Sal Khan tightly controls his children’s screen time and their access to social media, but the founder and chief executive of the Khan Academy, an online education organisation, is a big believer in the power of the digital world and artificial intelligence to help students get ahead.
“Apps and games are clearly designed to be addictive, but technology in moderation is fundamentally neutral,” he says. “Many adults get angry with their kids but are also addicted to their phones. We should all say no to using devices at all times.”
Like many executives in Silicon Valley, he is well aware of the dangers of technology and how far apps have been designed to drive usage and harvest personal information. But he also sees the value of new tools to support more personalised and effective learning, ironing out differences in access to resources and boosting education more broadly.
Outside the classroom, too, the digital world offers clear benefits in life and leisure, as well as dangers.
In this FT report, part of our free access programme for secondary and high schools globally, we outline practical advice for students: highlighting trends, tools and guidelines to help navigate the digital world more effectively.
