#Digitalliteracy

A staggering 97% of young people aged 16–29 in the European Union now use the internet daily, according to the latest statistics released by Eurostat in July 2025. This near-universal connectivity among EU youths—an increase from 87% just a decade ago—carries important lessons for developing digital literacy and inclusivity in Thailand, where similar trends are emerging but at different rates and with different challenges. The findings reflect both how deeply digital technology has become embedded in young Europeans’ lives and how the gap between youth and the broader population is narrowing, raising questions about digital readiness in the wider Thai community as the kingdom embraces its own digital transformation.

A surge of advanced artificial intelligence is transforming the internet, bringing urgent questions about content quality, credibility, and the future of online information in Thailand and the region. Research shows AI-generated content now influences how people access and interpret news, with clear implications for Thai readers.

Over the past decade, AI has evolved from chatbots to sophisticated systems that produce text, audio, and images. This leap enables businesses, educators, and creators to generate vast amounts of material quickly. While it empowers content creation, it also blurs the line between real and synthetic information, making it harder to discern authenticity.

In a controversial move set to affect students, parents, and educators alike, Missouri has become the latest US state to introduce a sweeping cell phone ban across all public schools. Signed into law by the governor and effective from the upcoming academic year, Senate Bill 68 prohibits students from possessing their phones on campus during the entire school day—including lunch breaks and time between classes—except in emergencies or for medical needs. This new policy, already practiced by some districts, now becomes mandatory statewide, with school authorities tasked to ensure its enforcement and navigate its consequences for the educational ecosystem.

A growing body of research and expert opinion suggests AI-powered chatbots, even those crafted for friendly interaction, can hinder essential social and emotional development in children if treated as substitutes for real relationships. The Atlantic notes that frictionless AI friendships may skip the important lessons learned through human connection.

Thai families and schools are increasingly using digital tools—from homework helpers to virtual tutors—that aim to boost learning and provide emotional support. While these advances improve access and convenience, experts warn against mistaking AI responsiveness for genuine friendship.

As AI-powered chatbots gain popularity among children and teens, new research and expert opinion suggest that digital companions—even those designed for friendly interaction—may undermine key aspects of kids’ social and emotional development. The latest article from The Atlantic, “AI Will Never Be Your Kid’s Friend,” spotlights concerns that frictionless AI friendships risk depriving youth of the vital lessons gained through authentic human relationships (The Atlantic).

The debate comes as more Thai families and schools embrace digital technologies—from chatbots that help with homework to virtual tutors designed to boost academic performance and provide emotional support. While these advances offer clear benefits in convenience and accessibility, experts warn against mistaking AI responsiveness for genuine friendship.

Emerging research from a renowned American liberal arts college is offering fresh insights into how computer technology both empowers and challenges today’s classrooms—a duality increasingly relevant as Thai schools and universities embrace digital learning. A recent article, “Inside the classroom: The gifts and burdens of computer technology,” details the evolving approach of the “Computers and Society” course at Lafayette College, exposing students—not just in computer science but across disciplines—to the profound social, ethical, and legal choices driven by rapid technological advancement. The findings and practices from this course offer timely lessons for Thailand, where digital literacy and critical analysis of technology’s effects are urgent educational priorities.

Emerging research from a well-regarded American college offers timely insights into how computer technology can empower and challenge learning environments. The “Computers and Society” course at Lafayette College explores social, ethical, and legal questions raised by rapid digital change. For Thailand, where digital literacy and critical analysis of technology’s effects are pressing educational priorities, the course serves as a relevant blueprint.

A central idea is simple yet powerful: technology is like fire—a gift that brings benefits but also risks. Drawing on the work of technologist Sara Baase, instructors emphasize that while risks exist, the benefits of innovation should not be discarded. In practice, students are guided to question, debate, and scrutinize the challenges accompanying each new breakthrough.

A new study from a U.S. liberal arts college offers timely lessons for Thai educators and policymakers as Thailand expands digital learning under the “Thailand 4.0” vision. The findings highlight both the transformative potential of technology in schools and the ethical questions that accompany rapid integration.

The research centers on a compulsory course called Computers and Society, which invites students from various disciplines to question the promises and perils of modern computing. Instructors stress the importance of critical thinking and understanding the societal implications of technology, underscoring that digital tools are now ubiquitous and new dilemmas continually arise. This perspective resonates with Thailand’s push for broader digital literacy, even as gaps in access and guidance persist.

A new in-depth look at the integration of computer technology in education reveals both transformative benefits and complex challenges, offering a fresh perspective for Thai educators and policymakers seeking a balanced approach to digital learning (Lafayette College). The findings, based on a comprehensive classroom study at Lafayette College, showcase how computer science education is being reimagined to foster critical thinking, ethical awareness, and cross-disciplinary dialogue—signaling vital cues for Thailand as it accelerates its national “Thailand 4.0” agenda.

A new study shows that positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence are linked to a greater risk of problematic social media use. For Thailand, where digital life is rapidly growing, the findings raise important questions for educators, parents, and policymakers about digital literacy and mental health.

Thailand is pushing forward with digital transformation in daily life and public services. Research cited by PsyPost indicates that people who view AI positively are more likely to engage in social media in ways that can become excessive or addictive. Data from Thailand shows widespread social media use and substantial daily screen time, underscoring the relevance of these results for Thai communities.

A recent study has revealed a compelling link between positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and a greater susceptibility to problematic social media use, raising important questions for Thai society as digital technologies increasingly permeate daily life. This new research could reshape how educators, parents, and policymakers approach digital literacy and mental health in Thailand, especially as the nation rapidly adopts AI-driven platforms and social networks.

As Thailand continues to embrace digital transformation, both in private life and public policy, the question of how technology shapes human behavior is becoming more pressing. According to the study reported in PsyPost, researchers found that individuals with a more favorable view of AI technologies are more likely to develop patterns of social media use that may border on problematic or even addictive. This finding holds significance for a country like Thailand, noted for its high exposure to social media—recent surveys indicate that over 52 million Thais use social platforms, with many spending upwards of three hours per day online (DataReportal Thailand Report).

A growing trend among teenagers to pursue what they see as natural, “crunchy” wellness is raising new concerns among health professionals, who warn that teens embracing extreme eating habits in the name of health may be putting themselves at real risk. The so-called “crunchy teen” movement, which promotes natural foods, holistic remedies, and sometimes outright rejection of conventional medicine, is spreading rapidly on social media platforms and affecting adolescent behaviors worldwide, including here in Thailand.

In recent years, academic institutions worldwide have witnessed a wave of technological innovation, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping how research is conducted, written, and evaluated. But with advancement has come controversy. Universities and academic journals now face rising incidents of students and researchers using AI tools not only to ease workflows but also to manipulate algorithms and exploit weaknesses in established review systems, raising profound questions about the future of academic integrity and knowledge credibility.

Generative AI is reshaping how research is created, written, and reviewed. For Thai universities, the shift brings both opportunity and risk as students and researchers explore ways to game algorithms and bypass review systems. This matters as Thai institutions modernize submissions, defenses, and peer evaluation.

AI was welcomed in academia to reduce workloads. Tools that summarize, check logic, flag dubious citations, and suggest edits have become commonplace in peer review. Yet educators now face strategies aimed at “cheating the algorithm.” Experts warn that such tactics threaten the credibility of scholarly work.

A growing “crunchy teen” wellness movement is drawing concern from health professionals who warn that extreme, unverified practices can harm young people. The trend promotes natural foods and holistic remedies and sometimes questions conventional medicine. It spreads rapidly on social media and influences Thai youths as well as peers worldwide, making reliable guidance essential.

While the desire for healthier living is common, the crunchy teen phenomenon differs from ordinary nutrition advice. Some adolescents pursue restrictive diets, parasite cleansing, or raw and fermented foods based on online claims. A family medicine practitioner at a leading health system notes that the movement fuels the spread of misleading health information among youth, with potentially serious consequences.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are entering Thai classrooms, sparking a global debate about cheating, faculty frustration, and the future value of higher education. Thai educators and policymakers now face urgent questions about how universities can respond, adapt, and innovate in the age of artificial intelligence.

As AI models grow more capable, students increasingly use them not only for tutoring but to generate essays, homework, and even exam responses. Critics warn of a “cheating utopia” where the race between technology and assessment outpaces institutions’ ability to uphold learning standards. In Thailand, more students in international programs and English-language courses show similar adoption, prompting calls for clear guidance and robust assessment practices.

A growing wave of concern is sweeping through universities worldwide as advanced AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude become the latest frontline in academic dishonesty, raising fundamental questions about the future and value of higher education. Recent reporting in Vox’s “The Gray Area” podcast and a deeply researched feature by a New York Magazine writer has brought the issue into sharp focus, revealing widespread patterns of AI-enabled cheating, mounting faculty frustration, and institutional inertia that have left many educators and students disillusioned or resigned (Vox).

A surge of curiosity has swept Thai social feeds as people ask what the “G” in 5G stands for. The term simply means “generation,” but understanding it helps explain why higher generations matter for speed, latency, and new services.

5G represents more than a fact about letters. In a connected society, generations of wireless technology shape how Thai people communicate, work, learn, and entertain themselves. From 1G analog voice to 4G mobile broadband, each leap has reshaped daily life. Now, 5G is expanding nationwide—with faster speeds, ultra-reliable connections, and enablers like the Internet of Things and smart-city applications. Public understanding supports adoption, digital literacy, and safe technology use.

Generation Alpha, children born roughly between 2010 and 2024, is shaping how Thai families raise the next generation. A mix of local studies and global analyses shows that parenting in a digital, diverse era requires intentional, culturally grounded approaches. Thai households face opportunities and challenges as they guide children toward resilience, curiosity, and responsibility.

Global research notes Generation Alpha’s digital fluency, openness to social progress, environmental awareness, and evolving expectations. A recent discussion highlights how even four-year-olds form strong opinions on climate, multiculturalism, and gender identity. In Thailand, this trend unfolds amid rapid digital change and shifting cultural landscapes, making local adaptation essential.

A recent wave of online curiosity has swept across social media as people around the world—and in Thailand—are suddenly realizing what the ‘G’ in “5G” mobile networks actually means. While many use the phrase 5G daily, a fresh spate of viral posts, prompted by media coverage such as a recent Daily Mail article, highlights a remarkable fact: a large segment of the public only recently learned that the ‘G’ simply stands for “generation.”

Raising Generation Alpha, children born between 2010 and 2024, has become one of the most hotly debated topics among parents, educators, and researchers worldwide. Sparked anew by a recent firsthand essay in Spiked and reinforced by major new findings from Thai and global scholars, the reality of parenting in this digital, progressive, and complex era defies simple stereotypes. With Thai families encountering both unique opportunities and daunting dilemmas, the question of how best to nurture the youngest cohort remains deeply relevant and, at times, fraught.

A new artificial intelligence (AI) system, developed by international researchers, is turning heads worldwide for its uncanny ability to predict human decisions with unprecedented accuracy—raising both hopes of revolutionary applications and urgent questions about privacy and ethics. This breakthrough, recently published in the journal Nature, introduces the AI model “Centaur”, which has outperformed decades-old cognitive models in forecasting how people think, learn, and act across diverse scenarios (studyfinds.org).

Centaur’s creators set out with an ambitious goal: develop a single AI system capable of predicting human behaviour in any psychological experiment, regardless of context or complexity. To achieve this, they compiled a massive “Psych-101” dataset spanning 160 types of psychological tests—ranging from memory exercises and risk-taking games to moral and logical dilemmas—amassing data from over 60,000 people and more than 10 million separate decisions. Unlike traditional models tuned for specific tasks, Centaur was trained to generalise, understanding the plain-language descriptions of each experiment.

A groundbreaking AI system is drawing attention for its ability to forecast human choices with impressive accuracy. Published in Nature, the Centaur model seeks to predict how people think, learn, and decide across diverse tasks. The research team says Centaur generalizes beyond single experiments, offering new ways to study decision-making in real time.

Centaur was trained on a vast “Psych-101” dataset containing 160 types of psychological tests. The data come from more than 60,000 participants and over 10 million decisions. The system learns language-driven task descriptions rather than task-specific rules. Unlike older models designed for narrow tasks, Centaur aims to apply broad reasoning to novel experiments.

A surge of wellness ideas is captivating Thai teens, who increasingly embrace “crunchy” eating habits pitched as optimal health. Health professionals warn these well-intentioned choices can pose real risks for young people when driven by social media and unverified claims. For Thai parents and educators, this trend offers a lens to evaluate how global wellness ideas intersect with local youth culture and health.

The crunchy teen movement often aims to move away from processed foods and conventional medicines. Teens may experiment with unverified practices such as parasite cleanses, raw meat diets, and restrictive eating plans shaped by viral misinformation. Experts caution that such ideas lack solid scientific backing and can cause serious side effects. High-dose herbal cleanses can irritate the liver and stomach, cause dehydration, and even trigger severe illness. Eating raw meat also exposes youths to dangerous bacteria without proven health benefits.