By Mia Warren
In recent years, AI has started to become more popular, but is it for the better or worse? Young kids and students use AI for many different things like homework help, simple questions, or even helping them with essays. In a way, AI is good for small things, like answering questions and vocabulary, but for young minds it causes them to not use critical thinking skills. Teachers everywhere have expressed their questions and concerns with how AI can harm young brains, but some have also shared their likings with AI.
Many students use AI for small things, like asking how to spell words, lists, or even help with math problems. These types of innocent questions are simple and don’t negatively affect students. On the other hand, using AI, Alexa, or Siri also mean the students don’t take the time to deeply think about things. This may make kids less likely to actually do their work and figure out the problems on their own. Many believe young minds are way too reliant on technology, and in the long term some may lose the skill of problem solving that they will need in life.
Social Media also has a strong influence on young people, which can affect their mental health. Apps like TikTok and Instagram show content for people that they enjoy. Although that can be fun, it also may affect how kids think about themselves. Both apps can show unrealistic standards and give people FOMO (fear of missing out), which can harm their mental health and self esteem. When kids see content like this online it can make them develop new insecurities they never had before. Seeing that content too often can change how kids view the world and how they perceive themselves.
The downside of AI is the effect it can have on kids attention spans, a good example of this would be the app Youtube. This app is designed to keep kids entertained and engaged for long periods of time. But with the constant entertainment it can really make it hard for kids to focus on school and extracurriculars. This causes them to struggle with sitting still for long periods of time and having an attention span or patience. In conclusion, AI is changing the world in many ways, but for young minds it is recommended to balance it out so they still get a proper learning experience and use critical thinking.
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