Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Generasi Z di Era Artificial Intelligence dan Media Sosial: Perspektif Teori Paulo Freire

Abstract

The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media has transformed Generation Z’s patterns of learning, information seeking, and everyday interaction. However, previous research findings have not yielded consistent conclusions regarding the effects of these two technologies on critical thinking skills, while studies interpreting them through Paulo Freire’s critical education perspective remain limited. This study aims to analyze the partial and simultaneous effects of AI use and social media use intensity on Generation Z’s critical thinking skills and to interpret the results from Paulo Freire’s perspective. The study employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory survey design involving 100 Generation Z respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed through multiple linear regression with the assistance of SPSS. The findings indicate that AI use had no significant partial effect on critical thinking skills (p = 0.416), nor did the intensity of social media use (p = 0.198). Simultaneously, the two variables also had no significant effect on critical thinking skills (p = 0.435) and explained only 1.7% of the variation in these skills (R² = 0.017). These findings are consistent with Paulo Freire’s thought, which positions dialogue, reflection, and praxis as the primary elements in developing critical thinking skills rather than technology alone. This study concludes that AI and social media are not direct determinants of critical thinking skills but rather learning tools whose benefits depend on how users utilize, evaluate, and reflect on information. Theoretically, this study enriches educational research in the digital era by integrating Freire’s critical education perspective. Practically, these findings emphasize the importance of reflective learning, information verification, and dialogical methods in developing Generation Z’s critical thinking skills.