Reflect

Whilst you will find many, many Wednesday Wisdom articles authored by me, asking parents to heavily consider not introducing smartphones and social media into children’s early lives, or warning about the vast range of risks and harms that exist in the digital landscape, you will never find me arguing for an end to all technology as part of pedagogical practice in schools.

I recently wrote a workshop on effective revision for teens. In doing so, I refreshed my knowledge on the science around learning, memorisation and evidence-based techniques that can aid learning and accelerate success. The whole exercise taught me about the need for teens to use and apply a diversity of methods; paper-based sources as well as digital content, books as well as websites. AI can help young people plan revision, particular apps (like Forest or Opus) can aid focus, and digital quizzes (like Quizlet or Tassomai) can help young people recall a tonne of information and identify gaps in knowledge.

As someone parenting two teens through 40 plus high-stake exams over a six-week period, I am marvelling at the benefits of digital technology and wondering how I ever did any exams without it!

Digital tech is allowing my teens to easily organise two years’ worth of classroom learning material, engage in peer coaching (doing a tricky maths question with a buddy online), print a past paper out, identify mark schemes and assess their own work. Digital technology is also allowing them to relax, talk to friends online who are equally snowed under, and can bring some light relief in the form of gaming and listening to music.

The challenge of digital parenting is ensuring, often insisting, that they appreciate and value balance. Hence, teaching them the importance of those walks around the block in the evenings, nudging them to do some exercise, go to bed at a reasonable time, make dates with friends in the park, not just on a platform.

Whilst they live under my roof, I have a rich opportunity to model the struggle to cope with digital life whilst taking care of one’s digital wellbeing. Keeping technology at bay won’t stop its soaring importance in the modern world. Banning all technology from children’s lives and schooling sounds best for children, but researchers argue this isn’t optimal, because in doing so, we stop them developing some incredibly important skills. These include: a sense of discernment, digital resilience, as well as technical skills and competencies that they will need as they grow and develop. That future is highly likely to entail relationships with technologies of all kinds and the world will demand a high degree of technological competence from our children as they step into adulthood and the world of work.

Motivate

Modern adult life is awash with technology. Whether for engaging in home admin, entertainment, health or in work, an ability to navigate these tools is an absolute necessity for success. Not only that, technology is the conduit through which we learn about the world. Whether conducting our own research or being shown ideas through social media, our ability to think critically about what we read, hear and see can make the difference between being someone who can use technology to serve their needs versus someone who is powerless in the face of algorithmic forces.

We all wish for children to be confident navigators of technology, gaining its benefits and avoiding its harms, able to set and maintain a healthy balance of screen usage versus in-person interaction and non-digital consumption. This requires the cultivation of self awareness, self-control, digital discernment and overall good judgement.

These skills become even more important as the role of artificial intelligence grows. AI has already long powered the algorithms that decide what we see in searches, on social media or in online adverts. Now we must prepare children to become adults in a world where they will have to navigate its use in ever broader forms, whether for chat, images, video or for automating tasks. AI will sound and look ever more human-like. The question that many parents are asking themselves is this: how can we parent in a way that both reduces the risk of harms associated with the proliferation of AI in our lives, whilst preparing children for a digital future?

The good news is that we already have plenty of examples of how we might approach this question. For example, we know how to help children develop healthy habits with food: learning what is nutritional, and how to enjoy a balanced diet. We teach them to develop self control and good judgement. We know that it isn’t wise to give children unfettered access to all foods, as they need guidance regarding healthy choices. We also know that if we simply try to ban certain foods all the way to adulthood, particularly those that are sugary and processed, then we leave young people more curious about them, and less prepared to make healthy choices when they encounter them later.

The same is true of technology. There is a completely understandable instinct to try and ban all technology, all screens, in the interests of ‘keeping children mentally healthy’. But these young people will enter adult life alongside peers adept at using technology, who have learned the art of digital discernment, good judgement, and the ability to apply this technology to everything from maths and English, to project work, self-study and personal planning. Those who have been fully sheltered may face greater risks. Will they notice when technology is leading them down a harmful rabbit-hole? Will they be able to develop, at sufficient speed, the self-control they need to know when to use it and when to put it down? Will they be skilled enough to outsmart a peer when applying for jobs (given screening for jobs is completed digitally these days)?

Then there are direct impacts on learning from avoiding all technology. As Kathy notes above, adaptive learning and revision systems are proven far more effective at helping young people learn and study than manual methods, able to deliver tailored support at exactly the right time to help students learn.

Some parents argue that children should have unrestricted, early access to technology and AI so they can “figure it out” for adulthood. But this asks children’s brains to steer adult-designed systems. With limited self-control, young people need to wrestle with problems themselves. When AI shortcuts the thinking, it robs them of the cognitive practice that builds knowledge and judgement. Even adults struggle to resist the lure of endless screens. Teenagers, attuned to peer chatter, are even more vulnerable. Effective AI use also rests on prior knowledge; until users understand a subject, an algorithm can mislead as easily as help. Expecting children to manage those risks alone is unrealistic.

The right position is, I would argue, one of balance, boundaries, adult supervision, and carefully staged introduction that starts simple and builds self control and judgement, before progressing to more open usage.

When children require plenty of physical movement and real-life peer engagement, we should rightly limit screen usage to ensure there are enough opportunities for this. When they begin to use screens for early learning and study, we need to limit access to carefully controlled apps and sites and ensure they use them under supervision. As they progress to more independent work, we should filter internet connections, teach lessons about how to spot concerning content and give them ways to make good digital decisions. Even if teenagers are starting to develop the first signs of self-control over their devices, don’t assume that they can then continually exert this effort and control at all times. Give them periods where there is no temptation to resist as this will support their concentration on learning or interaction with peers. When they start requesting a personal phone, we should arguably introduce a model with limited functionality and high levels of adult oversight before gradually opening up features alongside careful discussion and reflection.

As children evolve into independent learners, we can slowly introduce limited access to AI, only when it is helping them to explore and think, never when it is shortcutting the necessary thinking that helps them grow intellectually. We could start by accessing it for them and with them, then introduce it carefully in schools with lessons about appropriate and inappropriate use. We could model how it can deceive or confuse, and how to deal with that. Ideally, it needs weaving into formal and informal learning, limiting it where the temptation is too high to use it for shortcuts or harm. Our role is to carefully scaffold its use to promote a future where young people can use it confidently and effectively.

Support

When considering student use of AI, start by being clear about the minimum age limits of each tool. When planning homework or classwork using AI, consider carefully the risk that students use AI to do the thinking for them, circumventing the important learning. Consider modelling your own use of AI in front of a whole class, ‘narrating aloud’ your process of thinking about what to write as a prompt, and discussing how you interpret AI's response.

When communicating policies on devices with parents, be clear about how you are harnessing benefits and mitigating risks in a way that is appropriate to pupils’ brain development and self control. Explain how you will scaffold the introduction of different types of technology, so that you are teaching the skills to use it well, self control, and an awareness of potential risks and problems.

For maths teachers in particular (my speciality!), consider how any technology builds on the ideas of mastery learning, ensuring that you are spotting and addressing any insecure prior knowledge and giving sufficient practice of key fundamentals to build fluency. You can read more in these two reports about EdTech and AI for maths education and How England should reform maths education for the age of AI.

In a world increasingly shaped by digital tools and AI, the question isn’t whether technology belongs in our children’s lives, but how we guide its thoughtful and responsible integration. Blanket bans and unchecked access arguably both miss the mark. Instead, our role as educators and parents is to help children develop discernment, balance and digital literacy - skills they will need not only to thrive, but to participate meaningfully in the world they’re inheriting.

Let’s try not to throw any babies out with the bathwater. Technology, like any tool, can harm or help depending on how it's used and introduced. A wholesale rejection of digital tools in education ignores the very real benefits they offer, just as unfiltered access risks stunting the thoughtful growth our children need. The challenge isn't whether to use technology, but how to shape its role wisely. By embracing a balanced, informed and intentional approach, we can ensure we’re not discarding the future in our haste to protect.