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Guiding Students Through A.I.’s Impact on Cyberbullying, Creativity, and Math Class

Gemini’s “Nano Banana” popularity reminds students of the importance of navigating A.I. image generators with integrity

The Gist: Google’s Gemini app has skyrocketed to the top of the App Store, even surpassing ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app. The buzz? Its playful image generator, “Nano Banana,” which has fueled more than 200 million creations and gone viral on social media. But behind the fun, experts are sounding alarms: a Common Sense Media report labeled Gemini “high risk” for kids and teens since the “youth” versions are nearly identical to the adult app, with only a few extra filters. This highlights the double-edged sword of A.I. as a source of creativity and imagination, but also a challenge for safe, responsible use.

What to Know: Gemini’s Nano Banana is capturing student attention because it’s free, fun, and easy to use. That popularity means schools can’t ignore it and should be aware of its risks. Inappropriate or misleading images can still slip through, and the virality of social sharing means harmful content can spread quickly, damaging reputations and fueling misinformation. However, instead of banning these tools, educators can use this moment to team up with students and teach that when used in ethical ways, A.I. image generators can be fun, creative outlets.

TSI’s Take: Gemini’s rise with Nano Banana shows how A.I. image generators can spark creativity and fun, while also raising important questions about responsibility. These tools open doors for imagination and innovation, but they can also spread harm or misinformation, or even damage reputations. Schools play an important role in helping students navigate both sides. Here are a few ways to start:

• Encourage students to consider the ethics of A.I.: Explore how harmful images or deepfakes can damage reputations and trust.
• Teach critical thinking: Practice questioning what A.I. creates, whether it’s an image, a video, or text.
• Be transparent: If you feel comfortable, try using A.I. yourself to bring a piece of history class to life, or generate fun free-writing prompts and show your students how you did it to model responsible A.I. use.

Want to take the conversation further? Check out our #WinAtSocial Lesson, Maintaining Human Creativity When We Use A.I. as a Thought Partner, where students learn how to let A.I. inspire ideas while considering the ethical questions that come with using A.I. in art and music.

Math Teachers are recognizing the pros & cons of A.I. in their classrooms for students 

The Gist: A.I. Literacy isn’t just something to consider teaching in a library or media class. It impacts all core classes, and math teachers are taking notice as they begin to explore how it can support instruction, creativity, and student learning. At a recent summit hosted by Stanford’s EduNLP Lab, over 60 math educators from across the U.S. came together to share their experiences, needs, and ideas for evaluating A.I. tools. During the summit, educators shared they were excited about A.I.’s potential to brainstorm creative math problems and save time, but they’re also cautious about its accuracy, inclusivity, and the risk of spreading errors and overreliance among students. 

What to Know: Many math teachers are envisioning using A.I. to generate new word problems, real-world scenarios, and puzzles that get students thinking, reasoning, and collaborating. They also shared that they’re excited about its ability to help teachers differentiate instruction by tailoring problems or explanations to students’ different skill levels and learning needs.

They also recognize that A.I. isn’t perfect and stressed the need for accuracy from the tools and noted that incorrect math or misleading information will confuse students. Ethical and inclusive use is just as important to the educators as they shared that they want to be sure that what they receive from their A.I. prompts is culturally relevant, accessible, and free from bias, so all students benefit. Teachers also emphasized the importance of guiding students to treat A.I. as a thought partner, not a shortcut, and explored ideas like evolving how they assess work, like evaluating outputs, and a student’s ability to think critically.

TSI’s Take: From asking A.I. to solve a single math problem to prompting it to write an entire research paper, there are plenty of ways students could misuse artificial intelligence. But A.I. is here to say, and it’s already shaping how teachers teach, from math to English. The key to helping students navigate it in positive ways is to demystify it. Be transparent with students about how it’s used, and remind them that A.I. should never replace human thinking. Schools can guide both students and educators with a few simple strategies:

• Engage students with creative word problems: Let A.I. help you come up with word problems students can relate to and engage with.
• Prioritize accuracy and ethics: Show students how to spot inaccuracies, question outputs, and recognize bias.
• Model critical thinking: Encourage students to evaluate A.I.-generated content and maintain ownership of their learning.

When guided thoughtfully, A.I. becomes a supportive thought partner for both teachers and students, helping generate ideas, foster discussion, and support diverse learning needs. Want to take this even further? Check out our #WinAtSocial Lesson, Examining the ethics around A.I. and plagiarism, where students explore when A.I. can be used responsibly and when it crosses the line. 

How to equip students to navigate new forms of cyberbullying as A.I.-manipulated content concerns rise

The Gist: Parents are more concerned than ever about what their students encounter online. A new McAfee study shows that cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and A.I.-manipulated media, like deepfakes and “nudify” tools, are at the top of their concerns. Parents or caregivers are sharing that it’s becoming more and more difficult to stay on top of ever-evolving tech and social media trends, and cyberbullying by way of A.I.-generated content is the latest that they are struggling to keep up with. The study highlighted that even though nearly all parents talk with their kids about online safety, many don’t consistently check devices or set clear boundaries. 

What to Know: While social media and technology open doors for students to connect with friends, explore new interests, and even learn in exciting ways, they also come with challenges, like cyberbullying or A.I.-manipulated content. Research shows that some risks, like harassment and deepfakes, affect girls more, while boys may encounter gaming scams more often. The good news? These challenges are also opportunities. When adults stay curious and proactive, they can help students build the skills to navigate A.I. responsibly, make kind choices online, and understand the real-world impact of using A.I. ethically. By turning awareness into action, schools can empower students to navigate their worlds safely, creatively, and confidently, both online and offline.

TSI’s Takeaway: The McAfee report highlights the importance of protecting students by equipping them with modern life skills and huddling often about their experiences with technology. Teaching critical thinking skills, how to review privacy settings, how to keep devices secure, and setting family tech standards helps students navigate online risks related to artificial intelligence and cyberbullying. Here are a few more ways you can help students when they come across A.I.-manipulated content or cyberbullying:

• Pause and question: Teach students to slow down before reacting. Encourage them to ask, “Is this real?” and check the source before sharing or responding to A.I.-generated images, videos, or messages.
• Practice empathy with role-playing: Role-play scenarios with students where they practice supportive responses, reporting harmful behavior, and standing up for peers in safe ways.
• Seek out support: Normalize asking for help, whether from a trusted adult, counselor, or peer leader, and remind students that asking for help is a sign of leadership and responsibility, not weakness.

According to The McAfee report, many adults feel unequipped to address artificial intelligence with their students, but it’s one of the most important things we can do to support them. With an empower and equip approach, rather than a scare and restrict one, we can pair positive tech habits with honest conversations to help kids navigate the digital world thoughtfully. Not sure where to start? Preview the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Reflecting on our role as explicit A.I.-generated content spreads.

In conclusion, image generators are bananas, math teachers can get creative with word problems, and students are impacted in obvious and unseen ways. By proactively teaching A.I. Literacy, we can guide students to create responsibly, strengthen learning, and make the online world a little safer. Ready to empower your students? Preview The Social Institute’s #WinAtSocial Lessons on A.I. literacy today.

The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we integrate teacher PD, family resources, student voice insights, and more to empower entire school communities to make positive choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes, incorporating timely topics such as social media, A.I., screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in supporting student health, happiness, and academic success.