Educating the digital generation

For families, the central concern is how to prepare their children for a world that is rapidly changing—one in which being a consumer is no longer enough, and one must become a creator of technological content. Addressing this essential need requires a comprehensive approach to skill-building—one that includes not only proper use of digital tools, but also systems thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

The consumption vs. creation paradox: A concern for smart families

Most children and teenagers today are “digital natives.” They have grown up with tablets, smartphones, and the internet from birth. This is a great advantage but also carries a hidden risk: falling into passive consumption. Spending hours on social media or video games without understanding the underlying mechanisms threatens the cognitive and practical skills essential for the next generation.

Families’ primary concerns revolve around three key issues:

1.     Controlling consumption and guiding proper digital use: How can parents define clear boundaries between harmful use and constructive use of the digital world?

2.     Game development and creativity: Is playing games enough, or should children be introduced to the creative process of making games so they can understand the logic behind the screen?

3.     Technology-based problem-solving: Are children learning the skills needed to use modern tools—coding, artificial intelligence, 3D design—to solve real-world challenges?

Answering these questions requires an educational shift from simple “tool usage” toward “creation” and computational thinking.

The Foundation of skills training: Cognitive and practical principles

Teaching technology to children and teenagers should not resemble teaching a foreign language where they merely memorize rules and vocabulary. It must be built upon the cognitive development of each age group:

Young children:

At this stage, the focus should be on basic logical and structural concepts. Tools like programmable building blocks (e.g., Scratch Jr) that visually introduce concepts such as sequence, condition, and repetition are highly effective. The goal is not complex coding, but nurturing algorithmic thinking.

Teenagers:
This group is ready for abstract thinking and more complex concepts. Here, the focus should shift to solving real problems. Project-based learning—such as developing a simple game or designing a small app to solve a problem at home or school—boosts confidence and shows teenagers how technology can be used as a powerful tool.

A Successful operational model: Yasan Academy

To turn theory into practice, we need environments that take learning beyond theory and embed it in hands-on experience. In this regard, initiatives like those at Yasan Academy in Tehran serve as successful examples. Yasan Academy seeks to strengthen soft skills in the next generation through coding education. In its talent-identification program, families are introduced to a new “reverse learning” approach.

These centers demonstrate that well-designed educational environments with skilled instructors can effectively address parents’ concerns.

What makes these practical experiences successful is not merely teaching programming languages, but integrating knowledge across domains:

1.     Interdisciplinary projects: Combining game development with math concepts or using AI to analyze scientific data. This demonstrates that technology is a tool to deepen learning across all fields.

2.     The culture of failure and iteration: Children and teens must learn that failing at a step in coding or design is a natural part of creativity. Safe environments like these academies allow learners to test ideas without fear and reach solutions through trial and error.

3.     Practical media literacy: Alongside coding, teenagers must learn how to verify online information, understand their digital rights, and engage ethically online. This training forms the human side of cybersecurity, mentioned in the previous note.

Conclusion: Investing in awareness and creativity

Preparing the younger generation for the future requires moving beyond mechanical instruction and embracing an approach that emphasizes technology-centered soft skills. Problem-solving through coding, understanding how computer games work, and responsible use of digital opportunities form the core pillars of this readiness.

Families should seek environments that deliver such learning not in isolated or scattered ways, but through structured, project-based programs aligned with cognitive development stages. This investment ensures that our children transform from passive consumers of the digital age into active, innovative creators who shape the future.