The media literacy project: My best friend Chatty

Josephine CHRISTMANN, Soizic PÉNICAUD, Anja PIELSTICKER, Johannes REPO, Maria VOLIKA, Laura ZANDER

Concept

More and more children and teenagers use AI chatbots for companionship. 
Toolkit to give educators who work with children aged 10-14 tools to understand and explain what generative AI can or can’t do with regards to emotional support and social bonding, using emotions as an anchor. The activities described in this toolkit help the children to develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence, so that they are able to use AI chatbots in a way that benefits and not harm them.
The goal is to help young people to reflect on what it means to be human through learning about AI. Using emotions as a starting point, it explores how chatbots influence feelings and relationships.

Priority

Priority 4 : Evaluating audience / Perception / Awareness / Emotions regarding AI outputs

Objectives

  • Give youth workers the tools to explain why AI can’t feel emotions
  • Give youth workers the tools to explain how AI can still make us feel emotions and a sense of connection, and why
  • Open up space for young people to express and explore their emotions
  • Build resilience (how to deal with emotions, where to look for support…) 
  • Identify technologies that are using generative AI, including how chatbots are integrated in social media and messaging apps, and identify how young people are using these tools.

Target group

Educators working with 10-14 year old children 

Modalities : steps and instructions

The principle of this toolkit is to learn by creating and experimenting, turning abstract ideas into concrete experiences. The approach focuses on empowerment, critical thinking, and emotional awareness, offering a safe space for children to discuss their interactions with AI,  and build resilience to better navigate the digital world.

Step 1 : Read informational resource

Educators access and read the informational resource in order to have a basic understanding of AI and AI applications 

Step 2 : Select activities

Educators can pick and choose the activities proposed in the toolkit based on the age of the kids they are working with, how much time they have for their workshop and what they want to focus on. 

There are different activities to:

  • Introduce the topic of AI 
  • Foster knowledge and understanding about AI
  • Foster emotional resilience and intelligence
  • Learn through producing and creating
  • Learn through interacting with an AI chatbot
  • Build emotional resilience

Material and ressources

The- Media Literacy Project website: https://tadamedukathon-defay.wordpress.com/

Informational resource (to give them a background on AI so they feel comfortable and confident in teaching about AI): https://tadamedukathon-defay.wordpress.com/resources-for-educators/

11 classroom activities (concrete activities that educators can pick and choose from to make their own AI Literacy workshop) : https://tadamedukathon-defay.wordpress.com/classroom-activites/