young children can move away from passive consumption and instead foster shared reading, creativity, emotional development, and meaningful human connection.
Key Themes in This Episode
Why Listen to This Episode?
As screen time increases and reading rates decline, many parents and educators are left feeling conflicted about technology’s role in early childhood. This episode offers a refreshing reframing — not asking whether children should use technology, but how it should be designed and used.
Rob Hughes explains why demonising screens misses the point, and how thoughtfully designed AI can strengthen relationships rather than replace them. Drawing on medical, psychological, and educational research, the conversation highlights why shared experiences — storytelling, conversation, and co-creation — are essential for healthy development.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone concerned about children forming emotional attachments to devices, the ethics of AI for under-fives, and how families can reclaim technology as a space for connection rather than isolation.
Who This Episode Is For?
Full Episode Description
Technology is now woven into the earliest years of childhood — yet much of it has been designed for passive consumption, not development. In this episode, The EdTech Podcast explores why that matters, and how it can change.
Host Philippa Wraithmell is joined by Rob Hughes, doctor, researcher, and co-founder of Tandem, a platform reimagining what technology for young children should look like. Rob argues that the real issue isn’t screens themselves, but how they are used. When technology isolates children or replaces human interaction, it risks undermining emotional development, literacy, and connection.
The conversation introduces Tandem’s core principle: “tech for two.” Rather than acting as a digital pacifier, the platform is designed to encourage shared reading, storytelling, and play between parents and children. Rob explains how generative AI, when paired with strong ethical guardrails, can help families co-create stories, explore emotions, and build joyful routines together.
Philippa and Rob also explore difficult but vital questions: the rise of parenting guilt around screen time, declining access to books in many households, and the danger of children forming early emotional bonds with AI rather than people. Rob shares real-world examples, including work with hospitals and vulnerable communities, where personalised storytelling helps children navigate fear, illness, and separation.
Ethics sit at the heart of the discussion. From bias detection and content moderation to transparency and artist collaboration, Rob outlines how Tandem is attempting to build responsible AI from the ground up.
Ultimately, this episode is a reminder that technology is not neutral — it reflects our values. When designed intentionally, it can help children talk more, read more, imagine more, and connect more — without losing the humanity they need most.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the innovations shaping the future of education firsthand and be part of this global conversation. For full details and registration, please visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/
Podcast Host By :
Special thanks to Guests :
Subscribe on : iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music
Post List
Call It Al Kingsley: The Awkward Questions in Education
The AI Paradox: Why the World’s Poorest Classrooms Are Adopting What the West Fears
Trending
#271 – Cutting Through the White Noise Around AI for Education
#255 – Does It Work? Evidence in EdTech
#250 – NeuroDiversity in Education and Entrepreneurship
related posts :
The Secret Sauce: Why Children Still Need Humans in a Digital World?
A Policy Perspective on AI and Equity: A Fireside Chat with Alina Sava
What If CPD Actually Worked for Teachers, Not Against Them? — With Hachette Learning
The AI Paradox: Why the World’s Poorest Classrooms Are Adopting What the West Fears
SAUDI LEARN – Can AI Detect Your Emotions? Inside Saudi Arabia’s Most Ambitious Learning & Innovation Program
OpenAI: The Great Equaliser? AI and the Future of Fair Learning