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This skill can protect kids from the harms of social media
29th April, 2026 12:48 AM
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 know how to stay safe online.
As a professor, I have 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 am not the only one who has noticed this. 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 how 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 an advantage 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, analyse 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 is not as if kids wake up on their 16th birthdays and suddenly become very savvy about using social media and understand how algorithms work. So instead of everyone shouting at them, saying, “You are spending too much time on screens,” the key is instilling self-efficacy. If you understand how different platforms and algorithms work, you are 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 have these tools.
CNN: How can parents teach their 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 us go find out more.” You are modelling the behaviour of finding out more, looking at other sources, being curious and being an interested person in the world.
You are not going to say to your 14-year-old, “What evidence do you have for that?” You would say something like, “Oh, I am not sure about that. What have you seen or heard that makes you say that?”
If teenagers only see information that will help them pass an exam, many of them disengage because it becomes just a means to an end. Critical thinking encourages curiosity about the world, and that is very helpful for motivation and engagement.
I would really encourage parents to use the language of “we” and say, “Let us go look that up together.” You can acknowledge that it is hard for all of us. We are all affected by algorithms, so we are in it together. It is important that kids do not feel alone.
CNN: You say it is a good idea to teach teenagers to change their minds. How can we do it?
Davies: Changing our minds in light of evidence is very important. Always model the behaviour you want. You might be talking about bike lanes. You could say something like, “I used to think I did not want that bike lane on such and such street because I could not park there. But actually I have changed my mind. I realise now that it is fantastic because it means the bike lane links up with all those other streets, and I have 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 is very task-based. A teacher says, “I want you to do a Venn diagram,” then walks around and asks how they are doing. But in order to have rich conversations, whether online or face-to-face, they need to be taught high-level questioning skills. Otherwise, they tend to use overemotional language or just speak without thinking.
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 more deeply. You have to give an example and justify your view further.
Parents can model that and encourage teenagers to use the language among themselves.
