EXPERT ADVISORY – MAY 22, 2025 – R0064

Generations Z and Alpha may have spent their entire lives surrounded by screens — and the deluge of content constantly streaming from them — but Brock University experts say it’s important not to confuse digital comfort with digital literacy.

“There is an assumption that this is just the world they live in as they have always had access to these technologies, but digital natives may, more than ever and more than anyone, need some kind of pause,” says Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film Studies Jennifer Ellen (Jenellen) Good.

“When we sit down in front of a screen, we do it because we enjoy what’s happening,” she says. “Understanding screens doesn’t then mean that those screens don’t have influence over us.”

And that influence continues to evolve alongside technology.

Parents and educators now need to consider not only how children are interacting with the internet, but also with artificial intelligence (AI).

Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies Mohammed Estaiteyeh says students can begin learning basic concepts of AI literacy as early as Grade 4, with key strategies involving teaching verification skills such as fact-checking and reverse image search, promoting transparency in AI outputs and encouraging skepticism toward content.

“At this stage, they are already interacting with AI in everyday tools such as voice assistants, video recommendations and personalized learning platforms, even if they don’t realize it,” he says. “Introducing age-appropriate concepts early on helps lay the foundation of AI for deeper understanding later.”

More complex topics — like data bias, ethical concerns (such as the exploitation of cheap labour in poor countries for data mining), and the applications of AI in other fields like medicine and robotics — could be discussed with older children.

“Students must also reflect on issues of privacy, evaluating how their own data might be collected and used, and responsible use of AI in their own learning,” Estaiteyeh says.

“Early exposure would specifically benefit students from marginalized communities who are typically left behind,” he adds. “AI literacy is not just about understanding technology; it is about equipping students to navigate, question and shape the digital world they’re growing up in.”

That begins with children and teens going beyond simply being comfortable using digital tools and social media and learning to use them in a “critical or reflective way,” says David Hutchison, a Professor in the Departments of Educational Studies and Digital Humanities.

With so much information — and misinformation — readily available to youth through platforms such as TikTok, discussions on navigating what children are viewing need to begin “right away,” says Professor of Child and Youth Studies Shauna Pomerantz.

“Pretending like socials don’t exist and hoping your child won’t be exposed to potentially difficult information online is unrealistic; burying our heads in the sand is not an option,” she says. “We need open and honest communications with kids about the joys and challenges of social media existence.”

Most young people understand the role of algorithms fairly well, Pomerantz says. However, it’s important to remind them their feeds “exist in an echo chamber, where their recorded ‘likes’ are reflected back to them through an algorithm that knows what each viewer wants to see, reinforcing the young person’s pre-existing perspectives.”

There’s “always more to the story,” she adds.

“Information is rooted in the political agenda of the media outlet or person putting it online, and we need to confirm facts via other sources, such as print media, parents and teachers, and alternative websites,” Pomerantz says. “We should also be talking to all genders about how social media amplifies hate and makes extremist views appear normal and necessary — this is perfect dinner conversation.”

Hutchison says students also need to be taught the fundamentals of navigating an online existence with the caveat that the guidelines for discerning fact from fiction are constantly shifting.

“In a sense, we’re in a post-truth world where a reliance on traditional forms of what is considered to be valid data or knowledge are actually under attack,” he says. “There are also people intentionally putting out content that is meant to mislead — unapologetically so. And there is also the issue of AI-generated information.”

Equally important to teaching children how to critically engage with the online world, including the moral and environmental ramifications of their digital footprint, is spending time away from the never-ending scroll, Good says.

“All of this content is being created without context and it’s important for young people to not only be without their phones, but to also be without their phones running around, playing and interacting in the world, rather than through a screen,” she says.

Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film Studies Jennifer Ellen (Jenellen) Good, Assistant Professor of Digital Pedagogies and Technology Literacies Mohammed Estaiteyeh, Professor of Educational Studies David Hutchison and Professor of Child and Youth Studies Shauna Pomerantz are available for media interviews on this topic.

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

*Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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