12 May 2023

Students from Catholic secondary schools were the experts in a recent forum about the way young people use technology.

Facilitated by the Student and Learning Technologies team from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), the Student Reference Forum was an opportunity to bring together students to discuss the role of technology in the lives of young people inside and outside the classroom. Students from Loyola College, Watsonia, Mercy College, Coburg, Nazareth College, Noble Park North, and Thomas Carr College, Tarneit, discussed the opportunities and challenges presented by technology for learning, their roles and responsibilities for online safety, and the ways technology increases equity for information.

‘Information is available at the click of a button, and that’s so easy and accessible’, said Annie from Loyola College. ‘The internet allows people to hear a wide variety of truths, but it’s harder to narrow down what the real truth is.’

Students also talked about recent advances in technology, including the use of artificial intelligence. ‘We’re watching the world improve faster than it has before’, said Crimson from Thomas Carr College. ‘Look how far we’ve come from even a century ago, and now it keeps growing faster and faster. With new technology, I think we can do new things – maybe we can even go to Mars one day.’