Developing Discernment: The Intersection of Social Media, AI, and Critical Thinking for Year 6 Girls · ICGS Research Library

Title

Developing Discernment: The Intersection of Social Media, AI, and Critical Thinking for Year 6 Girls

Author

Hugh Earlam

Year Published

2026

Description

This action research study sought to assess the impact of exposure to, and engagement with, generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) in a social media context, on girls’ critical thinking skills. The AI age has given birth to an unrealised deficit in discernment of what is, and what is not, real online; an issue this study intended to address. A class of 18 Year 6 girls (11-12 years old) from Seymour College, an independent all-girls Uniting Church school in Australia , were introduced to AI tools that were considered cutting edge at the time of the study and explored their impact on online media, such as video, image, and text generation. Students also created and engaged with their own non-digital social media platform to mimic the emotional experience of social media. These approaches set out to develop students’ critical thinking, focusing on the processes of inquiring, generating, analysing, and reflecting according to the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA, 2026). This study used a mixed-methods approach to data collection through interviews, questionnaires, reflection, teacher observations, and student work. Findings identified that through prolonged exposure to AI-generated content, the students’ ability to think and speak critically improved. Students also built confidence in analysing content to seek its purpose and motivation. Most interestingly, students accepted the fact that social media will be part of their lives at some point, despite their newfound awareness of its pitfalls and risks. It is an interest of the researcher to assess the long-term efficacy of this intervention as the girls reach the age of 16, where, in Australia, social media will become legally available to them. An implication of this research is to see how soon this work can begin with younger students, and what possible interventions can assist girls who already use social media.