#Digitalliteracy

A new wave of wellness trends is sweeping through teenage circles, with young people embracing “crunchy teen” eating habits that claim to promote optimal health—but health experts warn these well-intended choices may do more harm than good. A report by a family medicine practitioner at Kaiser Permanente in Fairfax, Virginia, highlights how this social-media-driven movement toward natural, restrictive, and sometimes extreme diets is fueling dangerous misconceptions about food, body image, and medicine itself. For Thai parents and educators, this exposé offers an urgent lens through which to examine how global wellness trends interact with local youth culture and health risks.

A growing global concern is emerging around severe mental health episodes linked to prolonged interactions with AI chatbots. In Thailand, mental health professionals are examining how these risks could affect vulnerable populations and the broader digital landscape in Asia.

Thailand has embraced digital technology, with widespread internet and smartphone use. Many Thais engage with AI chatbots for language learning, business support, and entertainment. The rapid shift toward digital tools, accelerated by the COVID-19 era, brings new psychological considerations. The term “ChatGPT psychosis” underscores how AI interactions may interact with individual vulnerabilities, potentially amplifying distress or delusional thinking.

As generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) rapidly transforms industries worldwide, universities are racing to adapt their computer science curricula to prepare students for a future where A.I., not humans, increasingly writes code and solves complex technical problems. The leading edge of this shift is highlighted in recent research and reporting from one of the United States’ top institutions, where computer science departments are re-evaluating not just what to teach, but how to equip students with the skills most relevant to the A.I. era (The New York Times).

A recent wave of psychiatric hospitalizations in the United States and elsewhere has drawn attention to a disturbing new phenomenon: individuals experiencing a severe break with reality—a condition some psychiatrists and families are calling “ChatGPT psychosis”—after extended, intense interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots. As stories surface of people spiraling into delusional thinking, family breakdown, job loss, and even involuntary psychiatric committal linked to their use of conversational bots like ChatGPT, Thai mental health professionals and policymakers are taking note of the risks these digital tools might pose for vulnerable populations in Thailand and across Asia.

A wave of AI innovation is reshaping industries worldwide, prompting universities to rethink computer science curricula. In Thailand, the shift signals both caution and opportunity for students, educators, and policymakers as they prepare for an era where AI writes code and solves complex problems.

Thai learners are moving beyond the traditional path of “learning to code.” Generative AI tools can generate and debug software, challenging old topics while opening doors to new ways of thinking. Experts say these tools may soon match the performance of mid-level software engineers, highlighting the need to redefine what CS education should prioritize.

A remarkable coalition of over 250 CEOs—including leaders from Microsoft, Airbnb, and Uber—has issued a joint call urging policymakers to make computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) education a mandatory part of school curricula in the United States. Their concerns arise as China directs children as young as six to attend formal AI classes, fueling fears that nations lacking such initiatives may fall dangerously behind in global technological competitiveness (Fortune).

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that ordinary search habits can quietly trap people in their own information bubbles. Across 21 experiments with nearly 10,000 participants, the study shows that the way we type queries and the responses we see from search engines shape our views, even when we don’t intend to seek confirmation. This has important implications for how Thais access health, education, culture, and travel information in a digital era.

Groundbreaking research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has uncovered compelling evidence that ordinary people unconsciously contribute to the growth of their own information bubbles, simply through the way they type search queries online. This large-scale study, encompassing 21 experiments and nearly 10,000 participants, demonstrates that even without any intent to seek confirmation, our habitual online search patterns—and the algorithms designed to respond to them—subtly guide us towards ever-narrower realities. These findings have huge implications for how Thais access information, understand national debates, and engage with global topics in a time when digital literacy is crucial for an informed society (PsyPost).

A growing chorus warns that AI tools like ChatGPT erode academic integrity. Yet student voices tell a more nuanced story: AI is being embraced as a pragmatic response to disrupted education, resource constraints, and post-pandemic realities. Rather than laziness, many students see AI as a tool to navigate upheaval and maintain momentum in higher education, especially as they juggle part-time work and financial pressures.

The UK experience mirrors Thailand’s concerns: educators and policymakers grapple with assessment fairness, digital learning, and AI ethics. A recent student-led commentary argues that learners are not abandoning study; they are struggling to keep pace with changing expectations and uneven evaluation methods. For Thai universities, these insights underscore the urgency of clear AI guidelines, stable assessments, and equitable access to digital resources.

As artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT become increasingly integrated into education systems worldwide, much of the narrative has focused on a supposed crisis of academic integrity. Critics warn of students cheating en masse, forfeiting genuine learning, and entering the workforce less prepared than their predecessors. Yet, first-hand student perspectives reveal a more nuanced reality: the rapid embrace of AI in higher education is less about laziness and more about adapting to systemic upheaval, resource scarcity, and the lingering aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic (The Guardian).

A coalition of more than 250 top executives from global firms is urging policymakers to make computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) education a mandatory part of U.S. school curricula. The move comes as Beijing rolls out AI classes for younger students, sparking concerns that countries without similar programs may fall behind in tech leadership. This debate emphasizes the growing importance of foundational digital skills for the next generation.

In an open letter to lawmakers, tech leaders warned that in the age of AI, children should become creators, not just users. They estimate that universal tech education could unlock billions in economic potential and improve future wages for students across pathways, not limited to those who attend college. The message signals a broader push for early exposure to coding and AI concepts as a lever for long-term prosperity.

A growing wave of AI-generated images and online misinformation is disrupting Thai houseplant groups. As AI sweeps across social media and e-commerce, enthusiasts face fake photos and dubious advice that erode trust and discourage genuine engagement. A recent investigative feature from a major tech outlet highlights how synthetic plant images and misleading care tips threaten the value of plant forums worldwide, including Thailand’s vibrant gardening scene.

Online plant communities, once trusted spaces for care tips and plant spotlights, now contend with AI-created photos that appear real but are impossible or misleading. Industry experts warn that this new ecosystem of misinformation can lead to costly scams, with unscrupulous sellers promoting seeds for plants that cannot exist. For example, vibrant hues like pink pastel monstera or blue hosta images circulate online, despite genetic impossibilities.

As advances in artificial intelligence sweep across social media and e-commerce, a new challenge is budding for houseplant enthusiasts: AI-generated images and misinformation are infiltrating online plant communities, spreading confusion, scams, and discouraging meaningful engagement among plant lovers. The phenomenon, highlighted in a recent investigative feature by The Verge, documents how fake AI-created plant images and misleading care advice are threatening the authenticity and educational value of plant forums and online groups, reverberating beyond Western audiences and touching the global gardening community, including Thai enthusiasts seeking reliable information in the digital age (The Verge).

A new digital grassroots movement is gaining momentum on American college campuses, where students, inspired by social media and a growing distrust of mainstream nutrition advice, are rejecting ultra-processed foods, plastics, and so-called “forever chemicals” in favor of a “crunchy,” whole foods lifestyle. As reported in a recent New York Post feature, this subculture—previously confined to niche communities—has found energised new leaders among young people broadcasting their holistic health crusades on TikTok.

A growing online conversation among university students in the United States is reshaping how young people think about food. Inspired by social media and a skepticism toward traditional nutrition guidance, some students are embracing a “crunchy” lifestyle that favors whole foods, reduced reliance on plastics, and concerns about forever chemicals. These conversations have spread through TikTok, drawing new leaders into a broader debate about what constitutes healthy eating.

Young influencers are using short videos to question campus dining norms, share homemade meals, and promote alternatives to ultra-processed foods. They emphasize ingredient literacy, self-care, and a preference for natural products. Health coaching and personal discovery play a central role as students seek a sense of identity through dietary choices.

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life, debates rise about how learning should evolve. Some worry that schools may lean toward task completion and shortcut solutions rather than cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and holistic understanding. For Thai students and educators, this discussion has immediate relevance as AI tools shape study habits, assessment, and everyday classroom life.

A recent essay, “A Behavioristic View of AI,” argues that AI can reinforce the habit of asking for instant answers rather than engaging in deep problem solving. The piece compares AI-driven responses to a behaviorist view of learning, where reinforcement encourages routine actions. It suggests that the ease of obtaining polished, AI-generated work could narrow students’ opportunities for independent inquiry and authentic self-expression.

A recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal—titled “AI’s Biggest Threat: Young People Who Can’t Think”—has sparked intense debate across global education circles and among Thai educators. The article raises urgent concerns that artificial intelligence (AI), while transformative, may expose and even accelerate a crisis of eroding critical thinking skills among today’s youth. The implications reverberate beyond technology, stirring questions for education systems in Thailand and across the world about how to prepare the next generation for an AI-dominated future.

Amidst the rise of artificial intelligence, a recent thought-provoking essay has sparked global discussion about the transformation of learning in the age of ChatGPT and similar technologies. As AI becomes deeply woven into everyday life and education, some experts warn that schools—whether intentionally or not—are acting more like vocational training grounds, emphasizing task completion through technological shortcuts rather than the cultivation of critical thinking, original expression, and holistic intellectual growth. This trend, experts suggest, may have profound implications for Thai students, educators, and society at large (Psychology Today).

A growing debate over AI and education is shaping how Thailand prepares its students for an AI-powered future. A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece warned that AI could magnify a crisis in critical thinking among young people, not by outpacing humans in math, but by dulling the analytical and creative muscles that drive innovation. For Thai educators, policymakers, and parents, the question is how to balance technology with robust thinking skills in a rapidly digitizing classroom landscape.

A new warning from one of the world’s leading internet security executives signals growing trouble for publishers in Thailand and across the globe: users are increasingly trusting AI-generated answers and rarely click through to source links, threatening the sustainability of traditional news and information platforms (Engadget).

Cloudflare CEO, in a recent interview with Axios, paints a stark picture of the shifting digital landscape, where search traffic referrals have experienced a dramatic decline. This trend, he explains, is the result of internet users placing growing faith in AI chatbots’ responses, choosing summaries over original sources, and in the process eroding the ability of publishers to monetize their content. “Publishers are facing an existential threat,” the executive stated. The implications are not limited to the U.S. or Europe—Thailand’s publishers, bloggers, and local content creators are just as vulnerable in this rapidly evolving online ecosystem.

A warning from a leading internet security executive highlights growing risks for Thai publishers and global media alike. As more readers trust AI-generated answers, they click through to source links less often, threatening traditional news models and monetization. This issue extends beyond the United States and Europe to Thailand, where local publishers, bloggers, and content creators feel the effects of changing online behavior.

Cloudflare’s CEO described a shifting digital landscape marked by collapsing referral traffic. He explained that people increasingly prefer AI summaries over original sources, challenging publishers’ ability to earn revenue from ads and subscriptions. He warned that publishers face an existential threat as the online ecosystem evolves rapidly. Data cited suggests a dramatic drop in traffic to source pages, with Thailand’s media landscape no exception.

China’s bold experiment in introducing artificial intelligence (AI) education to primary schoolers is sending shockwaves through classrooms—and corporate boardrooms—around the world. As six-year-olds in Beijing begin learning about the building blocks of AI, over 250 chief executives from top global companies, including Microsoft, Airbnb, and Uber, are demanding similar lessons for American students in the hopes of unlocking economic and social benefits on a global scale (Fortune, MSN). The move marks a pivotal moment not just for the United States, which is now scrambling to keep pace, but for Thailand and the wider world, where the question is no longer whether AI belongs in childhood education—but when and how.

Thailand watches China’s move to begin AI education for primary students with keen interest. In Beijing, six-year-olds are already exploring AI fundamentals, while thousands of global business leaders urge the United States to adopt similar approaches. The ripple effect raises questions not only for the US, but for Thailand and other nations as they consider when and how to weave AI into early learning.

China has embedded AI into schooling through nationwide guidelines. Starting this school year, Beijing schools will provide at least eight hours of AI-focused instruction annually, blending algorithmic thinking, coding, and hands-on experimentation with smart devices. The aim is to build digital literacy, problem-solving, and STEM readiness from the earliest grades. Thailand’s policymakers are monitoring these developments as they seek to boost competitiveness and reduce educational gaps.

A significant academic integrity scandal has erupted at Yale University after “clear evidence of AI usage” was flagged in roughly one-third of submissions in a popular computer science course, raising urgent questions on the reliability of AI-detection and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in education. Over 150 students were enrolled in Computer Science 223 (“Data Structures and Programming Techniques”) when students and faculty alike were thrust into the center of a debate that echoes far beyond Yale’s campus.