The AI conversation can begin before the teen years. In an August 28 PBS News report, Hannah Grabenstein explores how caregivers can help tweens understand the technology they encounter online and at school.

Experts interviewed emphasize explaining that AI is not human, checking its answers, discussing ownership of schoolwork, and protecting personal information. They also encourage calm conversations and openness about parental monitoring. Learning about AI does not require giving children unrestricted access to it.

The Pedagogy Over Panic Perspective

Start with curiosity: Where have you noticed AI? What do you think it does well? What would make you question an answer?

A conversation like that gives adults a chance to listen before laying out expectations. It also makes room to practice together: compare a claim with a reliable source, talk through what information should stay private, and identify when a trusted person is the better place to turn.

Digital literacy grows through repeated conversations. Parents do not need every answer to model thoughtful questions.

Read Hannah Grabenstein’s reporting for PBS News · August 28, 2026.