background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today, many people regularly use generative AI to create and share content on social media. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini AI, and Copilot help users quickly make captions, images, videos, and posts for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Instead of creating everything from scratch, users give short prompts and AI produces polished content in seconds.

This is an example of prosumption, where people are both consumers and producers of content at the same time. By 2026, most social media images and over half of LinkedIn long posts are expected to be partly or fully AI-generated. This allows users to post more often without needing advanced skills like graphic design or video editing. AI also shapes what people see online, as algorithms recommend most content, increasing reach and engagement. AI makes communication faster and more efficient by generating text, images, and videos, adapting tone, translating languages, and optimizing posts for attention. However, it also creates problems. Large amounts of low-effort, AI-made content flood social media, making it hard to tell what is human-made. Many users struggle to trust what they see, and algorithms often promote trendy, polished content instead of thoughtful discussion.

Because of this, education needs to change. Students now need AI and media literacy, not just reading and writing skills. This includes learning how to use AI responsibly, recognize fake or biased content, understand how algorithms influence what they see, and clearly disclose AI use. Schools should teach “critical prosumption,” helping students use AI creatively while thinking critically and ethically.

By teaching these skills through activities like AI-assisted storytelling, education can prepare students to be responsible digital citizens. Schools play a key role in helping learners navigate a world where communication is increasingly shaped by both humans and AI.

References:

Vergili, M., & Kara, M. (2024). An investigation of students and teachers’ new media literacy: the contributing characteristics with the moderator role of gender. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 19, 029. https://doi.org/10.58459/rptel.2024.19029

MacFarlane, R. (2026, January 7). 7 social media trends you need to know in 2026. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/

Elad, B. (2025, December 15). AI in Social Media Tools Statistics 2026: Uncover What’s Shaping the Future. SQ Magazine. https://sqmagazine.co.uk/ai-in-social-media-tools-statistics/

AI-Prosumption