Candace Nassar (00:01.26)
Well, welcome everyone. As online gaming has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry that has captured the attention and minds of even our very young kids, parents are struggling to find content that is positive and value-based. Well, today I am thrilled to talk with Kiana Giona, the social media manager for TruPlay Games, and she’s going to share how Christian families can navigate the complex of tech and gaming. So welcome, Kiana.
Kiana Gaona (00:34.82)
Hi, Candace. Thank you so much for having me today. I’m so excited.
Candace Nassar (00:38.688)
Yes, great to have you here. So before we get started, why don’t you tell us just a little bit about yourself so our listeners can get to know you.
Kiana Gaona (00:46.052)
Absolutely. Well, first off, I love everything that you guys are doing at MomQ. I was especially just so amazed and in adoration of your core values. It’s awesome. And so something like this is so needed, especially in the times that we live in, in the world that we live in. It’s crazy, but it gives me so much hope knowing that things like MomQ are available to our moms.
So thank you for having me. I’m so excited. So yeah, a little bit about me. Yeah, I am the social media manager here at TruPlay Games. It has been such a blessing to be here. And truthfully, it is such a God story leading up to my position here at TruPlay Games. And so digging back into my background, I am a social media manager first. I have been in the industry for
Candace Nassar (01:14.681)
Thank you. my goodness. Yeah, thank
Kiana Gaona (01:44.096)
eight years now. And it started with a career in commercial print modeling, which is so interesting how the Lord really navigated and switched things up, you know. And so at the end of the day, I’m also a pastor’s wife. My husband is a student pastor and has been for the past six years. So leading the ministries, God has blessed us along the way.
Candace Nassar (02:05.233)
My gosh, I did not know that.
Kiana Gaona (02:13.474)
Being alongside him has been incredible. And it really is an insight into what our children are facing, a direct insight into the struggles that parents are facing with their kids. And we get to walk alongside them doing so through the student ministry. And so we get to see it all. And we’ve seen some really good, but we’ve also seen some really bad, you know? But it really is a blessing getting to walk through that with our church family and our students and their parents.
Candace Nassar (02:20.674)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Nassar (02:28.491)
Wow.
Candace Nassar (02:34.891)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (02:42.628)
But I’ve also developed a following of myself on TikTok and on Instagram in which I really love encouraging young girls to live bold lives for Christ, to live a life that honors Jesus. And so the Lord has really blessed the platforms that he’s given me and through them, I’m able to glorify him and encourage girls to live a life that, like I said, honors Jesus.
Candace Nassar (03:07.214)
Praise God.
Kiana Gaona (03:11.512)
And so that’s a little bit about me, but yes, I did end up at TruPlay Games before I came from a fashion background. So gaming was not in the cards for me. But like I said, it is such a God story and God works in mysterious ways. And long story short, last job, I just needed an out. It was not a fit for me. And I was just praying to the Lord.
Candace Nassar (03:27.448)
For sure.
Kiana Gaona (03:38.052)
consistently, “Lord, I need something, Lord, but I trust that you have me where I am for a purpose and you’re gonna get the glory at the end of the day.” And I didn’t apply to TruPlay. TruPlay found me. I’m telling you, it was an act of God and they found me and two weeks later I was working at True Play. And so here I am and here I am on the podcast with you. So it’s been a great journey.
Candace Nassar (04:03.042)
I love that. There’s so much related there. The fact that you’re in student ministry or walking alongside that with your husband, you’re encouraging young girls to live a life dedicated to Christ, and then you’re getting to work in this industry that is just so in need of good content. So I know you’re going to have some great stuff to share with us. And I’m just so excited to have learned that about you because that just gives me hope.
Knowing that there are people that God is using. I used to teach high school. I don’t know if I told you that when we first met, but I taught high school business classes for seven years. And boy, did I see a transition in that time between the generation that came before 2010 and when the whole social media, smartphones just really started to take off to where we are today,
Kiana Gaona (04:39.011)
No.
Kiana Gaona (04:47.94)
Yeah.
Kiana Gaona (04:58.947)
Yes.
Candace Nassar (05:01.24)
when I retired two years ago. We have a similar heart to pass these great values on, these very critical truths to kids and to moms and just build up families. So great, great, great. So, okay, well, that is very interesting. So let’s go ahead and start talking about the first thing I want to do is share with our moms. How is gaming impacting
Kiana Gaona (05:04.89)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Nassar (05:30.38)
children today? You just kind of alluded to social media and technology, but gaming is a part of that. So what can you tell us about this industry? What are the benefits and the dangers really?
Kiana Gaona (05:42.958)
Yeah, so I mean, we see the direct correlation. All we do here at TruPlay is follow what’s really happening out in the world. And we do see a correlation with the rise of gaming, with the rise of technology,and social media included. It correlates, and we say it here all the time, to the anxiety, depression, and suicide rates that are rising with children. It’s like a direct correlation. And so while there is good out there, there’s also a lot
Candace Nassar (06:05.323)
Absolutely.
Kiana Gaona (06:12.014)
Of bad that parents and moms should definitely be aware of because screens aren’t going away. They’re not going away anytime, anytime. And so that’s why here at TruPlay, we really want to meet them where they are. But the dangers of technology now is that it’s so easy for somebody, a stranger, a predator, to get a hold of your child.
Candace Nassar (06:21.035)
Mm
Kiana Gaona (06:40.386)
More than ever, it is the easiest thing to do. You’re seeing it in Roblox. You’re seeing it through an Instagram DM, through a Snapchat. It has never been easier for the outside to get to our children.
Candace Nassar (06:54.85)
And you know what’s so crazy about that, Kiana, is that as I’ve been reading and following this industry and just different things, reading the book called The Anxious Generation, which if you haven’t read, I highly recommend, but they talk about how we’ve over-structured and over-protected our kids and the millennials in particular, growing up with all the school shootings and all the crazy, including technology, but primarily things that are happening outside of our homes.
They want to pull their kids inside and protect them from all of those things. And so they’re tightly controlling their schedules. But yet, at the same time, we’re letting them go play, get involved in these technologies that we really don’t know much about. And we don’t have a clue how these, like you’re saying, people from the outside can get to them through these types of things. So we need to really be alert and aware. So I just wanted to say that.
Kiana Gaona (07:39.94)
Yeah.
Kiana Gaona (07:53.286)
Yeah. Absolutely. No, I agree. We really do need to be alert and aware. And so like I was saying, we do see it within these gaming platforms, like Roblox. We had a mom reach out to us and she said that there was a 40 year old woman that was trying to get a hold of her daughter through Roblox and sending her inappropriate messages. And she was like, Kiana, I put all the parental controls on. I thought I did everything possible to protect my daughter, but I couldn’t. So now it’s this big old lawsuit going on, but it’s becoming more and more common. Yeah, seeing stories like this is just kind of like, “Okay, just another one.” Another one’s happening, but it’s a problem. It is a problem. And we really need to see more parents be aware of this and stand up for our children because we really need to be protecting
Candace Nassar (08:32.44)
So scary.
Kiana Gaona (08:50.83)
their minds, the hearts of our kids. It’s more important now than ever. And like I said, the dangers of it, it’s a real thing. We really need to be mindful. Yeah, parental controls are there. An app also might say ad free whenever you’re downloading it, but I promise you, you might just get an ad. And so I can’t tell you how many times that we hear that story. So many times, counter to danger and the bad, there is good. You know, I really do believe that the Lord does work all things for his good and the enemy will try to take all the things that he can and distort it and pervert it and use it for bad, right? But I still believe that God is greater. God is stronger and he will use technology at the end of the day and he’s going to get all of the glory for it. And so we do see there
Candace Nassar (09:37.004)
Mm -hmm.
Amen.
Candace Nassar (09:46.648)
So good.
Kiana Gaona (09:49.452)
Are apps out there that are good, that have the protective stuff, that are ad-free, safe, chat room-free. And it can be a benefit to your child’s walk with the Lord. There’s apps out there where it’s prayer videos, you can get comics, you can get games. There is good stuff out there and it can be a tool for you and your household to aid in your children’s spiritual life. And so there are benefits and there are good apps out there, but as I said, it really is important that we are mindful of the real dangers that are out there. And there are people out there that wake up with malicious intent, and that’s just the sad truth of the world that we live in. And so, like I said, it’s just so important that we’re mindful of parental controls that can only get you so far.
Candace Nassar (10:15.992)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Nassar (10:25.912)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Nassar (10:38.412)
Very good.
So that kind of leads into my next question: Why is it so important that Christian families carefully navigate the world of tech and gaming?
Kiana Gaona (10:52.644)
Yeah, so even for us adults, the things that we consume are going to come out. as scripture says, “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” So what are we feeding ourselves? The music that we listen to, the shows that we consume, it’s just even more important to watch and be mindful of the things that our children are consuming. They’re like sponges, right?
They’ll repeat the things that we repeat. They’ll do what we do. And if the things that we are allowing into their minds, into their hearts are not fruitful, are not things that honor the Lord, we’re gonna see those ugly fruits, you know, start to grow. And so it really is just so important for Christian families, specifically, to be mindful of the content because there’s a lot of negative content out there.
Candace Nassar (11:49.742)
You know, I want to share an example. So my kids are older, probably around your age. But even back, I think it was like 2006 when gaming was still rudimentary, right? In its somewhat early stages. But he had this game on a CD that he played on the computer and he got obsessed with it. And he’s very competitive. And it was one of these competitive games. And it started to change his personality. And we were just going, what is going on here? And it just wasn’t something he needed to be filling his mind with. And so we had to take it away. And he got really upset, but he still remembers that we did that. And he knows that it was the right thing. So anyway, yes, be careful little eyes what you see and hear.
Kiana Gaona (12:34.094)
Yeah.
Kiana Gaona (12:38.702)
Yeah.
Yeah, we see.
Exactly. I have a parent at our church whose daughter was obsessed with Peppa Pig. And as wholesome as we think the show might be, she’s a bit sassy. And so her daughter started to use the little, I guess, the sass, her sass signature little remarks that she would use on her. And she was getting real comfortable talking back inside the house. And so the shows that we feed our children, the content, the games, “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” They will pick up on those little slangs, the words, the verbiage, they will pick up on it. So it is so important to guard our children’s minds and hearts, because it will show, you know?
Candace Nassar (13:22.669)
Amen.
Candace Nassar (13:30.286)
Bye.
Candace Nassar (13:36.524)
Yeah, yeah. Very, very interesting and important for us to think about that, you know, I mean, I think we should probably sit and play the games that our kids are playing instead of just trusting it. Don’t you think? And get and watch the shows with them. And if it’s not something that you feel like is honoring God, then they can do without it. And we just have to let our kids, like you were saying in the beginning, you’re helping these girls follow Jesus. Well, that’s part of learning to follow Jesus is making hard choices. So very good.
Kiana Gaona (14:11.214)
Yeah, yeah, for the month listening, like you will never regret spending that extra time learning about the apps that your kids are playing. And I know it’s so easy and I know that we get tired and it’s so easy to just give them the tablet or here’s the YouTube, just go. I get that. We get that. But you will never regret spending that extra time doing the research into the apps that your kids are playing.
Candace Nassar (14:28.085)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (14:40.338)
Seeing what kinds of ads might come up, seeing how the characters in the shows your kids are watching, engage with each other, how they speak, the patterns that they display in their show and your children. You will never regret spending that extra time doing the research. And I promise you, it will make all the world a difference. The sooner that you can catch on to those little tidbits that might not be so good for your child, the quicker it is for you to turn it off and say no.
And like you said, with the game, the CD, how he got defensive over it, the less likely that might happen. You might just avoid a little bit of a fight or a tantrum too, right? Yeah.
Candace Nassar (15:18.648)
That’s right, because we kind of let it go a little too far, I think for sure. So great advice, Kiana. Such good advice. So what kind of guidelines would you give parents in looking for age-appropriate games?
Kiana Gaona (15:33.07)
Ooh, I mean, especially for Christian families, I absolutely adore an app that is biblically sound, biblically based, because at end of the day, we do want a take-away, and that’s something that we do hear at TruPlay, no pitch intended, no pitch intended. But it’s so important that we’re fueling and filling our kids’ minds with something valuable, right? So at the end of the day, I think that families should look. Granted-the fun games that you just go and play, the mindless games, are so fun. But what if we could replace that with mindful gaming? So games that teach kids about the Bible. Maybe it’s a scripture memory type of game. But I really just, you will never regret downloading those games and doing the extra research for the games that will fill your children’s minds with value. Looking for the creators that do
Candace Nassar (16:24.216)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (16:32.768)
educate your kids on scripture. I’ve seen Christian versions of Miss Rachel, finding those little creators. Like I said, you will never regret doing the research. So the guidelines, if you can find something ad-free, make it ad-free. You have zero control of what is going to pop up inside that app. Zero control.
Candace Nassar (16:43.915)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (16:58.508)
It could be a wholesome ad at one point, but you never know what’s going to come up in the next one. So if you can find ad-free, I would strongly suggest ad-free and chatroom free. My goodness, I cannot tell you how many horror stories have come from parents of, like I said, strangers trying to prey on their children because there are people out there that unfortunately do that. And I cannot tell you, like I said, how many stories, heartbreaking stories that I’ve heard of parents downloading these fun games that they thought their kid might like, but it’s got a chatroom and that can turn ugly really quick.
Candace Nassar (17:36.509)
Mm -hmm.
You know, that’s interesting because we are always looking for a bargain, right? So we want those free apps because who wants to pay, right? But at the same time, that’s where we’re inviting all the trouble. So you’re bringing up a really good point that the subscription based apps that you can get ad-free are worth it. Your kids are worth it, right?
Kiana Gaona (17:46.711)
Yeah.
Kiana Gaona (18:05.879)
Yeah. And at the end of the day, yeah, the subscriptions might be our last resort, but usually they’re the price of a Starbucks drink, they’re the price of a fast food meal, and how much more do we value protecting our children and fueling the minds of our children more than we would buying a coffee, more than we would buying a quick meal, you know? And that’s something that we face here at TruPlay a bunch where it’s like, you guys are a subscription. I thought it was free, but, and we get complaints about that one, but how much more do we value our children and the content that they’re consuming and protecting them from strangers, from the world really, you know? And so for that, I would encourage moms and say, I know. And I get it, the free apps are a lot more tasteful than the subscription ones. But I promise you, mama, if you’re listening, one Starbucks drink and you’re good. I promise you, you will be fine without that Starbucks drink. And filling our children’s minds with wholesome content, biblical content, safe apps will always be worth it. I promise, promise, promise you.
Candace Nassar (19:23.176)
Mm hmm. Yeah. So good. So OK, so let’s just talk a little bit about TruPlay. What kind of content does True Play offer?
Kiana Gaona (19:35.556)
Yeah, so I could talk all day. Play is so awesome. So TruPlay is an all-in-one hub for biblically-based video games, content, and comics. So we partnered with the Action Bible and you can find stories of the life of Jesus directly from the Action Bible on the app. We also have a line of amazing prayer videos that we’ve seen parents incorporate into their nightly routine where they will play a video and we have prayers about the Lord’s Prayer, prayers for faith, prayers for courage, prayers for family. And we’ve seen families really incorporate those, like I said, into their nighttime routine. Or, if their kids will memorize the videos, they’ll get more screen time and seeing it kind of be like a reward system. And that’s been really cool. We’re also video games. Video games that are amazing. And so a big thing that we really strive for is just excellence all around. And so we will not push something out onto the app that we’re not proud of. And so all of our games are created in-house and they are prayed for. They are intentionally made. Our team really does the research. Hours, days spent with their Bibles open. Really trying to align our video games with God’s word. And that’s what I really admire about TruPlay is just the intentionality of the team. And there’s power in those words. In the word of God, there is so much power and it really does translate to the video games. And we’re hoping and we’re praying and we’re believing that it’s gonna spark conversations for parents that are non-believers.
Candace Nassar (21:07.278)
catch.
Candace Nassar (21:31.074)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (21:31.546)
And we’re gonna see parents come to know Jesus. We’re gonna see kids minister to their parents through a video game. We’re gonna see kids also come to know Jesus because they’re being exposed to the love of God through video games. And so, like I said, it really is rooted in the word of God. The team does the research. And if I could emphasize anything to moms listening is that our team is parents too.
We wouldn’t put out something that we wouldn’t feel safe giving our kids too. It’s chat room free, it’s ad- free. So you can just give your kid the tablet and feel safe, knowing that no one’s going to contact them. There’s no inappropriate ads that’s going to come up. It’s just going to be wholesome fun content. And so I can’t express that enough. Just the intentionality behind everything. We really do pray for our subscribers.
Candace Nassar (22:14.179)
Mm -hmm.
Kiana Gaona (22:31.65)
We pray for our video games to minister to households, to minister to the hearts of children. And we just pray at the end of the day that it creates a long lasting impact in their hearts and their homes. And that’s all we really want. We want to see, yeah, we want to see kids come to know Christ and we want to see revival come, you know? And if we can do that through a video game, we’re going to do it. And if it takes us days opening up our Bible and researching, and if it takes
Candace Nassar (22:45.784)
Such a blessing.
Kiana Gaona (23:01.4)
and if it takes all that time doing that, we’re going to do it.
Candace Nassar (23:04.654)
So good. So, so good. you know, the heart behind it is, I’m just hearing, I understand why you’re working there for sure. Kids are gonna grow in their faith, which is what parents are always looking for, those types of resources and support really, because a lot of times parents don’t know how to bring these things up or how to explore in a way that engages the kids.
Kiana Gaona (23:12.802)
It’s all.
Candace Nassar (23:33.452)
So the kids, you’re hearing good things, the kids are liking the games?
Kiana Gaona (23:37.322)
My gosh, we get such great testimonies from moms, from kids alike. I know we have a group coming in sometime this week . I think it’s like 15 kids coming and playing tests. And they just love the games. Like I said, they’re excellent. Our games, their quality. And we’re really seeing a great response. I remember this one story from a mom. So, Maple, she’s basically like our main character. She’s the face of the app. She’s awesome. And her mantra is, “I am strong and courageous because God says I am strong and courageous.” And that’s her whole personality throughout the game. She’s fearless. She’s constantly on a mission to save her friends. And so we had a mom send a video and tell us that my son was afraid to go to the bathroom before TruPlay. And then he started playing True Play. And like I said, these kids pick up on what the characters say. And so he picked up on Maple’s mantra, I am strong and courageous because God says I’m strong and courageous. And he was screaming that in the bathroom. The dog bark isn’t that awesome. And so it really is just one, a reflection of what kids do.
Candace Nassar (24:52.065)
my goodness. So great.
Kiana Gaona (25:01.95)
They mirror and mimic what these characters are saying. And if it can be fruitful and if it can honor the Lord and if it can fuel their spiritual walk, moms, let’s do it, right? And so that’s just one of the great stories that we’ve heard come from the app. It’s really been awesome.
Candace Nassar (25:13.965)
Mm -hmm.
Candace Nassar (25:20.278)
I bet there’s so many more, but we’re running out of time. But thank you so much for sharing that. So just to wrap up, why don’t you tell us how parents can find out a little bit more about TruPlay Games?
Kiana Gaona (25:22.035)
Yeah.
Kiana Gaona (25:33.402)
Yeah, parents. So we are on the iOS and Android app store markets. A common question we get is, “Are you available on Amazon Kindle tablets?” And the answer is, “Not yet.” So, we are only available on Android and iPad or Apple devices. But for now, stay tuned. We just launched in 2023 August.
So we’re still fairly new and there’s so much more to come. We are believing that God is barely getting started. So like I said, you can find us on the app store, the iOS and Apple app store markets. You can also follow us on every social media platform possible on TikTok, on Instagram, X, Facebook, at TruePlay Games with no E. Everybody always gets TR.
Candace Nassar (26:28.161)
Kiana Gaona (26:30.388)
Everybody always gets T-R-U -E, but it’s T -R -U, games. You can also visit our website, which is the same, TruPlayGames.com, with no E, mom and dad.
Candace Nassar (26:41.718)
Awesome. Sounds great. Well, Kiana, this has been so valuable. I thank you so much. Thank you for what you’re doing. Thank you for being a part of TruPlay and continuing to just invest in our kids in so many ways.
Kiana Gaona (26:55.756)
Absolutely. And thank you for investing in our moms and giving them a safe place to be encouraged to talk about the things that are hard to be vulnerable. It is so needed. And so thank you for everything MomQ is doing. Amen. Thank you
Candace Nassar (27:11.342)
Praise God. Amen.
