Experts say digital revolution transforms childhood worldwide

(MENAFN) Global experts have highlighted how childhood is undergoing a historic transformation, driven by digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity, which are redefining how young people learn, socialize, and grow. The warnings came during discussions at an international children’s media summit in Istanbul.

Policymakers, academics, and media leaders stressed that while digital tools provide unparalleled opportunities for creativity and learning, they also introduce novel risks that require coordinated efforts from governments, schools, families, and technology companies.

Douglas K. Hartman, an education professor and writer, described the current era as a turning point unlike anything in history. “I think what we're facing now is a transformation on a different scale, and a major different type of scale than we've ever faced in human history,” he said, highlighting the speed and accessibility of online connections.

Hartman noted that as young people mature, society must carefully consider how media can support their development. “Digital platforms, schools and governments now [are] shaping childhood together,” he said, urging “a wide kind of policy coordination and shared responsibility … to ensure digital ecosystems serve children's long-term well-being rather than short-term interests.”

He added that societies remain “in the early days of understanding how to design platforms” that align with human values, advocating for governments to support multiple approaches rather than imposing a single model. “To not settle on just one option, one singular option … but to support several baskets of development and see which of those would be most effective and most ethical,” Hartman said.

Chi Kim Cheung, an academic and media researcher, emphasized balancing protection with empowerment. “Protecting children is very, very important,” he said, “but then we have to think of another side of it, that is empowering children.”

While the internet and AI can expand learning — “the sky is the limit,” he said — they also expose children to harm because “they cannot distinguish what is right and what is wrong.” Cheung argued that governments must regulate effectively while also educating adults who interact with children. “Children are digital natives,” he noted, while many parents “need to know what is going on in order to help our children, to protect them in a safer manner.”

Addressing cross-border issues such as misinformation, data exploitation, and unequal access, Cheung stressed that no single country can respond alone. He noted that international comparisons and media literacy studies can provide lessons, though each country must adapt strategies to its context.

Jennifer Kaberi, founder of a children’s news platform and an academic, warned that rapid technological change often outpaces families’ ability to adapt. Quoting Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, she said: “We are not digital immigrants; we built this world. But now, our children are growing up in that digital world.”

Kaberi noted that parents are forced to constantly catch up as platforms evolve, affecting “attention and attachment” within families. “Everybody is in the same house, but everybody is in their own world,” she said, warning that children may begin to trust technology more than human relationships. “These children are growing up trusting technology more than they are trusting their parents,” she added.

She described the summit as a rare platform for voices outside Europe, the US, and China to discuss digital policy that integrates culture, values, and religion. Kaberi stressed that children must be directly involved in shaping their digital futures. “We can’t build a digital world without children,” she said. “We can’t make decisions without including children.” She advocated for dialogue, workshops, and co-design rather than imposing bans without consultation. “Let them build for themselves,” she concluded.

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