The Plugged In Show

4.8 (124)
TV & FILM
UPDATED WEEKLY

Join Focus on the Family's media and culture analysts for lighthearted reviews for parents and conversation about entertainment, pop culture and technology. Through this 30-minute podcast from Focus on the Family, you'll hear practical information from a Biblical worldview to help guide decisions about what to watch, listen and visit. And connect to a ton of related Christian resources and articles.

3 DAYS AGO

Episode 267: A Conversation with Mandy Majors, plus Netflix’s Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fow

Kids today have their eyes on their screens, and those screens are full of dangers. How can you protect them? Paul Asay speaks with author and screen expert Mandy Majors and her daughter Ella. They share some ways you can help your child learn healthy tech habits. Paul Asay then speaks with Bret Eckelberry about the new Netflix movie Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Get your copy of Mady Majors’ book Keeping Kids Safe in a Digital World: A Solution That Works today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

45 min
12/26/2024

Episode 266: A Look Back at 2024: The Good, the Bad and the Icky

2024 was a big year in terms of entertainment and pop culture. As the year comes to a close, the Plugged In team looks back at some of the highlights and some of the low points. From YouTube to social media to the big and small screens, you’ll learn what you need to know for your family when it comes to media. Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Moonfall · Werewolves · Dafuq!?Boom! (Skibidi Toilet) · Inside Out 2 · Deadpool & Wolverine · Moana 2 · Dune: Part Two · Beauty and the Beast · Lightyear · Despicable Me 4 · Ultraman Rising · Avengers: Endgame Check out the Plugged In Blog: · What is Power Creep in Marvel and Why Does It Matter? The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

41 min
12/19/2024

Episode 265: What Makes a Christmas Movie Good? Plus, Mufasa: The Lion King

With so many Christmas movies out there, are there certain ingredients that make up a great one? And what makes a Christmas movie go bad? The Plugged In team reflects on some recent Christmas movies as well as some of their favorites. Paul Asay then speaks with Emily Tsiao about the new Disney movie Mufasa: The Lion King. Get your copy of Plugged In’s great book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · The Best Christmas Pageant Ever · Dear Santa · Bad Santa · Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause · Violent Night · Elf · A Christmas Story · Spirited · It’s a Wonderful Life · Home Alone · Bells of St. Mary’s · The Nativity Story · Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas · Mufasa: The Lion King · The Lion King · The Lion King (2019) · The Lion King 1 1/2 · The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride Check out the Plugged In Blog: · The Lion King Takes the Throne · What’s the Real King in the Lion King? Technology The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

42 min
12/12/2024

Episode 264: Is Social Media Ruining Our Kids? Plus, Netflix’s ‘Mary’

Teens today have never known a world without social media—and that’s affecting kids in many different ways. The Plugged In team discusses the impact of social media and the new Hulu docu-series Social Studies. Paul Asay then speaks with Emily Tsiao about the new Netflix movie Mary. Get your copy of the great Plugged In book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Cars 2 · Batman and Robin · Up · Star Wars: The Last Jedi · Social Studies · Euphoria · The Best Christmas Pageant Ever · Mary The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

43 min
12/05/2024

Episode 263: All I Want For Christmas Is What TikTok Tells Me: Plus, Kevin Sorbo

It’s gift-giving season! What do you buy for your family, friends, and teens? TikTok wants to tell you. The Plugged In team examines the influence TikTok has on teens as consumers. Adam Holz then speaks with Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo. Get your copy of Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read more: · Do AI Music Generators Hurt Kids’ Creativity? · The Rise and Danger of the AI Relationship · AI is Terrible at Translating: Why Christians Should Care · The Plugged In Show Episode 256: How AI is Changing Adolescence. Plus, ‘Agatha All Along’ · A Conversation with Kevin Sorbo The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

48 min
11/28/2024

Episode 262: Creating with AI: A Parents' Primer. Plus, Moana 2

Artificial intelligence gets a bad rap, but it can also help us create in ways we never thought possible. The Plugged In team looks at ways we can create using AI and things we may want to steer clear of. Paul Asay then talks with Emily Tsiao about the new Disney movie sequel Moana 2. Get your copy of Plugged In’s fantastic book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the Full Review: · Moana 2 Read more: · Do AI Music Generators Hurt Kids’ Creativity? · The Rise and Danger of the AI Relationship · AI is Terrible at Translating: Why Christians Should Care · The Plugged In Show Episode 256: How AI is Changing Adolescence. Plus, ‘Agatha All Along’ The Plugged In Tech Guide Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Tetrazzini Recipe Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

41 min
11/21/2024

Episode 261: Wicked and the World of Musicals. Plus, Plugged In’s New Tech Guide!

This week, the Broadway musical Wicked flies from the stage to the screen. The Plugged In team talks about the Wicked phenomenon as well as other movie musicals and the power of music woven into a story. Paul Asay then talks with Bret Eckelberry about the team’s new tech guide. Get your copy of Plugged In’s great book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Mean Girls · Joker: Folie a Deux · Transformers One · Wicked More Episodes on Musicals: · The Plugged In Show Episode 40: Hamilton’s Cultural Encore · The Plugged In Show Episode 98: Dear Evan Hansen and the Musical Renaissance Check out the new Plugged In Tech Guide: · Focus on the Family: Plugged In Tech Guide PDF Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

39 min
11/14/2024

Episode 260: When Should I Give My Kid a Cell Phone? Plus, Bonhoeffer

With Christmas coming, you may be considering a tech gift for your child…maybe even a cell phone. The Plugged In team shares insights and thoughts on the impact phones have had on younger generations and the best age to put a phone in their hands. Paul Asay then talks with Kennedy Unthank about the new biopic Bonhoeffer. Get your copy of the insightful Plugged In book Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family today! Connect with us! www.ThePluggedInShow.com Connect on Facebook Find us on Instagram EMAIL: team@thepluggedinshow.com PHONE: 800-A-FAMILY (800-262-3459) Read the full review: · Bonhoeffer Check out these other resources: · Plugged In Blog: Smartphone Parental Controls · Focus on the Family Episode: Connecting with Your Tech Absorbed Kid · Focus on the Family Episode: Guiding Your Child’s Media Choices · Focus on the Family Episode: Helping Your Teens Put Down Their Screens · Focus on the Family Episode: Cultivating Wise Tech Habits in Your Teen Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Episode: How Your Family Can Manage Technology Well Part 1 How You Can Make Wise Entertainment Choices for Your Family Donate Now! We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

49 min

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4.8

out of 5

124 Ratings

So in depth—awesome extensive to the web reviews

10/13/2024

Anna S.L.

Grew up reading the online Plugged In reviews and respected their thoroughness and balance. Thought I’d try the podcast and started with Ep 249. This show is completely beyond—these guys really dive into the reeds with their reviews and show great care for God’s truth and the medium of film. I would definitely not watch a movie without listening to their review first. Thanks for the hard work and trustworthy insight.
WOW LOVE THIS PODCAST!

10/02/2024

Plugged In Podcast Lover!

Me, i’m homeschooled, but i love movies and for the longest time i wondered about how i should go about watching movies with content issues, especially spiritual issues, and this really clarifies EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW! You also talk about worldview issues and different artists and songs which also helps!! I would love to be mentioned in an episode!
Entertaining & Digging Deeper!

08/15/2024

LifelonglearnerFNTP

Listening to this podcast has shown me how much I enjoy sharing media experiences with family! As an older sister to adopted siblings, the insights from Plugged In help me find ways to talk about the things that matter to them. I appreciate how the hosts avoid simple ‘good’ or ‘bad’ labels and instead use movies as a starting point for deeper conversations.
So helpful

07/12/2024

GizmoGirl03

Being a busy mom, I don’t always have time to review content that my son is exposed to. This podcast is a very start, funny, and trustworthy source to help we with guiding my son in technology and culture.

Join Focus on the Family's media and culture analysts for lighthearted reviews for parents and conversation about entertainment, pop culture and technology. Through this 30-minute podcast from Focus on the Family, you'll hear practical information from a Biblical worldview to help guide decisions about what to watch, listen and visit. And connect to a ton of related Christian resources and articles.