By Marina Charalambous

The new digital challenge: Artificial intelligence can become an ally or a threat to children

As artificial intelligence increasingly enters children’s daily lives, from TikTok and Instagram to schools with the pilot application of ChatGPT Edu, experts warn: the point is not to avoid, but to educate. Children are growing up in a world where AI is not just a tool, but a “conversation”, teacher, even friend. This can enhance learning, creativity and access to knowledge, but it also carries risks.

As the mental health counselor points out Nikos Vasilakosartificial intelligence can easily become a substitute for real human contact, gradually diminishing children’s ability to communicate authentically. The solution is not exclusion, but conscious guidance. Parents and educators should teach children to use AI as an augmentative tool, not a substitute for human thought or emotion. Because the future will not be determined by artificial intelligence, but by the way we choose to use it!

What are the main risks children face on TikTok and Instagram?

I see the digital world from many perspectives. The biggest risk on TikTok and Instagram isn’t just a “bad” image. It is the illusion of perfection. Children are bombarded with idealized lives, bodies, and experiences, which, as I see every day in my office, crushes their self-esteem. The second danger is the algorithm: it is not a neutral mechanism, it is designed to keep the child addicted by serving him content that can range from simply inappropriate to psychologically toxic.

What are the Modern Digital Threats? What’s Behind the Screen?

In 2000, the threats were viruses and hackers. Today, the threat is much more insidious: it is the manipulation of attention and data. Behind the screen hide companies that collect every click to build a detailed psychological profile of our child. There are people with malicious intentions who take advantage of children’s naivety. The biggest threat is no longer technical, it is psychological.

What should parents watch out for especially in online gaming?

Gaming is a fantasy world, but also an unsupervised digital “alana”. Parents should be aware of three things:

  1. Chat rooms: They are portals of communication with strangers. We need to teach our children that a “friend” in the game is not a real friend and we never share personal information.
  2. In-game purchases: They are designed to be addictive. An “innocent” skin can lead to a cycle of mindless spending.
  3. Toxic behavior: Anonymity often brings out the worst in players. Verbal bullying is a daily occurrence.

How can a parent recognize signs of cyberbullying or dangerous “challenges”?

The answer is not in the screen, it is in the child. Notice changes in his behavior: does he withdraw from friends and activities? Are you suddenly stressed or sad after using your cell phone? Does it hide its screen when you enter the room? These are red flags. We don’t need to be detectives, but observant and loving parents. Discussion is key.

What is a child’s “fingerprint” and how can it affect them?

The digital footprint is the sum total of everything we do online – the photos, the comments, the likes. It’s like a digital tattoo, but hard to erase. A funny photo at 14 can become an obstacle for admission to a university or a job at 24. We need to teach children that the internet does not forget and what they upload today, builds their public image for tomorrow.

Are there practical steps to protect children’s personal data?

Absolutely.

  1. Education: Talk to them about what data is personal (name, school, address) and why we never share it.
  2. Privacy Settings: Sit together and set their accounts to “private”.
  3. Parental Control: Use parental control tools not to spy, but to set limits on time and content.
  4. Critical Thinking: Teach them to ask themselves, “Why is this app asking me to access my contacts?”

How does social media affect children’s psychology?

In my daily practice: speaking at schools, sessions with parents and children, I see more and more teenagers with social comparison anxiety. They measure their worth in likes and followers. They constantly feel that their life is “less than” that of others. Also, the constant stream of information and notifications creates a background of constant anxiety (FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out) and makes it difficult to concentrate, which as someone on the ADHD spectrum, I know firsthand how exhausting it can be.

What are the most common ways to cheat?

Grooming is the most insidious threat: an adult pretends to be a peer to gain a child’s trust with the ultimate goal of sexual abuse. Phishing is more “technical”: messages pretending to be from a known platform and asking for passwords or personal information. The defense in both is the same: we teach children to be suspicious of strangers and messages that ask for information or promise incredible gifts.

How do we build “digital resilience” in children?

Resilience is not built with prohibitions, but with open dialogue and trust. Instead of saying “Don’t talk to strangers”, we ask “Who do you talk to in your games? What do you talk about?”. We create an environment at home where the child feels safe to tell us “someone sent me something strange”, without fear that we will take their mobile. Resilience is the ability to recognize danger and ask for help.

Artificial Intelligence in Children’s Lives: Positives and Negatives.

AI is already here. TikTok’s algorithm is AI.

  • Positives: He can be an incredible teacher, tailoring learning to each child’s needs. It can unlock creativity, helping them write stories or compose music.
  • Negatives: The risk of misinformation (deepfakes), the reduction of critical thinking (“since the AI ​​said it, it’s right”) and the creation of a “bubble” where the child only hears opinions that confirm his own.

Can Artificial Intelligence be an ally for a child?

Yes, as long as we parents are the drivers. It can be an assistant for lessons, a partner in a creative project, a tool that helps children with learning difficulties or ADHD to organize their thinking. AI is a powerful tool. Whether it becomes a hammer to build or a weapon to destroy depends on how we teach our children to use it.