Systemic gaps in digital education expose teens to cyberbullying: How structural inequities and outdated curricula fail youth
Original framing: “Why digital literacy needs constant updates to help protect teens online” — Phys.org
Scenario modeling suggests that without structural changes, cyberbullying risks will escalate with AI-generated deepfakes and VR harassment, disproportionately affecting marginalized youth. A 'digital resilience' framework should prioritize systemic safeguards (e.g., algorithmic audits) over individual coping strategies. The study’s focus on 'constant updates' risks normalizing perpetual crisis rather than demanding accountability.
The study’s focus on individual digital literacy obscures how neoliberal education systems and platform capitalism co-produce cyberbullying risks, particularly for marginalized youth.
Historical patterns show that new communication technologies are repeatedly weaponized against vulnerable groups, yet contemporary solutions remain trapped in individualistic frames. Cross-culturally, Indigenous and communal approaches offer more holistic models for harm reduction, but these are sidelined in favor of Western metrics. The trickster insight reveals how ed-tech corporations profit from selling 'solutions' that treat symptoms rather than causes. A systemic response requires algorithmic accountability, community-centered education, and youth-led digital sovereignty—shifting power from platforms to people. Without this, 'digital literacy' will remain a bandage on a gaping wound.