Connected & Confident: Navigating Today’s Digital World (Spring 2026)

Digital tools shape how we communicate, learn, and make decisions in today’s world. This seminar is essential to stay informed, empowered, and safe online.

Join us for 8 sessions designed to help you better understand the digital landscape — from social media and AI to privacy, safety, and policy.

Looking for Fall 2026 Registration? Click Below!

Event Dates

January 27 - May 5, 2026

Event Times

Every Other Tuesday,
10:00 - 11:30 am

Event Location

UT Austin Campus

Take Control of Your Digital Life

Eight interactive sessions will feature insights from subject experts from The University of Texas at Austin and across the nation.

You'll gain tools, confidence, and real-world knowledge to help you better understand and navigate the digital world:

  • Develop a foundational understanding of social media and AI
  • Learn vital safety practices for the online world
  • Build skills to think critically about digital content
  • Feel more empowered and informed in everyday digital interactions

Session 1: Navigating Social Media
  • Introductions
    Series information, structure, and what you’ll take away from the class.
  • Platform Fundamentals
    Insight into the major platforms and how they function.
  • Audience Breakdown
    Who uses each platform and the kind of content you’ll see on them.
Session 2: Staying Safe Online
  • Safety & Security
    Practical ways to protect yourself online, avoid scams, and spot misinformation.
  • Protecting Privacy
    Understand what companies do with your data so you can make informed choices.
Session 3: Digital Productivity
  • Work Smarter
    How you can use online tools for writing documents, creating spreadsheets, and saving to the cloud.
  • AI for Good
    How you can harness AI to help with productivity and simplifying complex tasks.
Session 4: Social Media and Wellbeing
  • Youth and Social Media
    Understanding the concerns and learning how kids and teens actually use social media.
  • Research-Based Impact
    Clarity on what current evidence says about social media’s effects on youth mental health and well-being.
Session 5: Understanding AI
  • What is AI?
    A simple explanation of how AI works and where it’s popping up in your everyday life (it’s more pervasive than you think).
  • Red Flags and Ethical Issues
    Understand the negatives that come with AI use, including misinformation, surveillance concerns, and environmental impact.
  • Staying Smart
    Critical thinking when interacting with AI-generated content.
Session 6: Spotting Deepfakes
  • What Is a Deepfake?
    Learn more about this type of digital deception and how it’s created.
  • Understand Threats
    How deepfakes perpetuate misinformation and scams.
  • Learn to Identify
    Review tools and audio/visual clues that can help identify a deepfake.
Session 7: Legal and Newsroom Implications of AI
  • Legislation Spotlight
    Overview of recent or upcoming policies related to AI, deepfakes, and data privacy.
  • Newsroom Implications
    How are journalists and newsrooms thinking about using AI?
Session 8: Seminar Wrap-up
  • Key Takeaways and Skills
    A summary of what we’ve learned and how you can confidently use this new knowledge in your daily digital life.
  • Discussion/Reflections
    Open floor for sharing insights and asking questions.
  • Resources for the Road Ahead
    Tools from our seminar and resources for continued learning.

Registration includes all 8 sessions for $1,000