WebWise logo
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre
Exploring How Young People Navigate the Evolving Online World in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Misinformation
Maryam Esfandiari, Sinan Aşçı, Sandra Feijóo, Megan Reynolds, Carol O’Toole, Jane McGarrigle, Darran Heaney & James O’Higgins Norman
March 2025
Cover illustration: Teresa Di Manno (TeresaDiMannoDesign@gmail.com)
This study was supported by Vodafone Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland Disruptive Technologies Fund.
How to cite this report: Esfandiari, M., Aşçı, S., Feijóo, S., Reynolds, M., O’Toole, C., McGarrigle, J., Heaney, D., & O’Higgins Norman, J. (2025). Exploring How Young People Navigate the Evolving Online World in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Misinformation. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. ISBN: 978-1-911669-84-5.
In-Text Citation:
(Esfandiari et al., 2025)
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) is a research centre located in DCU Institute of Education. In line with DCU’s strategy, the core mission of the Centre is to be a future-focused and globally connected European centre of excellence for research and education on bullying and digital safety. The Centre hosts the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying and the International Journal of Bullying Prevention. Between 2018 and 2024, the Centre produced over 100 academic publications and 24 scientific reports, achieving a current combined Field-Weighted Citation Index of 2.4. Members of the Centre are drawn from all five faculties of DCU and from seven other universities and take pride in our ethical research practices and the positive social impact of our work in tackling bullying and promoting digital safety.
About Webwise
Webwise is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre, we provide free information, advice and resources for schools, families and young people on online safety and digital citizenship. Funded by the Department of Education and co-funded through the European Commission; Webwise develops and disseminates free resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools. Webwise also provides information, advice, and tools to parents to support their engagement in their children's online lives. With the help of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel, Webwise develops youth-oriented awareness raising resources and training programmes that promote digital citizenship and address topics such as online wellbeing, cyberbullying and more
Contents
Key Findings
Introduction
Method
Study Design and Ethics
Survey Design and Measures
Recruitment and sample
Findings
Smart Device Ownership
Daily Smart Device Usage
Social media and app usage
Online Safety Self-efficacy
Familiarity with social media features
AI-based tools and features
Open-ended questions on misinformation and AI
Top Influencers
Influencer Engagement
Presentation of Online Self
Identify between fake and real headlines
Conclusions
Limitation
Recommendation and Future Direction
Appendix