Why Critical Thinking Matters for Teens

In this 12-minute Foundations lesson Professor Anthony Owens explains why teaching critical thinking to teens is essential today. Teens face a fast-moving online environment where emotional appeals, tailored feeds, and peer pressure combine to make misleading content persuasive. Critical thinking reduces harm from misinformation by strengthening judgment, promoting healthy skepticism, and improving decision-making across school, social, and civic life.

Key takeaways: developmental factors that make teens vulnerable, concrete harms from unchecked misinformation, and practical parent actions to build a teen's everyday evaluation skills and digital habits.