New Pew data shows 36% of US teens view AI positively, but their explanations reveal resignation rather than enthusiasm. Responses focus on efficiency and inevitability - "everyone will have to use it or be left behind." UPenn research finds people accept flawed AI reasoning 73% of the time, termed "cognitive surrender." The gap between headline optimism and actual sentiment warrants attention.

#AI #DigitalLiteracy #YouthPerspectives

https://www.implicator.ai/teens-sound-optimistic-about-ai-theyre-describing-surrender-2/

DESIGN'S SHIFT: FROM LIFESAVING STRUCTURES TO SEAMLESS INTERFACES, AND THE DISCONNECTION IT SEEMS TO CULTIVATE

Easy technology design makes us forget how things work. This is different from life-saving designs like the Pentagon's structure. Learn why.

#UserExperience, #TechDesign, #DesignThinking, #DigitalLiteracy, #HowThingsWork

https://newsletter.tf/easy-tech-design-disconnects-people-from-how-it-works/

Design now makes tech easy to use, but it means we don't understand how it works. This is different from strong buildings that saved lives.

#UserExperience, #TechDesign, #DesignThinking, #DigitalLiteracy, #HowThingsWork
https://newsletter.tf/easy-tech-design-disconnects-people-from-how-it-works/

I am pleased to share that I have successfully participated in a virtual session titled Digital Literacy: AI, Cybersecurity & Emerging Trends organised by ICT Foundation Nepal. The session provided a deep dive into the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital security, highlighting the critical trends shaping our current technological landscape.

#DigitalLiteracy #ArtificialIntelligence #CyberSecurity #TechTrends #ContinuousLearning #NepalTech #ProfessionalDevelopment #ICTNepal

Really pleased that the report on #AILiteracies I wrote with @epilepticrabbit for BBC R&D has now been released! 🙌

It was delayed due to the charter renewal process, and other stuff. So hopefully it still stands up to scrutiny...

https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/responsible-innovation/responsible-innovation-centre-ai-literacies-young-adults.pdf [PDF]

#AILiteracy #DigitalLiteracies #DigitalLiteracy

PsyPost: New research suggests truth has a natural competitive edge over misinformation. “Truthful messages are more persuasive and more likely to be shared than false ones, according to new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The findings, drawn from four large experiments, challenge the widespread belief that misinformation naturally spreads more […]

We are proponents of teaching critical thinking skills and digital literacy, so in honor of April Fool's Day we want to let you know that we have some great free teaching resources in our Media Literacy Collection.

These lessons cover social media literacy, surveillance, propaganda and disinformation, visual literacy and more. The lessons are based on award-winning films from around the world like And So It Begins (Philippines), Navalny (Russia), The Cup (Tibet/India).

Whether you want to boost your own media literacy skills or support your students in navigating their media world, we've got something for you. Check it out!

https://journeysinfilm.org/film/media-literacy-and-journalism-lessons/

#MediaLiteracy #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #Education #Homeschooling #GlobalEducation

The Conversation: It’s not just gen Z – older adults need help spotting online misinformation too. “In 2024, nine in ten people in the UK reported seeing misinformation on social media. Yet only 3% of the population had taken a media literacy course. While there is working being done to ensure technology is accessible, users must have the skills and confidence to recognise if they are being […]

I've spent days observing both sides of this polarising technology in my circle.

The anti-AI stance seemed loudest - even from people I admire, which is a shame.

Yes, I'm wary of AI being crammed down our throats and of the grifters. But for those of us in tech who understand what it can do, the proactive move - and a better way to push back against the foie gras - is to help people around us navigate this tool cautiously.

#AI #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking

Thought for today - Digital Addiction.
Are we addicted to social media? Health apps? Work-function assistant apps? Organisation apps? News apps? E-commerce apps? Are we just addicted to life as techno-solutionism in all forms? Are we addicted to using any apps just because it feels like fun, a game, entertainment?

In the social media case, I believe a large amount of 'the addiction attraction' is hyper-personalised consumerisation. The interweaving of narcissism, social acceptance, conformism, life-worth-as-economic-value, life-worth-as-social-media-measurement, added to the intense emotional reward of buying things to reaffirm sense of self and fitting in, make the digital social+product marketplace a very alluring space to occupy. Instagram's whole business case is this.

Remember, the Iron Curtain did not fall due to intellectual debate or ideological challenge. It fell because of Levi jeans and Coca Cola.

Smartphones are really fun. Even old phones before the digital revolution were fun. Kids, mums and anyone who had time and felt sociable would be on the phone for hours. Calling friends when you were a teenager was a mandatory part of growing up. "Get off the phone!" was a common shout from your mother. We even stood in the phone box in the evenings because it felt like fun.

The breakpoint came when people started being born who did not know what life was like before the digital revolution. It's them that are now paying some kind of psychosis price for these addictive toys. But it's not only socmed, it's everything that is digital.

But you know, I love my phones. I love their character, their style, their functionality. They really are part of who I am. Somebody really should make completely customisable shells for phones. They'd make billions.

#socialmedia #socialmediaaddiction #digitalliteracy #datasociety #academia #academicchatter

Img:
Nhung Le/Unsplash