Acknowledge the genuine delight and meaning technology provides—play, friendship, and a protected sense of privacy—before negotiating limits. The author recalls Donkey Kong and a parent sneaking “just one more level,” and a teen remembering first playing Black Ops; these memories model empathy that opens the door to collaboration. This reframes technology from a battleground to a bonding point, which increases buy-in when you later set boundaries. Assumption: validation of joy is not permissiveness; it is rapport-building that makes rules stick. Trade-off: starting positive can feel slow; payoff: fewer power struggles and more honest disclosure about online life.