Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made it much easier to produce photos, videos and content online, but that also means that it’s easier to produce fake or misleading content. American teenagers get most of their information online, and especially from social media, which means they are coming across AI-generated content all the time.
Recent studies by Common Sense Media (Jan 2025 and September 2024) that surveyed youth, age 13 to 18, show some startling trends:
- Approximately 40% of teens report being deceived by fake content online.
- Almost a quarter of teens said they had shared information that turned out to be fake.
- More than 70% of the surveyed teens who have experienced deceptive visual content reported it has changed how they view the accuracy of content.
- Seven in 10 teenagers had at least tried generative AI.
- About six in 10 teens express doubt that tech companies will prioritize their mental health and well-being over profits.
- Nearly half of teens lack confidence in tech companies’ ability to make responsible decisions about AI use.
- Almost three-quarters of teens support measures like privacy protections, content warnings, and labeling of AI-generated content.
Effect of AI, Media, and Misinformation on Youth
As a result of artificial intelligence’s impact on online content, the teen experience of media is either one of ignorance or distrust.
- If a child has not been taught that the media we consume can be retouched, modified, or even fake, then they are likely to fall prey to misinformation without realizing it.
- If a child has been taught to check sources and not believe everything they read or see online, then they approach every image, article, post, and video with skepticism and even disdain.
Neither of these experiences is very healthy, but there are some things that adults can do to help.
Tips for Parents and Teachers to Manage the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Youth
- Teach youth to spot misinformation. Unfortunately, adults must help children become digitally literate by encouraging critical thinking. Teens, especially, must learn to examine and question any media they consume. Here are tips for teaching these skills:
- Train your children to ask probing questions of the media they consume, such as: is this a reputable source, what is the intention or purpose of this message, and who paid for it?
- Hone your child’s detective skills by encouraging them to check the accuracy of information themselves through reputable sources.
- Discuss ways that organizations can make misinformation appear real. Teach teens to look for clues that indicate they should be skeptical of the information, such as unusual URLs, grammatical errors, lack of sources, or sensationalist images.
- Encourage their critical thinking skills by picking out a news story and asking your child to give you two opposing perspectives.
- Point out that we tend to trust things that we agree with more than those we don’t. Even if you read something online that you don’t agree with, it’s important to take a step back and consider the facts.
- Avoid cynicism. As mistrust grows, it’s easy for us to become more individualistic, form shallow connections, and have a negative view of humankind. This type of thinking doesn’t serve our mental health well. Try to encourage your teen to engage with people offline to combat this type of negative thinking. Don’t focus only on fake news and how terrible the world has become, but rather also highlight positives you see in the world.
- Advocate for improvement. We cannot wait for the Big Tech companies to do the right thing. Instead, we should contact our government representatives to ask for privacy protections, content warnings, and labeling of AI-generated content. We can also support nonprofits or other organizations that are trying to fight misinformation.
Final Thoughts…
The internet is filled with problematic content, and it can be difficult to know what to trust. Keep talking to your teens about what they are seeing online and encourage them to think critically. But also find ways to showcase positives in the world and to advocate for change that will improve the online experiences of everyone.