There’s no shortage of books and social media influencers promising easy answers for parenting in the age of smartphones, social media, and AI. But as parents and their children know, navigating what technology kids have access to, and when they can have it, is much more complicated.I interviewed seven kids and teenagers about the devices they use in their daily lives, as well as their hopes and fears when it comes to technology, and how their parents’ rules and advice have impacted their relationship with technology. While no two stories were the same, I found some common threads: moments of faith in and frustration with parents, battles over technology in schools, and Minecraft’s undeniable grip on tween boys.Also woven throughout each story was the desire for a healthy relationship with technology, and the belief that finding that balance takes some back-and-forth between child and parent — and a lot of trust.Here are the stories of those seven kids and teenagers, in their own words, edited for length and clarity.