Research: Children’s Media Lives 2026 · UK · Reviewed: 12 September 2026
Ofcom’s latest Children’s Media Lives study describes AI becoming part of the participants’ schoolwork, searches and social-media experience. Many used AI tools but had limited understanding of how they worked and rarely questioned the accuracy of answers.
This is a qualitative study of 17 participants, with fieldwork between November 2025 and March 2026. It offers detailed examples, not a representative estimate of all UK children’s behaviour.
For educators
A useful classroom starting point is the difference between an answer that sounds convincing and one supported by evidence. Students could trace a claim to its original source, compare independent accounts and explain what remains uncertain. Familiarity with a tool should not be assumed to mean critical understanding of it.
Read Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives 2026 report (PDF).