346: Internet Safety: Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers

Internet safety: Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers If a stranger walked up to your teenager on the street and tried to manipulate what they believed, you’d step in instantly. But it’s happening every single day, completely undetected, right through their screens. In this eye-opening episode of The Impactful Parent, host Kristina Campos welcomes Dr. Mari Davies, a senior lecturer in education and author of Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers. Together, they pull back the curtain on the multi-billion-dollar algorithms engineered to capture your teen's developing brain. While tracking apps and screen limits offer temporary fixes, the real secret to long-term internet safety is building "cognitive immunity" through critical thinking. In this episode, Kristina and Dr. Davies break down: The Algorithm Advantage: What parents are truly up against when a teen opens TikTok or Instagram, and how these apps weaponize personal demographics [02:43]. The Teenage Brain on Social Media: Why a natural dip in adolescent dopamine makes teenagers uniquely vulnerable to online risks and the "imaginary audience" [05:27]. The Street Smarts Model: A deep dive into the 4 core pillars—Respect for Self, Reasons, Difference, and Change—and how they apply to a scrolling feed [11:55]. Spotting AI and Fake News: Dr. Davies' number one rule of thumb for handling outrageous influencer content and advanced voice/image deepfakes [19:17]. The Power of Healthy Arguing: Why teaching your kids (especially girls!) to respectfully debate and voice their opinions at home keeps them safe from real-world predators [24:07]. Stick around until the end, where Dr. Davies shares a single, effortless question you can ask your teen today to immediately trigger their critical thinking muscles [32:17]! You don't have to be a tech genius to give your child a fighting chance against the digital noise. Hit that subscribe button, join our community, and let's help our teens become street-smart online! ✨ Connect with Dr. Mari Davies: Grab her book: Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers: How Kids Can Be Street Smart About AI Algorithms, Fake News, and Social Media ✨ Join The Impactful Parent Community: Website: http://theimpactfulparent.com Head to our site to download the FREE Impactful Parent App so you never miss a tip to help your family thrive! #InternetSafety #CriticalThinking #ParentingTeens #SocialMediaAlgorithms #KristinaCampos #TheImpactfulParent #MariDavies #DigitalLiteracy #TeenMentalHealth   Rate, Review, & Subscribe! "I love Kristina and all the FREE tips that she has to offer!  Thank you for making my parenting journey better!"  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you!!! Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!   What to do next: Get The Impactful Parent App! Everything you need in your parenting journey in one spot! Available on the Android Play Store and the Apple Store. Search Impactful Parent (direct links listed above under Links in Episode). Follow The Impactful Parenton social media if you don’t already! Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, & Pinterest Subscribe to the PODCAST  Check out the official website of The Impactful Parent for FREE RESOURCES, parenting classes, mom’s groups, and so much more! Click here to check it out! Discover how you can work with Kristina!  Sign up for a FREE 30-minute discovery call! Click here to find a time that works best for you! Bottom Line... I am here for YOU!  Contact me at [email protected]