Labor Day concluded at the hospital for my wife and I, and our youngest son who at around 7pm came crying to me in pain with the news that he had accidentally swallowed a coin. Around 3am the doctor delivered the good news and the 2012 penny that had been lodged low in his throat. It was a reminder that something as little as a penny can have the potential to shape and shatter the current status quo. Fortunately our son is okay; but maybe next time will be different. All the more reason then to practice being more present and enjoying the people and moments around me.
From my home,
Matthew
Founder, DADS™— Dads Against Devices™
The First DAD
The First DAD.
Hello. I’m Matthew, and I’m grateful you’re here because I believe that together we can help each other as men, husbands, and fathers.
I started DADS™ because I am a man, husband, and father of five young children who is concerned about the outcomes I am hearing and seeing in men, families and children today — dysfunction, divorce, disease, and despair to name just four. We are living through a crisis of connection and character, and I want something better for me and for mine. I started DADS™ to help solve this problem.
I am far from perfect — and I am certainly not claiming to have all the answers — but I’m determined to be the best man, husband and father I can be, and to help others when and where I can.
At an event on June 21, 2025, I turned to a friend and asked, half-jokingly, if he would join me in not giving our kids smartphones until they turn 18. I said, “We’ll be Dads Against Devices.” It was my wife who noticed the acronym: DAD. And that’s how DADS™ got started.
Whilst I am concerned about technology and its impact on character and connection, when I started creating DADS™, it was always going to be about more than just devices. It’s mostly about inspiring and encouraging all of us to be more present, develop character and create real connection. It’s also about encouraging husbands and fathers to lead by example and instruction in their own homes; so that the world and all our lives might be a little more joyful, peaceful, and hopeful.
What I Believe.
I love my family and believe that presence, character, and real connection are at the heart of the human experience and central to living a life of meaning, purpose, and joy.
I believe that everyone should strengthen their bodies and nurture the deeply human attributes of love, communication, empathy, kindness, gratitude, humility, forgiveness, critical thinking, imagination, discipline, patience, integrity, resilience, courage, wisdom, and faith.
I believe that being a husband and father is among the most noble pursuits.
I believe fatherhood is absolutely essential to the wellbeing of children.
I believe that fathers should lead their families by example and instruction in unity with mothers — supported by mentors and caregivers.
I believe that fathers have a solemn responsibility to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.
I believe that family life and childhood should be protected from social media and unlimited, unmonitored, and unrestricted screen time, gaming, and the internet.
I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ provides the best framework for families, couples, and individuals to be successful.
I believe that the most important and unifying identity we each share is ‘Child of God’.
I also believe that the traditional nuclear family is the fundamental building block of a healthy and functioning society.
This is why I strive to live my DADS™ pledge.
My DADS™ Pledge
I will lead my family by example and instruction to be present, build relationships, strengthen the body, build character, and nurture love, gratitude, faith, and other deeply human virtues.
What I do
I strive to live my pledge in my own home, then invite others to join me.
I ask questions and start conversations around manhood, marriage, and parenting.
I share my knowledge, experiences, and resources to help other DADS™.