What Gen Alpha can teach us about technology | Emma & Charlotte Robertson | TEDxKingstonUponThames

Summary

The video script addresses the rapid technological advancements that are reshaping human life and poses the question of how society can thrive amidst these changes. The speakers, Charlotte and Emma, founders of Digital Awareness UK, share their journey from being social media advisors to focusing on digital literacy. They highlight the importance of digital education, especially for children who are the most engaged with technology. The sisters discuss the double-edged sword of technology, noting both the negative impacts such as cyberbullying and the positive potential, including the use of generative AI tools in creative and educational ways. They emphasize the need for curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of technological change and suggest that adults have a role to play by sharing their life experience and emotional intelligence with the younger generation. The summary calls for embracing our innate abilities to navigate the digital landscape effectively.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Rapid Technological Advancement: The human race is experiencing unprecedented technological change with AI, pervasive intelligence, and advanced robotics transforming our lives.
• 🚀 Future of Jobs: 85% of careers for today's secondary school children haven't been created yet, indicating the need to adapt to the speed of technological change.
• 🌱 Digital Awareness: The founders of Digital Awareness UK left corporate roles to promote digital literacy and positive technology use, focusing on children's safety and well-being.
• 📱 Impact on Children: Children are the most affected by technology, with tablets, smartphones, and social media impacting their development and behavior.
• 🔍 Double-Edged Sword: Technology provides both opportunities and challenges, such as online scams, toxic influences, and social media comparison culture.
• 🧠 Generative AI and Creativity: In 2023, generative AI tools became mainstream, with young people being the biggest users and drivers of their adoption, leading to both positive and negative outcomes.
• 📉 Digital Literacy Trends: Digital literacy peaks at ages 14 to 15 and then declines, highlighting the importance of early education on technology use.
• 🤔 Fostering Curiosity: Children's natural curiosity fuels creativity and problem-solving, a trait that adults can learn from to better understand and adapt to technology.
• 🦾 Adaptability: Children's ability to adapt to new digital environments and privacy challenges is a skill that adults should emulate for future career success.
• 💪 Building Resilience: Teenagers manage digital challenges and failures at scale, showing resilience that adults can learn from to navigate technology-related setbacks.
• 👵 Leveraging Adult Skills: Adults bring valuable lived experience, wisdom, emotional intelligence, and context to the table, which can be shared with younger generations for mutual benefit.

Q & A

What is the main challenge the human race is facing due to rapid technological change?

The main challenge is to thrive in response to the rapid pace of technological change, which is advancing quicker in the next five years than it has in the last 100 years.

What percentage of careers for secondary school-aged children have not yet been created, according to the Dell Technologies report?

85% of the careers for secondary school-aged children have not yet been created.

What was the turning point for Charlotte and Emma that led them to found Digital Awareness UK?

The turning point was when they gave a careers talk to a group of 11 and 12-year-olds and realized the negative impact their work in social media might have on young people.

What are some of the physiological responses observed in children due to excessive screen time?

Some physiological responses include tech neck, jelly legs, and digital eye strain.

How did generative AI tools impact young people's creativity in 2023?

Generative AI tools became mainstream, and young people's imagination and creativity ran wild, with them being the biggest users and drivers behind its adoption.

What was the percentage of schools that reported harmful incidents of deep fake technology being used within them?

78% of schools reported harmful incidents of deep fake technology being used.

What positive use of generative AI was mentioned in the script?

Students were simulating scientific experiments, solving math problems in seconds, and one student used AI to compose music for their entire end of school production.

What are the three key skills that children have demonstrated in managing technology that adults can learn from?

The three key skills are curiosity, adaptability, and resilience.

What is the importance of being curious about technology?

Curiosity fuels creativity and helps adults understand technology more deeply, which can change every aspect of their lives.

How can adults adapt to technological changes?

Adults can adapt by embracing a mindset open to change and new ideas, focusing on skills that support future career goals, and not getting caught up in nostalgia for past technologies.

What is the role of resilience in thriving in the digital landscape?

Resilience is key to managing failure and digital challenges, allowing individuals to learn from mistakes and do better in the future.

What unique qualities do adults possess that can be beneficial when shared with young people?

Adults possess lived experience, wisdom, emotional intelligence, and the ability to understand context, which are powerful skills to share with young people.