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While Sal Khan strictly controls children’s screen time and access to social media, the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, an online education organization, is very much in the digital world and the power of the artificial intelligence that helps students move forward.
“The apps and games are clearly designed to be addictive, but moderate technology is fundamentally neutral,” he says. “Many adults get mad at kids, but they’re also obsessed with phones. We should all say no to using our devices all the time.”
Like many Silicon Valley executives, he is well aware of the dangers of technology and the extent to which the app is designed to promote use and collect personal information. However, he also sees the value of new tools to support more personalized and effective learning, solving differences in access to resources and boosting education more widely.
Even outside the classroom, the digital world offers clear benefits to life, leisure and danger.
This FT report outlines practical advice for students in some of the free access programs for middle and high schools around the world. It highlights trends, tools and guidelines to more effectively navigate the digital world.
Navigate the digital world
Our reporters explore side hustles such as reselling second-hand clothing. This helps to generate extra cash and at least improve sustainability by offsetting waste in “disposable” fashion. It also provides fraud detection advice.
We present useful apps for young people that can help you learn, relax, time management, travel and safety. It also combines with AI-enhanced online search to explore the possibilities of tools such as LinkedIn to identify and apply for jobs, even when technology is shaking the job market.
Also tap on Expert Advice from ChildNet, a charity that aims to make the internet a safer place for young people in a practical way to deal with online bullying, hatred and the growth of sexual molecules.
The dark side of technology spans what could be called the “four DS” or shortcomings of the digital world. It is the possibility of financial deception, personal distraction, disinformation, and a decline in thinking ability.
“There is the ongoing pressure that young adults face as they are expanding in the digital space. In high school, we compare our goals in life online and compare what we should do online,” says Jamie Nunez, senior manager of a nonprofit organization that works to improve the digital world. “It leads to levels of anxiety and stress and reliance on techniques that encourage poor living choices.”
In addition to the potential for fraud that causes economic losses, the explosion of online activity poses a wider risk, such as tempting younger users to “feed the beast” of social media.
Apps and games are clearly designed to be addictive, but moderately technology is fundamentally neutral
Salkan
The psychological tricks deployed by social media platforms, and the underlying commercial motivations of the companies and influencers using them, are well documented by former tech company insiders. Tristan Harris, a former Google executive who co-founded the nonprofit Humanitarian and Technology Center, warns of a surge in disinformation, with all the incentives for the loudest voice to share divisive views.
As a result, there is a growing demand for more stringent policing on social media platforms and restrictions on the use of personal devices in schools. Almost half of young people in recent UK polls insisted they live in the world without the internet, and over a quarter said they would prefer it if social media were not present.
However, online engagement can empower and help bridge it. Organizations such as Upchieve connect students with qualified tutors around the world to help them with research. Khan’s own recent civic dialogue program aims to bring together students with different perspectives to improve mutual understanding.
Just as Google has driven away many memories of fact, when we outsource our work to AI, we need to be vigilant about the risk of diminishing critical thinking.
However, Khan, who recently wrote Brave Brave’s new words on AI and education, suggests that technology still works best in compensating for human effort. “Learning basic skills is still very important,” he said, adding that the people with the highest understanding “have made the most of it.”
