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Panchatantra 2.0: A Culturally Grounded Approach for Children’s Digital Rights and Online Safety
Sagar Vishnoi, Parishrut Jassal, Alisha Butala ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This paper proposes a digital literacy framework to help children understand data, their data rights and how to stay safe online. It uses stories from the Indian Panchatantra to make the ideas relatable and to teach ethical values. The framework is compared with existing frameworks from the Digital Education Council and UNESCO. The paper also discusses the use of AI in education, both as a learning tool and as a technology that needs strong safeguards for data protection and bias. It ends with policy recommendations, curriculum development strategies and future research directions.
Key points
- The framework aims to build children's understanding of data and data trails.
- It seeks to raise awareness of how data collection affects children personally.
- It covers legal data rights, including India's DPDP Act 2023, GDPR and the UNCRC.
- It aims to give children ownership and agency over their personal data.
- Panchatantra stories are used to make complex concepts relatable and to instil ethical values.
Limitations
The abstract describes a proposed framework and does not report testing it with children or measuring any outcomes. It cannot tell us whether the approach improves children's online safety or learning.
Abstract
Enhancing children’s safety within the evolving digital landscape is paramount for fostering future-ready education. This paper directly addresses this imperative by synthesizing an AI-enhanced digital literacy framework aimed at cultivating critical engagement and ethical understanding among children, thereby contributing to their safety and preparedness for the future. The primary approach detailed herein is a comprehensive framework, which emphasises data rights and safeguarding in the digital age. This is complemented by a culturally grounded implementation strategy, an integral part of our approach, which notably leverages Indian ancestral stories, narratives from the Panchatantra, to make complex concepts relatable and instill ethical values. Key objectives of the framework include developing a nuanced understanding of data, data trails, promoting awareness of data collection’s personal implications, knowledge of pertinent legal data rights (such as India’s DPDP Act, 2023, GDPR, and UNCRC), and empowering children with ownership and agency over their personal data. The proposed framework is analyzed in relation to existing frameworks, including those by the Digital Education Council and UNESCO. Furthermore, the paper explores the dual role of AI, both as a potent educational tool for digital literacy and as a technology whose ethical deployment in educational settings requires stringent safeguards, particularly concerning data protection and bias mitigation, crucial for children’s safety. Concluding with policy recommendations, strategies for curriculum development based on this framework, and future research directions, this work aims to contribute significantly to enhancing children’s digital safety and equipping them as responsible, future-ready citizens.