This skill can protect kids from the harms of social media
By Kara Alaimo, CNN
(CNN) — To protect kids from the harms of social media, some of us have proposed banning social networks for young people or delaying the age at which they use them. One expert has another solution: teaching kids critical thinking so they’ll know how to be safe online.
As a professor, I’ve seen a decline in the ability of the average college student to make or refute strong arguments over the past decade — probably at least partly because constantly checking their screens has left them unable to focus. (I’m not the only one who has noticed.) This lack of critical thinking, of course, can make them vulnerable to misinformation, scams and other dangers online.
Not sure how to teach them this skill? In her new book, “Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers: How Kids Can Be Street Smart about AI, Algorithms, Fake News and Social Media,” Dr. Maree Davies explains the way to do it. I spoke to Davies, a senior lecturer of education and social practice at New Zealand’s University of Auckland, about what parents should do — and why it can also give kids a leg up in the job market.
This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What is critical thinking?
Dr. Maree Davies: Critical thinking is the ability to carefully question, analyze and evaluate information or ideas before deciding what to believe or do. It often involves considering counterarguments and weighing evidence to determine which claim or argument is the strongest.
CNN: You say critical thinking is the most important thing we can teach kids to protect them on social media. Why?
Davies: If you understand critical thinking, then when you see something online, your mind automatically thinks, “Hang on a minute, is that right? Maybe I should find further information. Is that true for everyone?”
Teaching teenagers to do that — about anything, not just social media — is better than banning social media. If we ban it, it’s not like kids wake up on their 16th birthdays and suddenly are very savvy about using social media and understand how algorithms work. So instead of everyone shouting at them saying, “You’re spending too much time on screens,” the key is instilling self-efficacy. If you understand how different platforms and algorithms work, you’re going to be more savvy.
I think this can also, at some level, help with anxiety. Anxiety is about not having control. If you know critical thinking, then you’ve got these tools.
CNN: How can parents teach our kids to think critically?
Davies: To foster curiosity, you can say things such as, “I just saw something on the news. They said such and such, and that sounds amazing. Let’s go find out more.” You’re modeling that behavior of finding out more, looking at other sources, being curious and being an interested person in the world.
You’re not going to say to your 14-year-old, “What evidence do you have for that?” You’d say something like, “Oh, I’m not sure about that. What have you seen or heard that makes you say that?”
If teenagers only see information that’s going to get them to pass an exam, many of them disengage because it’s just a means to an end. Critical thinking fosters being curious about the world, and that is very helpful for motivation and engagement.
I’d really encourage parents to use the language of “we” and say, “Let’s go look that up together.” You can acknowledge that it’s hard for all of us. We’re all victims of algorithms. So, we’re in it together. It’s important that kids don’t feel alone.
CNN: You say it’s a good idea to teach teenagers to change their minds. How can we do it?
Davies: Changing our mind in light of evidence is very, very important. Always model the behavior you want. You might be talking about bike lanes. You’d say something like, “I used to think I didn’t want that bike lane on such and such street because I can’t park there. But actually I’ve changed my mind. I realize now that it’s fantastic, because it means that the bike lane loops up with all those other streets, and I’ve seen loads of people using it.”
CNN: You point out that we often teach kids to read and write but not to converse. Why is that important, and how should we do it?
Davies: Often when teenagers are asked to talk at school, it’s very task-based. A teacher says, “I want you to do a Venn diagram,” and walks around and asks how kids are doing. But in order to have very rich conversations, whether they are online or face-to-face, they need to be taught high-level questioning skills. Otherwise, they tend to use overemotional language or just shoot from the hip.
One of the best skills anyone can pick up is simply saying, “Can you give me an example of that?” When it becomes interactive, you have to think deeper. You have to give an example and justify what you think further.
Parents can model that and encourage teenagers to use the language amongst themselves.
CNN: You believe being creative and able to think critically are going to become more important skills in the job market. Why?
Davies: If you grow up relying on AI to summarize, generate ideas and do the thinking for you, you’re not developing those skills. If you never use AI growing up, if as a child you’re drawing and creating with Lego bricks, you’re going to be a very creative person.
If you naturally do those things, you’re going to be a very flexible employee. An employer is going to love you because you’re going to be very adaptable. A great deal of life is problem-solving, and you can’t anticipate what problems are going to emerge in the future. So, if you’re in a business and you hadn’t predicted tariffs as a problem, you need people in that room who can think and problem solve. You can’t just go to AI with problems, because AI is based on existing data. If there’s new and emerging problems, you need people who are going to be able to think about them in new and fresh ways.
CNN: You point out that the early teen years are a use-it-or-lose-it time for developing skills. Why?
Davies: At about age 11 for girls and 12 for boys, we have a time of neurological change. The gray matter in our brains as early teenagers is actually the fullest of our lives. So, if you consistently repeat activities — say you’re learning to play tennis, and you’re out on the court every day — the connections are going to be strengthened. If you never do something, you’re not going to develop those connections. The connections are literally being chopped if we don’t use them but hardwired if we do use them.
CNN: You tell parents that chatting regularly with our kids can protect them from harm. How?
Davies: Sharing stories and experiences is really important. I completely understand how busy everyone is, but I can’t emphasize enough that making time and just sitting and chatting with teenagers is so important. Do not be put off by doors slamming. That behavior of teenagers is absolutely typical. They push you away, but they actually seek closeness. I feel sorry for teenagers who are really tall, because they can appear to be adults, but they’re not. They’re teenagers, and they want your time.
When teenagers feel you’ve got that relationship with them, they are far more likely to come to you if they get caught up in doomscrolling, or they’re being targeted by an extremist group, or they’ve gotten themselves into a mess.
You want to be in a position where they feel comfortable talking to you. You’re not going to go crazy and overreact. Listening is the key. Just relax and listen to what they have to say.
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