"We're watching the fastest technological acceleration in human history-and our kids are living at the center of it. Teens are using AI tools for homework, creativity, support, and social connection. Younger children are interacting with algorithmic ecosystems long before they can fully understand the risks. And adults-parents, educators, clinicians-are trying to make sense of tools we didn't grow up with but now need to guide kids through."
"For many families, this creates a sense of "digital whiplash." How do we keep up? How do we protect them? How do we strike the balance between autonomy and safety? This tension-between innovation and responsibility-is exactly why we need a new kind of conversation about AI and youth. Not one rooted in fear and panic, but in ethical design, human-centered research, and trauma-informed principles."
Children and teens are at the center of rapid technological acceleration and are using AI for homework, creativity, support, and social connection. Younger children encounter algorithmic systems before they can fully grasp associated risks. Caregivers, educators, and clinicians face challenges guiding youth around tools they did not grow up with. Families often feel digital whiplash while balancing autonomy and safety. Ethical, youth-centered AI requires human-centered research and trauma-informed principles. Most systems lack training to recognize trauma responses, coach emotional boundaries, differentiate developmental stages, or embody restorative values and consent-focused design. AI must support dignity and healthy decision-making.
Read at Psychology Today
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