Students recently learned about filter bubbles during an extended second period class, as the first of three digital citizenship lessons that will be taught this year. These lessons, which aim to educate students on the importance of digital literacy, have been in the works for two years. They were implemented as part of Westview’s effort to become recognized as a Common Sense School by the digital literacy nonprofit Common Sense Media.
As schools grapple with policies that restrict the use of AI, cell phones, and social media, they must also recognize that implementing policies that solely limit access can leave students unprepared for a media environment that shapes how they learn, communicate, and engage in civic life. As such, students need guided, immersive learning, not just restrictions, to succeed in today’s digital landscape. The lessons introduced Jan. 30 are beginning to do just that.
Taking active steps rather than passive policy changes is especially important. In a recent policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there has been a significant shift in how the medical community views screen time. They have shifted their attention from focusing on minutes and hours, acknowledging that it’s not just about the time spent on screens, it’s about preparing kids for the entire media ecosystem they are navigating.
At the same time, new evidence paints a sobering picture of how we are failing to adequately prepare students. In its yearly report documenting the states that have taken steps toward media literacy education reform, nonprofit organization Media Literacy Now (MLN) found that even after decades of research and mounting evidence about the harms that kids can encounter online, only half of U.S. states have decided to take legislative action on media literacy education. Even of those that have taken action, few actually require comprehensive instruction.
Thus, although the first lesson wasn’t without its flaws, it’s commendable that Westview’s administration is noticing and actively taking initiative to meet the rising need for digital literacy education–not simply out of legal necessity, but out of a genuine care for our students. In expanding these programs, we are recognizing the increasing importance of creating conversations with and between students about the importance of digital literacy.
According to Assistant Principal Shannon Parker, the first lesson on filter bubbles aimed to help students gain a solid understanding of how algorithms choose the information they’re getting. In the coming months, two more lessons will be taught: about AI misinformation and relationships in the digital world. No matter how savvy a student may already feel, these are essential topics to cover. According to the MLN report, 57% of all online content is now AI-generated, with estimates that we will reach 90% in 2026. Already, 41% of teens report encountering misleading content online, and 15% of students personally know a victim of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes. These are just a few of the digital challenges that await unprepared youth.
Not only are Westview’s chosen lesson topics relevant, but they also allow students to gain situational awareness about their own digital circumstances. For example, by understanding which filter bubbles they may be trapped in, students can actively work to avoid becoming ossified in their existing beliefs. Particularly, targeted lessons help students navigate a digital ecosystem that has been intentionally designed around engagement and commercialization, which is often shaped by industry incentives and lies largely outside the control of individuals, according to the AAP. In a world that will tend more towards technology, these digital literacy classes can help students utilize digital media in a way that works with, not against, them.
What’s helpful about these digital citizenship lessons is that they create collaborative spaces where teacher and student viewpoints can intermingle. Adults and teenagers have different strengths in the digital world, which can ultimately provide valuable learning opportunities for both parties.
Going forward, it’s important that we treat media and digital literacy with the same urgency as we do reading, writing and calculus. The type of literacy that prepares young people to navigate an increasingly digital ecosystem critically, safely, and thoughtfully is a fundamental literacy for the 21st century.
